Student Spotlight: Cosmetics Entrepreneur Finds Her Shine
For 8th grader Anaya B., a typical day looks like this: wake up at 7:00 am, eat a good breakfast, complete the day’s schoolwork, head to tennis practice, and finish the day playing video games with her cousins.
In between her daily activities, Anaya runs her own business, Anaya’s Cosmetics & More, selling products like lip gloss and lip scrubs. As a third generation business owner, Anaya has followed in the footsteps of the women before her to continue a legacy of entrepreneurship.
“My main inspiration is that most of the women in my family like my mom, grandmother, and sister all own their own businesses and I wanted to follow in those footsteps and create my own business as a sign of independence and maturity.”
Anaya officially launched her company at the recent Children’s Business Fair in Suisun, where she won the award for “Most Business Potential” and sold over $250 in product!
“The ‘Most Business Potential Award’ is an award given to a kid with enough business skills to have the potential to have a long lasting business with a good profit and career,” Anaya explains. “It honestly meant a lot to me to earn that award considering I didn’t have a lot of faith in myself at the time since it was my first time selling anything after opening my business. It gave me a lot of confidence to keep pushing myself and my business to get bigger and better.”
You Glow Girl
Playing sports, starting companies, and winning awards might sound like a lot for an 8th grader, but coming to Visions helped Anaya focus on what was most important to her – working at her own pace, maintaining a social life, and pursuing her passions.
“I enrolled at Visions because I work much better independently but I also didn’t want to be completely alone and have the option to be able to connect with other kids my age.”
In the Home School Academy, Anaya receives support not only from her family, but from her teacher, Haley Milliken-Callan, who keeps Anaya moving forward on her academic and entrepreneurial path.
“I think I have an amazing relationship with my teacher. She helps me a lot and is amazing at explaining and also communicating with me and my brother, making us feel comfortable with her,” Anaya shares.
“Anaya’s energy is contagious and anyone would be honored doing business with her,” says Haley. “I am proud to be her teacher!”
At Visions, Anaya has also been able to expand her education through work with one of our vendors, The Discovery Hub, where she explores forensics (her favorite subject), biology, and creative writing with her $3,000 budget. Anaya would eventually love to become a professional tennis player and a forensic scientist, both things that are becoming more and more possible thanks to Visions.
“I would like to say a big thank you for all the amazing opportunities I am given now and in the future,” says Anaya. “I hope to one day repay Visions for their amazing grace.”
“I would tell [someone considering Visions] how good of a community Visions is and how they always welcome new people with open arms and have many opportunities to shine and grow.”
