(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel holds up a beach scene she created at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg last summer. Hickel was recently named the Youth of the Year for the club and serves as a statewide teen ambassador for the West Virginia Afterschool Alliance.

PARKERSBURG — Kloe Hickel is a 16-year-old junior at Parkersburg South High School who also takes classes at West Virginia University at Parkersburg and is in the cosmetology program at the Wood County Technical Center.

She said the two-year program offers students an innovative approach to learning professional skills.

“It’s a two-and-a-half hour class,” Hickel said, “and we’re learning everything from basic hair techniques to advanced chemical processes.”

She said the program is more than just a class for her–it’s a passion cultivated since childhood.

“I’ve been dying my hair since eighth grade and have always wanted to learn techniques like French braiding,” Hickel said.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, left, poses with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg’s Hadleigh F., Junior Youth of the Year. Hickel was recently named the Youth of the Year for the club and serves as a statewide teen ambassador for the West Virginia Afterschool Alliance.

She said upon completion, she’ll receive 1,000 hours of professional training, positioning her for immediate entry into the cosmetology field. She said she plans to leverage this training, intending to work as a hairdresser during college to support her future educational goals.

“The program gives me a head start,” Hickel said. “I’ll be able to become a hair cutter right out of high school, and then complete my full cosmetology license later.”

In addition to her coursework, Kloe is involved in a variety of extracurricular activities that showcase her talents and passions.

“I’m in color guard, and then I’m in the jazz band at South, and I’m also in the theater department, and I’m the costumer for South,” Hickel said.

She has become a versatile force in the theater program, balancing roles both on and off the stage. She said what began as a casual invitation from a friend has blossomed into a passionate commitment to the theatrical arts.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, left, performs a S.T.E.M. experiment with Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg member Asher M. on Feb. 14 to celebrate We Love Afterschool through the Afterschool Alliance. Hickel was recently named the Youth of the Year for the club and serves as a statewide teen ambassador for the West Virginia Afterschool Alliance.

“My friend did theater my freshman year, and I decided to try out for the spring musical with her,” Hickel said.

Her debut in “Beauty and the Beast” as a villager marked the beginning of her theatrical journey. Since her first performance, she has been involved in multiple productions, including “A Christmas Story,” “Brownstone 213,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and most recently, “Beetlejuice Jr.” and “Jungle Book.”

She said her most memorable role came in this year’s production of “Beetlejuice Jr.,” where she played a cheerleader.

“We had a little speaking and singing part, and we did a cheer routine with some impressive stunts,” Hickel said.

She said the performance involved complex choreography, including lifting and spinning techniques that required significant practice and teamwork. Beyond performing, she is also the costume designer for the theater department.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, left, talks to West Virginia Senate member Joey Garcia (I) in March during the 2025 WVU and WVU Extension Day at the Legislature in Charleston.

“I’ve been costuming since my sophomore year for the fall show,” she said.

Her dual role as both performer and costume designer demonstrates her comprehensive understanding of theatrical production. She said the theater program also offers competitive opportunities.

“We compete once or twice in our competition show,” Hickelsaid.

Last year, her team made it to the state competition, and she has personally won awards for her technical projects. She said the state-level competition offers diverse categories, including “costuming classes, acting classes and technical classes like lighting and stage management.” Her involvement in these programs demonstrates her versatility and love for performing.

Hickel is also a member of the Winter Guard team based in Ravenswood, which she describes as “like color guard, but without the marching band, and it’s inside.”

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, right, was named the 2025 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg, earning her a $1,500 scholarship. She is pictured with Lead Youth Development Professional Krista Runions.

She said this is her first year as a member but that she is enjoying her experience. She said she appreciates the creative freedom and close-knit team dynamic of the Winter Guard.

“I like to perform, and I love the creative freedom,” she said.

She said this version offers a more concentrated performance experience where the team is small but mighty, consisting of just seven members from across the state.

“We have members from different parts of the state — one from Huntington, one from Spencer, one from Oak Hill, one from Greenbrier, and two from Parkersburg,” Hickel said.

She said what sets Winter Guard apart from the average color guard is its intense performance style.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, right, in March during the 2025 WVU and WVU Extension Day at the Legislature in Charleston. Hickel was recently named the Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg and serves as a statewide teen ambassador for the West Virginia Afterschool Alliance. Hickel spoke on a panel with other after school representatives during the event.

“It’s like four straight minutes of performing,” Hickel said. “There aren’t a lot of breaks, and it’s much more concentrated than traditional color guard performances.”

She said the competitions are the highlight of her experiences within the program.

“Competitions are really fun because everyone there is actually there to watch Winter Guard,” she said. “It’s different from other performances where the audience might be distracted.”

She said the team’s close-knit nature is another significant draw. This intimacy allows for deeper connections and more collaborative performances, she said.

“We’re a lot closer in Winter Guard because there are only seven of us,” Hickel said.

Outside of school activities, Hickel has become a standout youth leader through her involvement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Parkersburg, recently earning the Youth of the Year title at the club level. She is also an after-school youth ambassador for the state of West Virginia, where she has been actively engaged in community programming.

“I helped plan a light after-school event in October,” Hickel said. “And I did a Valentine’s Day experiment with the kids.”

The Youth of the Year program offers significant educational opportunities, with substantial scholarship potential.

“I won $1,500 at the club level,” Hickel said.

She recently attended a conference in Charleston, participating in WVU Day at the legislative session.

“We got to talk to a bunch of senators and people in office down at the Capitol,” she said.

Despite her busy schedule, Hickel finds time to volunteer at the Humane Society of Parkersburg, where she enjoys walking dogs and playing with cats.

“I get to do the cats and the dogs there. We get to walk the dogs and give them treats and stuff. And then sometimes I help with their afternoon enrichment,” Hickel said.

Hickel’s future aspirations include pursuing a degree in criminal justice.

“I want to be a homicide detective,” she said. “I feel like it’s the fact that I have a lot of faith in myself, and so I feel that I could solve most of what’s thrown at me.”

She said she wants to use her cosmetology degree to help her achieve this goal.

“I want to be a hairdresser when I’m in college to help pay for the things I need and to have money saved up for after college,” Hickel said.

She said her potential target cities to work homicide include Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco–locations with more complex criminal investigations.

“I’m sure Parkersburg already has a homicide detective, so those spots are filled. I want to find something that I can’t solve,” Hickel said, revealing a competitive spirit that might just make her an exceptional detective someday.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, center, poses for a picture with Lillian Rice and Caleb Rowan after a show of the Parkersburg South High School theater group’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors” in March 2024. Hickel worked behind the scenes on costumes for this production but has also acted on stage for the theater group in their productions of “A Christmas Story” and “Beetlejuice Jr.”

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, right, poses for a picture with Lilly Blair and Sandy Morrison during the SkillsUSA WV competition held in Ripley in October. Hickel is in the cosmetology program at the Wood County Technical Center and was competing in that category. She said she wants to work as a cometoligist after graduating to help pay for college.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, center in glasses, poses with the MOV Winter Guard, out of Ravenswood, earlier this month before the OIPA Springfield High School Show held in Holland, Ohio.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, front right, poses for a picture with fellow iBelieve campers in Mount Union in June 2024.

(Photo Provided) Kloe Hickel, center in glasses, listens to Parkersburg South High School Color Guard instructor Lori Myers before a football game in October 2024.