Juliun Kinsey, 15 – Business Plan
Eagle PRO Apparel
La Crosse, Florida

"I have the ability to persevere in the face of hardship because of the experiences I faced before beginning my entrepreneurship education."

Juliun Kinsey’s business plan promotes performance apparel to be used as workout gear for his school, W. Travis Loften High School in Gainesville, Florida. He is participating in the NFTE program there which is sponsored by Entrepreneurship Florida. “I am set on promoting Loften’s Academy of Business Ownership,” Juliun says. “Also, I would like to see others use my business idea as a model for their own.”

Juliun is very active in school activities. He is captain of the cross country/track and field team, secretary of the student government, and president of their DECA chapter, all in his first year at Loften.

Juliun’s NFTE teacher, Barbara Martin, says, “I feel Juliun is the best student to show how this program is a success with students who need a purpose in life. He has really turned around and become more than a lot thought he could.”

Juliun says that growing up in a single-parent household made him unhappy in many ways. He credits the marketing program at Loften, including the NFTE program, with improving how he feels and driving him to persevere. “Nothing can replace the pain other than knowing that I’ve made the best out of the situation,” he says. “Regardless of the circumstances, that is what I plan to do.”