An illustration depicts student businesses collecting money from students at Clarke Central High School. Student entrepreneurship has provided an early glimpse into the financial world for high schoolers. “Ventures like these can teach students how to take hobbies or passions and morph them into real, functioning businesses,” Viewpoints Staffer Mykolas Kumpis wrote. Illustration by Antonio Starks
Student-owned businesses are no longer a fantasy as young entrepreneurs at CCHS find ways to express themselves through a variety of business ventures.
High stakes can lead to high rewards in the business world. It takes guts to start a business, especially for a teenager.
Yet, student entrepreneurship has become common among teens in recent years and shows no signs of slowing.
Despite the risks of losing money or not attracting customers, learning about or starting a business at a young age is extremely beneficial to high schoolers.
According to a December 2021 Junior Achievers USA poll, “three in five American teens (60%) would be more interested in starting their own business than having a traditional job,” a number that has increased due to job uncertainty, high college tuition and additional free time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this increase, students can turn to established organizations for furthering their careers. Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) sponsor and CCHS Career, Technical and Agriculture Education department teacher Jaclyn Brown sees the benefits students receive from business ownership.
Ventures like these can teach students how to take hobbies or passions and morph them into real, functioning businesses, while also educating them on commitment and management.
“Several different students (I’ve) met had (an entrepreneurial) spirit. A lot of students are selling items at school,” Brown said. “(One student) initially started (a bakery business to) raise money to go on FBLA trips and (pay fees) to be (on) the basketball team. I thought (it) was great that she wanted to (earn) her own money to be involved in school-related activities.”
However, baked goods aren’t the only venture being explored by student entrepreneurs. Clothing brands have sprung up across the school, and CCHS senior Camron Jones’ brand has found success since its founding in 2021.
Jones worked to build his brand from the ground up and learned how to stick to something he was passionate about.
“(Set Apart) started with this plan on making a clothing brand,” said Jones. “I told my dad about it and he was like, ‘If you really want to do it, you got to do the work to get to that point,’ and I did everything. It was me alone, writing all the ideas (and) meaning behind Set Apart.”
Students can learn from his journey. Ventures like these can teach students how to take hobbies or passions and morph them into real, functioning businesses, while also educating them on commitment and management.
The path to business success is full of vital lessons along the way. High school entrepreneurship is a serious opportunity for students and can have a real payoff in the future.
