As summer approaches, many students are met with the same six words by their parents: “You need to get a job.” Goodbye, days filled with swimming, summer camps and neighborhood bike rides. Hello, real world.
The scramble begins, lifeguard positions get filled, nanny families are acquired and ice cream shops await new scoopers. These are the conventional choices. However, some students choose to forge their own paths. Their jobs are much more than a summer hustle.
Seniors Grace O’Dea and Amelia Searle started their business, Amelia Grace Creative, in the fall of 2024, primarily as a creative outlet.
“Grace and I have worked on a lot of creative projects together at school, so we decided to use our experience and our creativity to start a business,” Searle said.
Deciding what to sell was easy. Searle had been painting jean jackets for family and friends as well as banners for various events, while O’Dea had been designing cute prints. As people began to want more and more of what the girls were producing, the logical next step was to combine their skill sets and work towards a profit.
Even though running your own business grants freedom hard to come by with a regular job, it does not come without struggles.
“The biggest challenge for me is time management,” Searle said. “We had so many orders at first that it was hard to manage, but now that we have a system down, it has gotten easier.”
Searle’s best piece of advice for managing the workload of a business on top of the workload of school is to devote specific time to each thing, so everything does not get overwhelming.
While the workload and time commitment are plentiful, so is the reward.
“The most rewarding part is seeing when people love what they ordered,” Searle said. “Overall, I just love when people love what we made and are happy with what they bought.”
Most recently, and most notably, O’Dea and Searle designed and produced jackets for former Chiefs player Justin Reid and KC Current player Lo’eau LoBonta.
“My favorite thing we make is our jean jackets,” O’Dea said. “I’ve loved watching everyone’s visions come to life for any occasion and outfit.”
Searle and O’Dea are not the only Stars hard at work all year round. Junior Kate Beckman embarked on her business journey this year as well.
Beckman started Nails by Kate in January 2025, and, like the seniors, it serves as her creative outlet.
“I have always been a creative person, and I wanted to use my talents and turn them into a business,” Beckman said. “I’ve seen nail businesses all over social media, so I knew it could be successful. I also knew I had the skill and technique to do advanced designs that people wanted.”
Due to her confidence in her abilities and her work ethic, the initial startup was easy for Beckman. She practiced on herself and her friends, posting those designs on her Instagram, @nailsbykate_123, to help grow her following and gain new customers.
“I started my business by doing designs and sets for my friends first,” Beckman said. “By doing and posting these sets, I could show people what I could do. I made an Instagram and started to put my designs out to the public for people at school and in other places to see and start to book with me.”
Though the initial startup was simple, running a business is a big commitment, especially time-wise. Similar to Searle, Beckman’s solution is having dedicate time to work on nails, being sure not to let it distract from her academics or athletics.
“I try to set aside certain days and times to schedule people for nails so that I can still have time to do homework, hang out with my friends, and play volleyball,” Beckman said. “I try not to overbook myself with extra stuff.”
Five months after launching her business, Beckman remains happy and successful, content with all that it has brought her.
“The most rewarding part of starting my business has been coming to school and seeing my designs on people,” Beckman said. “When people love their nails, it is so gratifying, and they will text me when they get compliments on a set, and it makes me feel so proud of my work.”
These Stars prove that a job doesn’t have to be conventional. For O’Dea, Searle and Beckman, turning their creative talents into businesses has brought both challenge and reward. With dedication, students can shape their own version of success, so when that summer paycheck hits your pocket, consider shopping small and supporting your fellow students.
