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April, 2018 or many teenagers, the prospect of starting and managing a business may appear like a long
term goal that would take years of planning and strategizing. First comes college, then comes work experience, and ultimately, the resources to get to the drafting process of an effective business model. For 17-year-old, recent high school graduate, Levi Moreno, this entire plan was solved as simply as any algebra equation. Levi’s Tutoring Services, a business with the tagline, “Got 99 problems? Let me help solve one,” comes as a refreshing alternative to what would otherwise be a rigid extension of the already-difficult coursework that a student might be trying to get through. “I notice that most of my clients need help with math and that is my personal favorite, some history as well as language arts and science,” said Levi. Problems, as it seems, don’t faze Levi that much. In a brush-off-the-shoulder, matter-of-fact manner, Levi explains his experience with Wolfram’s syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by earlyonset diabetes, optic atrophy and deafness, this is a condition that Levi has had to learn to adapt to throughout his young life. “When I was five, I got diagnosed with diabetes and around the age of eight I started losing my hearing. Then, when I was 12, I got visually impaired. Even so, when I tutor, if I can’t hear my clients or I can’t really see the colors or what they’re doing, I’ll just ask them to repeat it. It’s not hard,” said Levi. Levi then promptly returned to speaking about his business and his goals. The realization that Levi doesn’t pay much mind to his condition elicits a thought of relief, in that although there may be certain general perceptions when it comes to disabilities, coming to terms with and accepting them as a part of daily life, is the most crucial step in disallowing them from unfavorably affecting goals and aspirations. “Do not give up, we didn’t cause these things ourselves but they’re there and there’s no reason for us to stop or give up. Just keep going.” For Levi, this is just a part of his everyday life that he doesn’t consider a hindrance but rather a simple additional aspect of his life. Despite this, he’s committed to providing a comprehensive way for
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