SIMSBURY TODAY
Teen Forgoes College Debt, Takes Biz Plunge By Elijah Livingston Special to Today Magazine
I AM NOT THE TYPICAL Simsbury High School graduate. While I enjoyed my educational experience, I knew that college was not going to be my path. I was very fortunate to go to a high school that offered entrepreneurial studies and other classes that taught life skills. I have always been interested in starting a business and even started a few when I was in school. I mowed lawns for a few summers and as a senior in high school printed and sold custom T-shirts. This past fall was stressful for me. I graduated in June 2021, and all of my friends were talking about where they were going to college. While I knew I didn’t want to go to college, I wasn’t sure of what I was going to do. Thankfully, I had parents who were open to alternative paths for me. My parents and I often talked about getting a small business loan to buy a business instead of a loan to get a college
Elijah Livingston graduated from Simsbury High in June 2021
degree. We learned that the Pet Stop dealership in Connecticut was for sale and reached out for more information. I shadowed the owner for a couple weeks to get a feel for the business, and I loved it. I love how the business combines my love for dogs and helps keep other people’s dogs safe as well. In a coincidence, my parents told me that Pet Stop basically saved my dog Rosie’s life. Rosie was constantly running away because the hidden electric fence system that we had installed 10 years ago was poorly made from cheap parts and
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APRIL 2022 – www.TodayPublishing.net – TODAY MAGAZINE
BUSINESS BEAT was unreliable. She would escape often and more than once was almost hit by a car. About a year ago, after Rosie’s latest close call with a car, my parents decided it was time to switch to Pet Stop since their products are made in the United States and because it is the safest, most reliable system available. Once we installed it, Rosie never escaped again. We were very impressed by continued on page 15