Evelyn is the latest in a host of Shaker students who have either shaved their heads to raise money for cancer research organizations like St. Baldrick's or donated their hair to organizations that make wigs for children and adults who experience hair loss from cancer treatment or autoimmune disorders like alopecia.

Evelyn's reasoning behind lopping off 10 inches of her hair this summer started out as a practical matter. "It was hot and I hadn't cut my hair short in a while and I wanted to surprise my cousin for our vacation, so I decided to cut it," she explains. And since she wanted to cut off so much---her hair was halfway down her back---why not do something good and donate it?

The day she made the decision, her mom drove her to a salon and the stylist ponytailed her hair into sections and lopped it off, one ponytail at a time. Evelyn is modest about her good deed and demurs when asked what IB attributes she exhibited with her choice. "I'd say caring and risk-taker," she admits.

And while it may seem like no big deal to Evelyn, her tresses are now in the hands of Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.