Entrepreneurship Story - A3

In my personal case, I have been exposed to entrepreneurship my whole life because of my parents. Back in Colombia when I was 3-4 years old my parents where full-time employees in their respective areas of expertise. My mother is a Systems Engineer and my father is an Architect, my parents always had the idea to have their own business in order to provide to the family they had and to accomplish their personal goals. They wanted to start what is called in Colombia an institution of education for work and human development (basically a College), where they offer certain technical programs (A.A here in America). My parents where not from wealthy families, so they basically had no capital to start. My grandmother trusted my parents and their project and she sold the house that she inherited from her father in order to give them the start up capital, that was in that time (year 2003-2004) almost 100 million pesos (25,000 dollars), which in that time in Colombia was quite a big amount of money. It was really risky to give that money only trusting in your son in a business that you won't know if would actually work, because if it didn't you would have lost your own house. However, this was the best investment that she could have done in her whole life.

Growing up I saw year by year how my parents work long days and nights in order to keep up with the business, get more programs approved, more quality certifications and off-course more students. I have to say that there where days where I didn't even see my parents because when they came home late at night I was already asleep, or weekends where they had to be in the business, and also times where the business was not at is best and it required more dedication. However, all the sacrifices that my parents did where worth. Nowadays they have the best technical institution of the Colombian Caribbean that generates development for the region, with currently around 4500 students enrolled. The institution has also several quality certifications, and has even been awarded nationally and internationally. What they started with 25,000 dollars is now worth almost 2.5 million dollars, which has allow our family to live in the best conditions. It has also allowed them to repay my grandmother for her trust, and it has let me to come to study to the United States and strive for a good career.

I enrolled this class and i'm also pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship because I have always been interested in the topic. More than seeking to be the next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk, I would like to understand the real life. day to day entrepreneurship that is in our society generating supporting the economy and giving opportunities to a lot of people. Also I believe it is a class that can help to get a good dynamic about ideas, problem solving and even inspiration to try to create value from any idea you have.