Breast Cancer Awareness

As part of our focus on Breast Cancer Awareness, we at Summit Salon Academy want to share inspiring stories from three amazing women: Sydney Berry, Talisa Boad, and Dannielle Varley. Each woman is an inspiration, showing such strength, courage and resilience.

Sydney Berry

Sydney has been in the beauty industry for over 50 years. During that time, she has held numerous positions including salon owner, salon consultant and owner of a multi-state distributorship – Salon Services. She is currently the chair of PBA (Professional Beauty Association). Sydney is a recognized leader and mentor in the beauty industry. She has accomplished all this while tackling breast cancer. Sydney has battled multiple diagnosis of breast cancer over the past 32 years leading to 3 mastectomies and numerous treatments. She is currently living with Metastatic Breast Cancer with bone for seven years and to put it bluntly…she is a force of nature! Sydney’s positive mindset and resilience has shaped her journey living with Cancer.

Sydney has been a mentor to many who are going through the same experience. She believes in positivity, patience, and resilience as keys to overcoming this trial. She also knows that it’s important to have a belief in your body’s ability to heal. Sydney’s advice is to “see your future. Recognize that you will have tough moments of challenge. [Listen to} how your body feels and… seek out your community of support.”

A “Thriver” Mentality

Sydney doesn’t call herself a survivor; she is a THRIVER. Here’s what she has to say on the topic:

“A survivor mindset is one of negativity, struggle, darkness, defeat or win with a battlefield of setbacks. A [thriver’s] mentality is one of options…You are [prepared] to expect that downturns [can] lead to new options. It is a grace of lightness of being. [You are] the ONE in control of your reality. [It is] a choice– Living in an actionable state of belief and response versus one of marching to your pre-determined destiny.”

The Power of the Beauty Industry

Sydney knows the vital role the beauty industry plays for cancer patients as they make their own choice about how to deal with the impact of treatment on their body, especially the impact on a person’s hair. Sydney has been instrumental in raising funds for HairToStay, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cancer patients access innovative scalp cooling treatments with the aim to prevent hair loss due to chemotherapy. Sydney says, “When an oncologist delivers the news of chemotherapy as a treatment to cancer, you know you will lose your hair, and [you go] to the salon for a chemo cut.”  Because of her fundraising efforts for HairToStay, Sydney is being honored this month with the Cooler Heads Prevail Award at a gala fundraiser in San Francisco on October 9th. 

To help put an end to “chemo cuts,” Summit Salon Academy is fundraising this month in Sydney’s honor. All proceeds will go towards the The Sydney Berry Fund within HairToStay. Sydney’s fund will be used to subsidize younger women (40 and under) who would otherwise be unable to afford scalp cooling. It will also support individuals employed directly or as independent contractors in the haircare and beauty industries. 

Talisa Boad

Talisa Boad is a student at Summit Salon Academy who made the courageous decision to continue in school while fighting her recent diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer. During her treatment she found out that she is positive for the BRCA1 mutation gene – a genetic marker for breast cancer. Due to the highly aggressive nature of the cancer she is currently fighting, Talisa will also undergo a mastectomy after the completion of her chemotherapy treatments

Talisa has been brave and transparent in sharing her experience with cancer. “I am doing hair without hair. It’s a mixed bag of emotions.  I long for my blonde hair back. I long for curls as many clients do. I can empathize with clients who sit in my chair and have told me about their experience with their own cancer.”

Talisa believes that, “we can’t be afraid to talk about cancer and the effects it has on human lives because we can create better connections through open communication.”  “After I would finish a client’s service,” Talisa says, ”I would often sit outside in exhaustion crying and feeling so weak. Many students came to talk with me. [They] hugged me and I thanked them for that support and thanked them for hugging me as I don’t often get hugs.” Through her experience, Talisa has created special bonds with her clients and fellow students. 

As a single mother, being resilient is important in her life. She’s had to address issues and overcome them for years. Talisa says she has struggled on days during treatment “Except when I was physically doing hair.  It made me feel so alive again. I Didn’t have any pains and I felt calm and a happiness inside me.”

Talisa says “all of my hard work I have done has been in honor of my children, classmates and my clients and for myself….I finally did it, through all the experience, learning and knowledge, tears and fears, I truly am doing what I love the most.  This has been quite a long goal, that I never gave up on, regardless how hard life is/was. I will soon become a cancer survivor.”  

We think you’re incredible, Talisa! – and as of this blog post we are even more pleased to congratulate Talisa on her recent graduation from the Cosmetology course! We have no doubt Talisa is going to make an impact on so many lives as she works in the beauty industry. 

Dannielle Varley 

Dannielle started at Summit Salon Academy in July 2021. In Fall of 2021 she was diagnosed with stage 1B grade 3 triple negative breast cancer. She withdrew shortly after to pursue treatment which involved extensive chemotherapy and radiation prior to undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Through it all Dannielle has stayed connected to her classmates and Summit Salon Academy and demonstrated such an amazing positive attitude. 

Cancer is “one thing I never thought I’d have or ever want anyone to ever go through,” Dannielle says, “[but I] have to try to keep a positive mindset. It’s not always easy but it is your best bet.” 

Dannielle says that her family is her biggest support system and helps her overcome her battles. Through her experience, she says “I stayed positive and always did my best to be me. Cancer wasn’t going to beat me.”  Since being diagnosed, Dannielle has discovered that there are so many ways to be beautiful. The beauty industry has shown her that services as simple as a manicure can help people feel good about themselves.

Danielle shared “I miss my hair and I can’t wait till it is back, but this has been a learning experience. I’ve never been one to judge anyone and this just shows anything can happen to anyone. It is best to always get checked. I just turned 40 this year and I’m going to go back and finish school for hair because I love doing hair. I was so happy to be in school learning everything there is about hair.”

We are thrilled to report that Dannielle is now cancer-free and we are so looking forward to welcoming her back to Summit Salon Academy to complete her Cosmetology program! We are beyond proud of you, Dannielle!

Be A Part of the Solution

Help our students fundraise this month. During the month of October, when you visit Summit Salon Academy for services, we will be donating part of the proceeds to HairToStay and the Sydney Berry Fund!