Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be your own boss? Here at South El Monte High School, we know many students have jobs in retail or the fast food industry, but what about the students who started their businesses? I can imagine many people think having a small business is inspiring and impressive, but can you imagine a student with a business?

It’s great that students here at our school are getting to experience entrepreneurship at a young age along with being able to pursue their passion and putting in their hardest skills to work. Not only are these students gaining valuable experience for the future but they continue to learn the importance of being responsible. These students are finding clever ways to earn their own money and explore their creativity. Let’s see these two unique businesses two of our South El Monte High School students own. 

First up, we have Ulysses Tafoya, a junior here at our school who is a beginner but a very talented barber. He says he chose to be a barber because “Since I was little I’ve always liked it, I believe I’m creative and I feel like what I do helps me showcase my creativity.” I then asked if he sees himself continuing his business long-term, Ulysses stated “I do see myself continuing my business because I don’t believe I would get bored of this.  It’s something new every day and I get to meet new people so I wouldn’t get tired of it.”

We can see that with such simple questions, Ulysses truly enjoys what he does as he gives great detailed answers. The rough part of being a business owner Ulysses says, “It affects my school work, at times I’m not able to complete homework because I’m usually always booked with clients.” After interviewing Ulysses he shared with me his happiness of being able to cut hair for his friends and others. You should check him out on Instagram and see his progress and incredible work! @ulycutzz 

The second-student business owner here at South is Leila Aguilar. Leila, who is a florist, makes flower bouquets for others. When I first asked what she enjoys most about her business Leila responded, “I enjoy making different designs with the flowers I purchase and I like seeing my customers satisfied when they receive their bouquets.” Secondly, I asked Leila what motivates her to continue her business, and she answered, “I truly am passionate about my business as I like to get inspiration from other florists. I enjoy creating different designs with the flowers and experimenting with different flowers to see if they work with each other. ” Leila shared with me her heartfelt passion for her business and being able to create these unique and beautiful arrangements for others who want to show appreciation for someone they love.

I then questioned Leila if her business affects her school life, Leila replied “No it does not affect my school work in any way at the moment, just because I mostly accept orders on the weekends and try to work around my school schedule if needed.” We see that Leila is smart by only working around her school schedule so it doesn’t clash with her business and so she doesn’t fall behind in any of her work. You have got to check out Leila’s one-of-a-kind bouquets on her Instagram! @leilas_.bouquets

As we notice from the two student business owners they both have two different schedules but that doesn’t hide the fact that they are both very talented at what they do and how they handle their businesses. We can see that these two students work incredibly hard by juggling their studies and running their businesses. These young entrepreneurs are filled with passion and great determination at a young age. They are proving that age is just a number when it comes to chasing your dreams and being successful even if they don’t plan to do it for the rest of their lives.

These students are learning countless valuable lessons as they handle their business all while positively impacting not only themselves but people around them. It is truly inspiring to see the creativity and drive of these two young students here at our school. We can only imagine what they will achieve in the future!