Her  teacher, Shannon  Grimm, sympathized  with  her unhappiness. Grimm and Prisilla's mom were concerned, but their ideas didn't work.  “We had classroom discussions about how girls have short hair and boys have long hair, and I showed them photos of movie stars with different looks，” Grimm said. “However, it wasn't sinking in.”

 Grimm thought about Prisilla throughout the winter break, and one morning, she had an idea: Cut off her hair — a scary thought for Grimm, who wore her hair long and took pride in it. “I've never had short hair, and I stressed about it for two weeks before making a decision，” she said. On Jan. 4, Grimm invited a hairstylist friend to her home. “I told him to keep going, even if I cried，” she said.