One moment, Max Magana was slumped over his desk in class, writing down notes from the board. Then, in a blink, the classroom dissolved into a roaring soccer field beneath his feet, where he raced across the field as a midfielder. Just as he sent a perfect pass upfield, the stadium faded away and he found himself holding clippers, cutting and fading an incoming client’s hair.

His life was not always like this for Magana, a freshman attending West Chicago Community High School. Magana was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and while there, he played club soccer, an experience that helped him develop a love for the sport.

“I played as a child in Mexico, playing with my friends, and I’ve always played soccer growing up. I always remember those moments when I played in the street, and it brings me joy again,” Magana said.

However, Magana was not allowed to play due to his poor grades.

“I knew I couldn’t let my grades stop me from playing soccer, so I had to step up my game [in the classroom] to be able to have that chance to continue playing, so I went ahead and did so,” Magana said.

In 2018, Magana moved from Mexico to the United States for better opportunities. He came to the US without a clear idea of what he wanted to accomplish, and there was a language barrier.

“When I was in first grade, my mom told me we were going to the United States because she wanted me to have more opportunities, and that going there would give me more opportunities. But it was difficult to understand what she meant at that time, and what was even more difficult was when I came to the United States because I didn’t understand English. But, I did have one thing in mind: I wanted to play soccer,” Magana said.

Magana joined West Chicago Lions Academy, a local club, where he continued developing his love for the game. He continued playing soccer in high school, making the JV1 team in his first year.

“I was very impressed by Max during the summer; he worked with me four days a week – that includes training and games,” coach Dorian Carrasco said.

For Carrasco, it was no surprise that Magana made the JV1 team.

“He’s a player who’s not afraid of competition, a player who’s ready to take on the responsibilities given to him,” Carrasco said. “When you come to West Chicago, you come into a program that’s going to compete for everything every year. Aside from the skill, we look for character, personality, and passion. Those three traits will add to your success in our soccer program. Max carries his traits off the field as well – he’s very hard-working and respectful.”

Those skills directly translate to Magana’s interest in barbering, where he is self-motivated and diligent as well. That said, Magana almost did not become a barber. Last year, he started cutting hair but stopped around July 2024 because of a lack of clients.

“The lack of clients gave me inspiration to improve, to work harder on my skills, learn new techniques, and push myself to be better every day.” Magana said

His improvement came from hands-on experience, videos, and barbering classes where his teacher was Brandon Magana Reyez of Brandon Fadez.

“Brandon was always there to help me,” Magana said. “He helped me learn new things, and if I had any doubts, he would help me answer [them]. He was also part of my process of growing my business and improving my skills, so I could be better every day.

Magana picked up barbering again in August 2024 and began seeing more improvement in his haircuts.

“Haircuts with a design give me the freedom to express myself through the cut. It is expressive for me because I really enjoy creating designs, and I feel it’s part of my personality as a barber,” Magana said. “Everyone has their own style, and for me, designs are something that really defines me.”

Magana’s mom is a nail technician, and it was because of her that Max started cutting hair. She tried to get him into barbering classes when he was 12 years old, but because of his age, they did not accept him.

 “The truth is, I never wanted to cut hair, even though my mom had been urging me to for a long time,” Magana said. “I never wanted to do it because I was afraid of failing and doing a bad job, and I also wasn’t motivated. So when my mom asked me again, I said yes, and then I went to a barberschool to see if I could get in but they didn’t let me in . As the haircuts, months, and days went by, I started to like it more and more. Every haircut is a new story.”

Magana now has about 126 clients in a month, one of his biggest accomplishments yet, as last year he did not have any clients at all. Now, he is reaching for an even higher goal.

“Something I enjoy when cutting hair is talking to the clients, hearing about their experiences. Like, how did they find me? Who told them about me? Or why did they decide to trust me to cut their hair? It’s something I really enjoy — listening to my clients,” Magana said.

His clients find his demeanor easy-going.

“We always share a laugh. He’s really funny, he’s a really nice person, you can really get along with him,” West Chicago Community High School senior Abran Lopez said.

For Magana, his clients are more than just a business appointment.

“Every cut is a new story. It’s like the saying goes: hair has memories. So every strand of hair I cut is one more memory from my clients, and I enjoy listening to them,” Magana said.

Magana believes these three worlds — school, soccer, and barbering — are deeply connected. Barbering has taught him patience and focus, skills that carry over into both the classroom and the soccer field. In return, the discipline and responsibility he learns as a student-athlete elevate his work as a barber. He feels that all of these experiences combine to shape how he understands the world around him.

“Something that soccer and barbering have taught me is to always be disciplined in whatever you’re doing, and even if you don’t want to, the least you can do is do it well so that it doesn’t have negative consequences in the future,” Magana said.