Arteaga: Entrepreneurship prepares you for the unknown

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When I enrolled in the Entrepreneurship program at Francis Tuttle one year ago, I never imagined I would leave the program with $6,000 in seed funding for a brand-new business that I would create during my senior year in high school.

I have always been interested in pursuing a career in business, but I wasn’t sure which direction would be best for me. Exploring entrepreneurship felt like a good first step. As with many career paths, it allows you to work toward something that can have a big impact on people and communities. But unlike some other jobs, it isn’t always clear what the outcome will be until you arrive. Entrepreneurship allows you to take important steps, learn along the way and build something piece by piece.

In my Entrepreneurship course, taught by Abby Williams, I learned to take an idea and develop it into a business. My business, Bananabilingo, a resource to decrease language barriers in the healthcare industry and improve communications with Spanish-speaking communities, was born thanks to this course.

I conducted market research, wrote a business plan, identified measures of success, identified my target customers, calculated revenue and expenses and more. I met successful local entrepreneurs, people like Allison Watkins, of Watkins-Conti, who kindly gave her time to introduce me to connections in the healthcare industry and offer advice from her own experience launching a start-up.

I am thankful that there are so many organizations like Stride Bank, Francis Tuttle and so many more in our community that want to support young entrepreneurs like me.

The seed funding I received from Stride will help me launch my business, build prototypes, begin manufacturing, and distribute Bananabilingo flash cards and booklets into the hands of local clinics, hospitals and university programs.

Thanks to the generosity of Robinson Park and Gardner Tanenbaum, I have been awarded a seat in the Venture Studio of the Convergence development when it opens next year. This will provide me with office space, mentorship, and the resources I need to begin building my dream with a robust community of fellow founders, experts, and potential investors supporting me along the way.

With all the support, I hope Bananabilingo will grow into an app healthcare workers can rely on to help them communicate better with patients.

I feel more ready to enter the workforce than I ever expected just one year ago. I have been accepted into the University of Central Oklahoma for the fall semester and hope to earn a degree in business while continuing to be an entrepreneur and grow Bananabilingo.

I came to the Entrepreneurship program without expectations, but this program has created a lot of positive changes in my life. Most of all it has helped me grow to be more willing to jump into things that scare me.  I know wherever I go in life, I will continue trying new things. Entrepreneurship taught me how to jump without fear, and that’s what I plan to keep doing.

Fernanda Rojo Arteaga, a senior at Edmond North High School, earned first place at Future Founders Pitch Night at Francis Tuttle Technology Center.