Young Grocer Finds New Opportunties
You may recall a blog post with the ABC News video below. It profiles 17-year-old Nick Graham who brought Truman, Minnesota’s only grocery store when it closed and began his run as a small town grocer. His success and ambition wasn’t limited to Truman, however. Graham purchased two additional stores in the towns of Kiester and Armstrong.
Things have been going well, but shifted a bit for this young entrepreneur. According to an article from the Sentinel, after a buyer made an offer for all three stores that was “just a perfect opportunity”, Graham sold the stores. He now works full time in sales.
Things don’t stop there. Upon reading articles in the newspaper reporting the financial woes of the local daycare, Stepping Stones, Graham approached the business with the offer of his business savvy.
With a keen eye for numbers, Graham helped not only with the bookkeeping but helped increase efficiency in other avenues of the business as well. This included re-writing some of the software managing the daycare’s financing and scheduling. Now, even without fundraising, the daycare is operating in black.
Graham has no plans to leave Truman. He said at the mention of it, “I think I’d miss these guys too much if I just took off.”
Comments
Is Nick the norm?
Incredible! As I read and watched, I couldn’t help but think we are missing an incredible opportunity to cultivate a generation of Nick’s in our rural communities. Nick may be a little more confident, and he may have a little more skill than some; but he displays all the characteristics of Generation Y. I also can’t help but wonder what “environmental” factors in Truman helped Nick make this step into entrepreneurship.
Early Engagement in Leadership Roles
I would like to see more educational programs encouraging leadership (of all kinds I might add: entrepreneurial, community development, etc.) among school-aged kids within their communities. For instance, it would certainly be healthy for students to trade a study hall for mentoring with a local business leader or volunteering in the senior center, library or city office. Even all that complaining about the challenges of being rural could be channeled into projects seeking a solution.
And none of this is to mention the cultural and historical context our rural young should be educated about and enriched by so as to place our “quaint” small towns on the larger tapestry of America’s multifaceted culture for our youth to witness. You know, toot our own horn! If we don’t currently, no one will later and no horn tooting simply signals the death rattle of a small community to commence.
Rural Schools -- Mission and Attitude
I had a tremendous high school education. What it lacked in foreign language offerings it more than made for with teachers who cared deeply about my success and who greet me with a smile and handshake, inquiring how I have been and what I am up "these days" when I return to visit my hometown.
One thing would have made the experience better though. Much better. That's a school, faculty (and a rural community) with a can-do attitude and a belief that they were offering a world-class education, and a determination to do just that.
It all reminds me of something I heard a community college professor say at a conference when I was in graduate school. He said, "If students have to move away from their rural communities in order to use the things that we teach them, then we are teaching them the wrong things."
Indeed. Bring on the the entrepreneurial education, replace the study halls with projects that embed students (and their creativity) into various parts of the community, and watch a new generation go to work building a community they will be proud to return to.
Place Based Learning
Back in 1996, when I returned for my second stint in teaching, I had the fortune of being a part of a unique educational experience. With help from the Rural School and Community Trust, our school (Howard, SD) embedded “place based learning” (PBL) in the classroom.
In short, PBL attempts to root learning within the context of the local community. It’s a great pedagogy because kids learn about their community while developing skills and knowledge that they need. When at its best, PBL does all of what Brian and Casey talk about and more.
But I’d like to highlight one distinction: Gen Y is unique. If we hope to see more young entrepreneurs, community members need to establish personal relationships with them and help them see the opportunities that exist in their local communities. And then, they need to find ways to overcome the barriers that prevent young people from establishing businesses.
That’s easier said than done, and I act like I know more than what I do. But I’m very interesting in learning more about what other people have learned on the subject, and intend to hold more conversations on the subject at our blog – www.ReImagineRural.com. Hope you’ll join us.
It is good to see that this
Inspiration
What an interesting young
This Nick is the kind that
Truly Impressed
Nick isn't the norm.
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