Introduction to Jessica Thurmond’s Story
NORTH LAWNDALE — A North Lawndale student whose pop-up bathroom hair salon became an online sensation is working to turn her passion for hairstyling and supporting her friends into a business. Jessica Thurmond, 17, has became famous on social media through a Feb. 3 TikTok video of her braiding her friend’s hair in the girls’ bathroom at North Lawndale College Prep, 1615 S. Christiana Ave., where she is a junior. The 18-second video got 3.6 million views and more than 500,000 likes, with commenters praising Thurmond’s talent — and some wondering how she pulled it off during school hours.
The Viral Video and Its Impact
“i love girls helping other girls ❤️,” one person wrote. “The hairstylist that did everyone’s hair in highschool turn out to always be the best . 🔥 Keep going,” another commenter wrote. “my five minute bathroom pass could never,” one person joked. Encouraged by the support, Thurmond’s family launched a GoFundMe this month to raise money for her to buy hairstyling supplies and ultimately launch her business. As of Thursday, it had raised more than $200 of its $10,000 goal. “One day, she hopes to own her salon shop,” the teen’s family wrote on the campaign page. “She loves to see when others are feeling good; it motivates her to keep going and never give up on what she wants to be!”
Thurmond’s Background and Skills
Thurmond was born and raised in North Lawndale. She learned how to do hair — cut, curl, braid and even dye — from her grandmother when she was 8, she said. Over the years, she’s grown to become the de facto hairdresser for more than 10 family members, regularly styling hair for her mother, father, brother, cousins, aunts and grandmothers. “Everyone really counts on me,” Thurmond said. Thurmond also occasionally did her friends’ hair at home. One day in September 2023, during her sophomore year, a friend asked Thurmond to help style her wig at school. The pair went to the girls’ bathroom so Thurmond could get to work — though she was afraid she’d get in trouble for missing class to do her friend’s hair.
Jessica Thurmond, a student at North Lawndale College Prep, curls her classmate Jada Ervin’s hair at school on March 18, 2025. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
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