They’re juggling homework, exams–and business plans. At MCHS, student entrepreneurs are turning creativity into commerce, putting out their businesses that range from custom clothing lines to beauty services. With a little more than ambition, character and drive, these students are proving that you don’t always need a diploma or a degree to make a difference, just a dream and the courage to chase it.

Ryan Anderson – Outlier – BE DiFFrnT

Junior at MCHS, Ryan Anderson has his own clothing line Outlier – BE DiFFrnT and he designs it all himself. Whether it be a shirt, sweatpants, a crewneck or a zip-up hoodie, Ryan gives a personal touch to all his pieces. It’s not necessarily easy, but it’s convenient to be self managed. On his own schedule, he can do work when he wants, how he wants and he’s having fun.

Ryan runs Outlier – BE DiFFrnT out of his pure love for the game.

“I’ve always had a passion to make my own business, and I feel like clothing is something that I could actually do and achieve. So I went for it,” Anderson says. “I’m really passionate about fashion and stuff like that.”

His most recent clothing drop was on Nov. 6 where he released his ‘Cartoon’ line. Because of how strong his passion is, Anderson has learned to block out hate.

“There’s been positive, of course, but I have been told that people have been saying negative things, which doesn’t really bother me,” Anderson says. “But, you know, I guess you could say with a lot of love comes hate as well. Still, the majority of the time it is positive.”

Every clothing item on the Outlier – BE DiFFrnT website is between $39.99 and $52.98. The most sold piece, being the zip-up hoodie.

Anderson’s motto is “Be DiFFrnT” and by putting his brand and message out, he can make a small difference by helping others step out of their comfort zone and be a little bit more of themselves. He encourages his peers to be more different from the persona that they put on at school. Instead of being nonchalant, it’s cool to be different and pursue your interests.

“Someone like a student entrepreneur could make a ginormous difference at school,” Anderson says, “but again, for me personally, I feel like I make a smaller difference because it’s not designed just for school. It’s designed for, you know, everyone.”

He encourages his peers to be more different from the persona that they put on at school. Instead of being nonchalant, it’s cool to be different and pursue your interests. Ryan uses other platforms like YouTube to spread his message.

You can find Anderson’s business account on Instagram, ‘@outlier.cspt’

Ixchel Jasso – Nailz by Ixchel

Junior at MCHS, Ixchel Jasso has her very own nail service that she runs out of her home. She has been doing nails for around two years now, and she has gotten so good that her loyal customers come back again and again.

“If I were to give some advice to anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur, it is that even in the beginning, when it’s slow, you have to really push through it. Push through that whole time period,” Jasso says. “You need to keep going. Just don’t stop at the bare minimum either. You want to keep achieving your goals and growing.”

Starting your own beauty service isn’t easy of course, it takes time, and over time, Jasso has definitely climbed her way to the top.

“Once your work is out there, once you start practicing and everything your name is gonna get out there,” Jasso says, “and you’re gonna get a lot of people who are gonna want to be interested in coming to you.”

Jasso still finds time to do nails with school and other extracurriculars that she’s involved in. Every two weeks Ixchel puts out a schedule where customers can book appointments on Snapchat or Instagram, and it usually fills up pretty quickly after release.

Connecting with her clients is one of Ixchel’s favorite things to do. She’s always there to listen to her girls.

“I feel like through all the hard times that you go through, even in your personal life, you should separate your work from your personal life. For me, I personally don’t like talking a lot about my personal life when I’m with the client. Like, I feel like it’s their time to talk about themselves and relax,” Jasso says. “So it’s like a therapy session. I love giving advice to people too.”

You can find Ixchel’s business account on Instagram @nail.zbyixchel.

Evan Ewertowski – Boone Creek Welding / Boone Creek Brush Mowing

Junior at MCHS, Evan Ewertowski has his own custom fabrication and land clearing company. In which he welds, brush mows and clears around ponds and other places to make trails for people to ride ATV’s on.

“It takes just like determination,” Ewertowski says. “I guess there’s always bumps in the road. For what I do, I think there’s always something more. Patience and determination is key.”

Ewertowski’s services and products are his greatest passion, and he loves to do what he does.

“One of my most favorite projects was making tables for the Urban Air in Lincoln Park,” Ewertowski says. “That was pretty cool and they turned out great.”

Balancing his work with his student obligations isn’t always easy but he gets the job done.

You can find Ewertowski’s business account on Instagram @boone_creek_welding.