Locks of brown hair laid lifelessly on the floor as junior Anna Novak reached her hand back to feel her head. She ran her fingers over her bare scalp and tears began to slide down her face.

“The moment I felt my head I instantly was brought to tears because I just felt so empowered and happy,” Novak said. “It was very overwhelming, but it was a good feeling.”

On Aug. 15, Novak shaved her head for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a foundation dedicated to funding childhood cancer research.

Novak decided to shave her head back in March. Though she has never been personally affected by cancer, she wanted to try something new and help people at the same time.  

“I wanted to help others and try something out for myself because I’ve never had short hair and I was like, ‘I think I’d look really cool with a shaved head,’” Novak said. “I know a lot of girls who have shaved their head before, so I did some research and I thought, if I’m going to shave my head, I might as well do it for St. Baldrick’s and raise money while I’m doing it.”

In the time leading up to shaving her head, Novak was nervous, but eager to get rid of her hair.

“In the hours leading up to [getting my head shaved], I kept thinking that I just want it to happen already,” Novak said. “It was nerve-wracking, but it was fun because I had all my friends there so there was a lot of support.

By shaving her head, Novak raised $580 for St. Baldrick’s from family and friends who wanted to support her. Novak also donated the 11 inches of hair she cut off to the Childhood Leukemia Foundation.  

In addition to helping children with cancer by shaving her head, Novak feels that the act has benefitted herself.

“I think the fact that I am bald is one of the reasons why I am so confident,” Novak said. “I realized that, even though I was doing something for other people by raising money for St. Baldrick’s, by shaving my head, I was definitely doing something for myself and I felt so free after that.”

Novak’s newfound confidence is apparent to those around her as well. Senior Miles Weimer has been friends with Novak for the past three years and has also noticed a shift in her character.

“As a person I think [Novak] is more confident,” Weimer said. “She’s an actress so she was confident before, but I think [her confidence] just got bigger from there.”

The only negative experience Weimer has encountered since Novak went bald is difficulty identifying her.

“Physically, sometimes I mistake her for other people,” Weimer said. “I once thought [Novak] was a boy, I once thought boys were her.”

In the few months that she’s been bald, Novak has also found herself less concerned with what other people think of her, an outlook that has greatly improved her state of mind.

“I always tried to do things to impress other people or be the ‘coolest’ in the room, but once I shaved my head I stopped caring about what everyone else thought and just focused on myself and my well-being,” Novak said. “I’ve honestly been the happiest I’ve ever been and am so in touch with myself and my mind.”

Due to her positive experience being bald, Novak believes that it is something everyone should try.

“[Shaving your head] is just a completely different experience and it’s one of the best things you can do because it’s such a drastic change,” Novak said. “It’s something you can do to make a difference in other people’s lives and a difference in your life. It’s just a new way to view the world and a new way to live, and it’ll be temporary if you don’t like it.”

People can help support the St. Baldrick’s Foundation by shaving their head and raising money, starting or participating in a community event or donating money. Visit stbaldricks.org for more information.