Growing up, students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and sports, excel in the classroom, and discover themselves enough to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. What about the students who want to venture outside of these expectations? In a research based questionnaire for the Next Gen Personal Finance, it was found that 72% of students expressed a desire to start their own business, and a third of whom volunteered for a business in their free time. With new platforms that can be spread through social media such as Etsy, Depop, and website building programs, there is an exponential growth in opportunities for new businesses, personal discovery, and success. Newer generations are breaking out of the classic “9-5” lifestyle, and are attempting to discover themselves and their passions. However, this way of life is still new, making it easy for others to look at these students and judge them in whether or not they think they will succeed.
At Mayfair, there are plenty of students going against the norm to find what they are passionate about. One instance includes senior Natalie Guerrero at Mayfair, who creates hoodies and t-shirts that raise awareness of mental health and that expresses “it is okay to not be okay.” Guerrero shares her story, stating that the start of her business was due to multiple hospital visits for anxiety. Her experience motivated Guerrero to take a step in making something that could make an impact in someone else’s life and remind people that they are not alone when it comes to mental health issues. She also shares that making the clothing “brings comfort knowing that each sale is making a difference in someone else’s life.” Although she is raising awareness about a rising issue to many individuals, there are still several downsides present. For instance, some people do not agree with certain attention being brought to mental health or believe it does not concern them and have had a problem with the production of the business. Also, balancing a business and an academic life is undoubtedly stressful, but what keeps Guerrero going through these obstacles is reminding herself the reason behind starting this journey, the greater the impact. These clothing items can be found on www.mentalwellnessbynatalie.com and @mentalwellnessbynatalie on Instagram for a price range of $22 to $35.
Another student who started a business on campus is senior Joshua Logan, who also has their own clothing line. Logan has been wanting to have a clothing line for the past six years, and has now started his journey in creating clothing like shirts, hoodies, joggers, shorts, and accessories including blankets and flags. Logan’s desire to create his personal clothing line stems from the fact that he wanted to “stand out” and create something different from companies that are all beginning to look the same. Having a business allows Logan to have the chance to rep and own his own creation, and put energy into something so rewarding. He enjoys the fact that he made himself the opportunity to do what he likes rather than having to wait. If Logan could give any advice to students who potentially want to start a business it would be to “simply just go for it, it’ll be stressful, but it is worth it.” You can find Joshua Logan’s clothing line on www.fvckitco.com and @__fvckit___ on Instagram.
In addition, senior Omar Barboza is a makeup artist who began his makeup journey and business in October 2020. Barboza experimented with makeup because of the show “Rupaul’s Drag Race”, and quickly saw he needed to improve. As time went on and he practiced nearly everyday, Barboza found the right technique to make “a masterpiece on my face.” Barboza’s experience with being a student makeup artist has made days quite hectic, with one look taking three tofour hours at a time. But Barboza reveals, “it's like being an ordinary person, it doesn’t set us apart from others, it just shows we have TALENT!” He emphasizes the reward of finishing a look is the feeling of expression and joy from playing with makeup. Barboza also includes this process as relaxing and therapeutic; an outlet to relieve anything that he is going through. To finalize the summary of Barboza’s business, he expresses, “if someone has a problem with me wearing makeup, then so be it, I get to do what I want and I am proud.” Looks made by makeup artist Omar Barboza can be seen on @omar.luvv on Instagram.
Last, senior Kamira Carson has a nail business that can be found @blasianailedmi on Instagram.
Overall, if you have something that you want to dive into and be passionate about, it is possible. New pathways in life are being discovered and done all around the world. Although studies and businesses can be hard to balance, it is beneficial and, as mentioned by several individual students at Mayfair, is a worthwhile endeavor.
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