Meet Ciaran of Christmas Rocks! He is a student at the Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes, NJ, and we are proud to showcase his business in the TREP$ Student Spotlight. Read more to learn how TREP$ helped Ciaran give back to a cause that was important to him:
My name is Ciaran and I am in 8th grade. For my TREP$ business, I sold holiday-themed, painted rocks that were decorated with kind messages. I also offered the option to “paint-your-own” rock, so that customers could have a choice and be creative.
To make my product, I had to learn how to paint the rocks. The most challenging part, however, was determining the price. In addition to figuring out the expenses, it was important that the pricing seem fair to the customers.
One of my favorite parts of TREP$ was selling at the TREP$ Marketplace. It was fun to be a shopkeeper and to see my classmates buying my products and selling theirs. Another great thing was that I was able to make a profit of around $75, which I have decided to donate to Covenant House. Covenant House is a charity that helps young people who don’t have a place to sleep at night. My family has supported Covenant House in the past by donating money and clothing through St. Joseph Regional High School, so I was already familiar with the organization and the work that they do. The TREP$ program at my school is going to match my $75, so it will be a nice donation!
Some advice I have for other student entrepreneurs is to have a plan and stay steadfast in it, but also don’t be afraid to accept advice!
We were happy to have Ciaran’s mom weigh in on TREP$, as well:
For me, the best part of the TREP$ experience was seeing how supportive the students were of each other. What could have been very competitive, instead, felt like a small shop community, where the entrepreneurs lifted each other up and supported each others’ dreams.
