91制片厂

For most teenagers, working can seem like a daunting task. But for College of the Mainland (91制片厂) student Austin Kidwell, the prospect of working inspired him to choose a different path 鈥� one that allowed him to unlock his true passion and explore entrepreneurship, even before graduating.

鈥淕rowing up, I always knew that I wanted to be able to control how much money I was making,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淚 never liked the idea of working for someone else. I wanted to be my own boss.鈥�

A Collegiate High School (CHS) student, Austin will be graduating with an associate degree from 91制片厂 on May 14 before earning his high school diploma from Hitchcock High School. And it was through the CHS program that Austin was truly inspired to take his learning beyond the classroom.

While in his Business Principles class, he was introduced to Professor Katie Schroeder where he learned about various aspects of business, management and leadership functions as well as what types of challenges and situations to consider when running a business. A business owner herself, Schroeder offered a deeper perspective to her classroom instruction by providing real-world examples to her students based on her own unique and personal experiences.

鈥淚鈥檓 able to talk to my students about the challenges of having a business,鈥� Schroeder said. 鈥淎nd I'm able to share with them success stories. So, it makes our classroom a lot more fun and interesting.鈥�

Little did Austin know that while in Schroeder鈥檚 class, he was already building his own entrepreneurial toolkit to apply his knowledge from the classroom in a very real and tangible way. 鈥淥wning her own business made her very relatable,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t showed me that becoming an entrepreneur is possible because that鈥檚 what Ms. Schroeder was doing, and she was successful at it.鈥�

After much planning and research, and with the help and support of his family, Austin will soon be opening his own brick-and-mortar storefront called Bargains on 6 in Texas City.

鈥淲e are a liquidation-type shop where we will take in pallets of returned or partly used products and sell them at a marked down price,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be filling our shelves soon!鈥�

While this transformative journey has been a long time coming, he credits the support of his family, particularly his grandfather Leslie Gilliam, for helping him bring his entrepreneurial dreams to fruition.

鈥淗e has really helped guide me through this process,鈥� Austin explained. 鈥淚 definitely couldn鈥檛 have done it on my own.鈥�

Gilliam has been overjoyed to witness the growth of Austin鈥檚 enterprising spirit throughout the years. He proudly recalls his young grandson visiting him at his ranch on the weekends, helping him in any way he could and building his work ethic along the way.

鈥淔rom a young age, he and I have been working together, and he was always inquisitive about how to make it better, what to do next,鈥� Gilliam said. 鈥淗e thinks about how other people feel and what their needs may be and that鈥檚 an outstanding thing to have as a young man.鈥�

Located on 505 6^th Street North in Texas City, Bargains on 6 will open in June 2022 after Austin graduates. If the business is successful after the first year, he plans to move forward and open a second location to expand the business using the same business model.

While Austin is excited about starting this new chapter in his life, he is grateful to 91制片厂 for getting him there.

鈥淲hen you find those resources and find the people that want to help you, it takes the stress off of you and you can focus on building that work ethic and striving toward your goal,鈥� he said. 鈥�91制片厂, being a part of CHS, and taking Ms. Schroeder鈥檚 class have all been big parts of me being able to tell myself that I can do this.鈥�

91制片厂 will recognize Austin along with 365 other graduates during its Spring 2022 commencement on May 14 at the Abundant Life Center in La Marque, Texas. As a special feature, Class of 2020 and 2021 graduates will return to participate in this year鈥檚 ceremony which marks the College鈥檚 first in-person commencement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To learn more about the dynamic learning opportunities available at 91制片厂, visit .