Marshalltown High School senior Chris Avina smiled as he ran clippers across the scalp of his teacher, Russ Kruse, sending tufts of hair to the floor. This moment wasn’t just about a new haircut. It marked the successful end of a bet and, more importantly, a step toward graduation.
“We said bald, so you have to shave my head bald,” Kruse said with a wide grin.
A few months ago, Avina wasn’t sure he would graduate on time. He still needed to complete the second semesters of geometry and chemistry and a year of English, which put his eligibility at risk.
To help motivate him, Kruse made a deal.
“I said, ‘How about this — you graduate, you shave my head. If you don’t, I shave yours,’” Kruse said.
Avina agreed, and the challenge was set.
With encouragement from Marshalltown High School staff, Avina committed to finishing his coursework. He often stayed after school, spending extra time to meet his graduation requirements and win the bet.
Katie Schafer, an at-risk teacher who is a part of the school’s PIER program, monitored his progress. The PIER program provides focused support in a “school within a school” setting to help students complete their classes and graduate.
“The last couple weeks, when it was pretty obvious he was going to make it, were pretty good,” Schafer said. “I knew Kruse would follow through with the bet.”
Kruse had faith too. He had been growing his hair out for three months, confident Avina would come through.
When the day arrived, Avina brought in the clippers he used to cut his family’s hair. He set them on a table in the PIER room, where Kruse sat in a chair wearing a black plastic bag to catch the falling hair.
Students and staff gathered to celebrate. Laughter filled the room as the clippers buzzed and Kruse’s hair dropped to the floor.
When Avina hesitated near the end, Kruse gave him a smile and a reminder of their deal. Bald meant bald.
Avina beamed with pride after finishing the haircut. It meant more than just winning a friendly bet. He had completed his coursework and was ready to walk across the stage at graduation.
“Don’t let nothing stand in your way, even if you have to stay another hour after school,” Avina said.