Hillbrook Alum Edis Mesic ’20 writes the first post in our Student Voice series, looking back at his time volunteering with the Scott Center this summer.
The summer this year brought with it a smorgasbord of challenges and opportunities, and for me, the ability to volunteer at multiple Scott Center summer camps allowed me to explore my passion for entrepreneurship in an entirely new way – through teaching. During my time at Hillbrook, the Scott Center not only allowed me to study and learn about entrepreneurship, but also provided me with the opportunity to thrive as a growing entrepreneur. When I first joined Ms. Makela and Ms. Ngo’s entrepreneurship elective in seventh grade, I was asked two simple questions, which, little did I know, would leave a lasting impact on my life, the first being, “what matters to you”? After taking some time to think about the aspects of my life which were most important to me, I was posed with the question “What are you going to do about it?” Only then, did I truly realize the beauty of entrepreneurship and social impact work, that being that it is our way of changing the world for the better. Thus, over the summer, it was such an absolute joy to help teach the importance of social impact and entrepreneurship to such amazing students, and in turn, I was able to learn a few things as well.
First and foremost, I discovered that while distance learning can prove to be challenging, it can also open up a pathway of opportunities. For example, students coming from a variety of schools were able to learn and share their passions, even though they may be hundreds of miles apart, which allowed me to appreciate remote learning in a way I hadn’t previously – it can allow us to connect in ways that were beforehand, impossible, thus bringing us closer together than we would have ever imagined. Second, I learned that changemaking can come in many forms. From creating kalimbas which highlight the United Nations’ sustainable development goals to analyzing the ways in which Harry Potter promotes social impact work, I learned how much entrepreneurship can serve as a medium for creativity. Finally, though meaningful conversations and discussions with camp students, I learned that even from a young age, we can make such an incredible difference in our world. Watching kids as young as six engaging with such complex topics truly displayed the enormous potential we have to change the world for the better. I believe that Greta Thunberg puts it best stating that “I have learned that you are never too small to make a difference.” Now, more than ever, in the face of a worldwide pandemic, we all have the power to be changemakers, and steer our world towards a better future. Looking back at this wonderful experience as I am beginning high school at Harker, I can confidently state that I have been able to develop a fresh view on entrepreneurship, and I will strive to find ways to leave a positive impact on the world. I have already begun work for DECA, a student-run club at Harker which focuses on business and entrepreneurship skills, one of the ways in which I have already begun my entrepreneurial journey in high school. Now, more than ever, in the face of a worldwide pandemic, we all have the power to be changemakers, and steer our world towards a better future. Now, I ask you: what are you going to do about it?