Aside from focusing on education, high school is about making friends, finding passions, and earning money. Whether it be through a job at a fast food restaurant or a business that students own themselves, saving up for the future is an important part of growing up. Students who divide their time between ownership, athletics, extracurriculars, and school find themselves in a tight spot. However, the rewards that come with managing a business that they are passionate about are nearly endless. 

Senior Reagan Wania, owner and varsity cheerleader, started creating banners for events and celebrations in June 2025. Passion for this artistic venture started far before starting the business, dreaming it up for multiple years leading up to the finalization of the idea. Being able to take orders at her own pace, she can balance school, cheer, and all other activities of life. Proper time management plays a big role in her business since it takes upwards of a couple of days to perfectly hone her craft. In creating these banners, Wania’s business represents how making money for the future can be as exciting and fun as one wants it to be.

“When you’re doing something you love, you start to realize that it’s not exhausting,” Wania said. “Doing homework and things that you don’t want to do sucks the life out of you, but having a business that you’re passionate about makes it all worth it.”

An example of one of Wania’s banners, celebrating Valentine’s Day for the girls. These designs are a fun way for Wania to help parties and events feel a little more lively. (Courtesy of Wania’s Instagram)

Another creative venture that many students participate in, which can be as intense or calm as the owner sees fit, is doing nails. Senior Emma LaRosa has worked multiple other jobs prior to focusing solely on nail clients, finding that she has attained much more joy and freedom with the ability to work on her own time, setting appointments around other facets of her life. In accordance with developing her time management skills, LaRosa has transitioned from traditional in-person schooling to online school, allowing her to have a fully free-form schedule. Sacrificing other parts of her normal life has allowed her to become talented at her position and to become very successful at a young age. 

“Some days I know I’ll be busy all day, working hard on school and on nails, but seeing the joy on my clients’ faces when they feel beautiful from the nails I did for them makes me so happy,” said LaRosa. “Running this business is the best, it’s so freeing, and I feel so powerful and independent every day.” 

A set of a client’s nails done by LaRosa. Her business has given her a strong creative outlet as well as a strong foundation for her future as a nail artist. (Courtesy of LaRosa’s Instagram)

For a more manual side of ownership, junior Luke Wiehage acts as a seasonal laborer, cleaning gutters, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and shoveling snow. The key to his success has been establishing a network of clients, people who will call on him to take care of any issue before another person. Curating such a business requires a lot of commitment from his side in order to create loyal customers through his devotion to them. Wiehage can explore the freedoms that are available when he makes his own schedule, both as a student and an owner, finding time in the mornings to knock out some of his clients’ requests before ever coming to school. He has come to love this aspect of owning a business, aspiring to rise to the top of the engineering firm that he expects to work at. 

“That’s what I love about [owning a] business, there’s no barriers to what you can create and build,” said Wiehage. ”It’s nice to make your own schedule and have the freedom to do what you want, also, trading less time for more money as opposed to a regular job.”

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