Students and teenagers alike have taken an interest in entrepreneurial opportunities and independence from school settings to personal businesses. With the surge in teen-run projects, internships and enterprise, the school and staff has endorsed this student mindset of building skills in high school through programs such as Pro-X and University of Kansas Medical Center’s (KU Med) internships.
21st Century Learning Director, Director of Academic Communities and science teacher Matthew Peterie assists students in finding internships, creating connections and building a skill set for post-high school experiences.
“The landscape of post-secondary education and work has just gotten more nuanced and complicated,” Peterie said. “Some of these kids are realizing that they really need a game plan when they leave high school, so that they can hit the ground running and be efficient in that progress to accomplishing their goals.”
Students such as junior Spencer Moxley have shown this entrepreneurial trend through his 3D printing business, Spencer’s 3D Things. Moxley prints and sells fidget toys throughout the school, combining his interest in business with gaining profit. Moxley’s mother, Jill Moxley, owns a local PLATO’s closet, modeling independent business.
“My parents’ franchise business is very different from mine as they get their systems from the corporate side,” Moxley said. “The fact that they don’t have an employer definitely drove me to want to do things on my own.”
An interest in innovative paths is seen with senior Nolan Ward’s car detailing business or juniors Jack Gelhaus and Josh Collins’ summer internship at Pro X. Ward’s business, Warden’s Detailing, began with the influence of his brother’s lawn care business, and he has gained over $12k as a result. Similarly chasing a dream with the addition of cash, Gelhaus and Collins left with five thousand dollars from their paid internship at ProX’s summer program. In their summer program, the two were placed with a team in charge of pitching an idea for their specific category in hopes of winning the check. The team followed figures such as Doctor Shelley Cooper and created LinkedIn accounts to help build connections.
“Pro X helped me build a lot of connections with people in the downtown KC area, as it attracts a lot of adult entrepreneurs too,” Gelhaus said. “I learned that getting grants is very important for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and that a lot of teens get their outreach through social media.”
According to Gelhaus, working at a telehealth company helped him see how disenfranchised people need help, specifically with their health.
“I saw some entrepreneurship among teenagers while working there, as it is an increasing trend with teens not wanting traditional jobs,” Gelhaus said.
According to Peterie, the Pro-X Summer internship program has been a really great fit for students that are busy during the school year, but have space in the summer. Peterie expressed that it helps them learn and grow during a time when a lot of students are taking a break, and they get value out of the internship experiences in a relevant field.
“In general entrepreneurs fill a need in the market that no one else has noticed or taken advantage of before,” Project Studio Coordinator Jackelyn Arico said. “Internships are huge for figuring out what “the real world” is like, and what kind of careers you would actually enjoy day-to-day.”
According to Arico, for her particular path, she did several science research experiences through high school and college that reinforced her passion for science. Reading, writing and oral presentation skills were involved day to day in her internships and current career. Arico expressed that the need for good people skills, personal interactions and being organized are vital.
“If I hadn’t had those experiences I would have felt more pigeon holed on what my options for careers were,” Arico said. “There are lots of skills that you don’t think about when a particular job comes to mind, that you experience when you do an internship. There are lots of skills that you have that don’t seem to fit in a box for a career, and the best way to find what strengths you need in a particular field is to try it out.”
Seniors Avery Harris, Elouise Sill, Margaret Gittemeier and Jane Werner, show specialized entrepreneurship through their volunteering at Girls Night Out (GNO) through KU Med. Nationally recognized, GNO services and works to empower girls with disabilities throughout the KC Metro, targeting those who are understudied and underserved. With a goal of improving quality of life and social-emotional health, the program allows high schoolers and volunteers opportunities.
Senior Avery Harris got into the program through her mother’s friend, whose daughter has special needs.
“Everybody should try something similar at some point to put into perspective the humanity of those around us,” Harris said. “I also think it takes a special type of person with real passion and patience to find fulfillment in something like this.”
The volunteer group is a 12-week course and students such as Harris have done it for 2 years now, building a skill set in service and connecting with others.
“Disabled does not mean unable,” Harris said. “It is more than service hours for me, it is a choice of pure love for the organization. It is important to recognize this when we engage with these members of our community, because they are far more similar to us than many realize. They have the same big dreams and aspirations.”
“A lot of our families are recognizing the value in having a plan when you graduate high school,” Peterie said. “Therefore, they’re taking advantage of opportunities to gain relevant experiences to try things so that kids can figure out what is a good fit for them. A lot of our parents and families have navigated that for themselves and recognized the importance of gaining relevant experience while you’re still in high school, so that you’re on a path after high school.”
Juniors Hudson Wilde and Mateo Gajewski own a vendor-run vintage flea market with a rented downtown KC storefront and 16+ vendors – bringing vintage style and entrepreneurship to the metro. Owning a teen business, Wilde and Gajewski began their journey after realizing that hosting vendors interested them and their taste in vintage clothing.
“The goal of our business is to bring a vintage style, curated clothing marketplace to the people of Kansas City,” Gajewski said. “I was very curious about vending in a vintage marketplace, but I never had the inventory, so I decided to just make my own. Having the freedom to do what you please as a business owner is one of my favorite things.”
Francesca Lisbino wrote for Girlsforbusiness.org that, “Overall, entrepreneurship teaches valuable life skills, such as problem-solving, decision-making, and self-discipline. It also allows teenagers to develop their creativity, leadership abilities, and network with professionals in their field of interest. The skills and experiences they gain will undoubtedly benefit them in their future endeavors, whether they decide to pursue a traditional career or continue on the path of entrepreneurship.” Lisbino’s work demonstrates how the rise in teen entrepreneurship has shaped the business world and contributions to markets and industries.
As the face of generations to come, entrepreneurship and teen business has spiked over the last decade as technology and student interest has increased. Trending internships and business have shown to allow students to develop skill sets necessary to post-high school experiences.
