LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — COVID-19 has most high school kids cooped up in the house, bored, with nothing to do. But, at least one student is staying busy thinking about business.
"Everything I’ve learned just in my freshman year of high school about financial literacy, it’s just shocking to know that other people don’t have the opportunity to learn this either. So, I started a chapter with this organization specifically to help more kids be aware of this important stuff," said Alex Ellsworth, a sophomore at West Career & Technical Academy.
She's talking about "Elevate the Future," a student-run, global nonprofit, providing their peers with business and computer science skills. Ellsworth recently helped start a chapter in Las Vegas.
"No matter what career you choose, you’re going to need to understand some of these business and financial literacy aspects and I really do think that us being able to teach that to them is super important, which is why I started the organization," said Ellsworth.
Despite the pandemic, she's organizing free online classes to teach valley middle schoolers the basics of business.
"A few kids told me that they started their own businesses and a few kids started watching YouTube tutorials on programming because they were interested. And, I just love that what we are teaching them is really taking extra interest in the kids," said Ellsworth, reflecting on the free Zoom classes she's been helping to host.
When Ellsworth's not educating future entrepreneurs, she's crushing it in the classroom, steadily maintaining a G.P.A. above 4.0. Plus, and she anchors her team's defense as a standout center back on the soccer pitch.
"I love that it’s a team sport because I have all 17 of my best friends and they’re all on my team and we’re just playing every game together. I just love that about soccer," said Ellsworth.
She says, one day, she dreams of being a business boss herself.
"I definitely want to get involved with business, just because, when I started Elevate the Future, it really inspired me to do something similar. Maybe being a businesswoman when I’m older, starting my own personal business. I love that we’re in a non profit because so we can reach out and help as many kids as possible," said Ellsworth.
But for now, Ellsworth is focused on one thing, Elevating the Future.
"[The goal is to] Try to let as many kids and parents of students aware of our organization as possible so once this whole pandemic calms down and most kids are going back to school, we can maybe start doing in-person events, talking to kids during school. And also, for now, just having more and more online classes," said Ellsworth.
If you're interested in learning more or participating in the Las Vegas chapter of Elevate the Future, click this link.
