"After all, what's a life anyways? We're born, we live a little while, we die." ~E.B. White from Charlotte's Web
We've all heard this quote, and recently I've found myself asking that question. As I draw near to the end of my high school career and prepare for college or whatever is in store for me, I often feel confused. I plan to major in Accounting and Piano Performance, but what if I make the wrong decision. I'm not going to spend $120,000 on college, but if I earn a scholarship, then I will go. On the other hand, there are so many other programs that are alternatives to college, and they give you experience. One of these programs is called Praxis.
Founded by Isaac Morehouse, Praxis is a program that offers students a chance to find themselves and their careers without paying $120,000 or even $60,000. The reason Praxis attracts me is that they both teach you the value of different careers and they teach you your value. In today's society, where we grow up believing what we hear and believing our value is whatever others say it is, knowing your own value without being over-confident and cocky is so important.
When I went a FEE (Foundation for Economic Education) seminar last summer, Derek Magill, director of Marketing at Praxis, spoke to us about entrepreneurship, praxis, and finding your value. I was so fascinated by his story, because unlike many other entrepreneurs and "big guys" out there who are arrogant, over-confident, and just downright narcissistic jerks, Derek talked to us like he was one of us. He was just another guy who looked like your average college student. Not surprisingly, he's only a few years older than us. What is surprising is what he's done with those years. While many of us tramp off to college to get away from home and try desperately to find ourselves while wasting our money, Derek dropped out of college and decided he would be his own master. His first business was a t-shirt business where he made a whopping $100,000 in the first year. Wow!!! How?
One thing I think is often misunderstood about entrepreneurship is that it takes just as much education and hard work as college does. It's not a way out. Derek's business made $100,000 because he worked hard at it. He watched and observed what t-shirts people liked to buy and sold those t-shirts. Entrepreneurs approach every business situation and situation in general as an opportunity. "Where is the opportunity? Where can I benefit others while also benefitting myself? How can I make them happy?" Entrepreneurship often requires a vast amount of time, but those who are willing to dedicate themselves will make the reward.
The reason I bring all of this up is that as a 17-year-old, applying to several different colleges, hoping someone will give me money, I've learned that college isn't the only solution. Praxis is not the only program that offers alternative routes. Israel began their own entrepreneurship school that teaches students the same thing. The nice thing about Praxis is that it's only one year long. The tuition is only about $12,000, and you are being paid as you are apprenticed. You learn what your value is, what you can offer people. You sharpen the skills that you have, and hone on the strengths that are yours. You work a real world instead of behind classroom doors. In the end, you leave with no debt, and you are guaranteed to make around $50,000 your first year.
My feet are headed towards college path currently. I will never discourage people from attending college--that is, unless they majoring in women's studies or basket weaving. My point is, the world tells us that we have to walk one path. They create zombies out of us. Wake up, go to school, come home, do homework. Wake up, go to work, come home, do more work. It's a repeating process. But we can be our own masters. Of course, people are different. Some people enjoy the life cut out for them. Entrepreneurs are go-getters. They think outside the box, and I want to think outside the box. I want to develop creativity and to learn skills. I won't be hindered by education courses I have to take. Entrepreneurs educate themselves by reading hundreds of books, watching hundreds of educational videos, and determining from that, how they can produce value.
We young people don't have to grow up with the E.B. White mentality, "After all what's a life anyways? We're born, we live a little while, we die." Yes, we are only passing through this world, and for Christians, we look forward to an eternal Home. Yet, even in my short life, there are so many opportunities to leave behind a legacy.
Teens are told what to do, and we sit down, not wanting to move, because we're exhausted from being told this is our life, to be born, to live a little while, wake up, go to work or school, come home, and repeat the cycle. But if we maybe change our perspective and think about how many opportunities there are aside from sitting and playing video games and watching youtubers and viners all day (I'm guilty of this), just maybe, we will mature and be able to stand up and show the world that life doesn't have be what others tell us it is. The system doesn't mold us; we mold the system.
If you're interested in Derek Magill, Isaac Morehouse, or Praxis, here are the links:
Isaac Morehouse: @isaacmorehouse http://www.isaacmorehouse.com/
Derek Magill: https://derekmagill.com/
Praxis: http://discoverpraxis.com/