3A- Your Entrepreneurship Story

Though I have been exposed to several cases of entrepreneurship in my life, the most impactful instance has been through my dad; he graduated UF in 1984 with his BS in Construction Management. In 1991 my dad, Archie Jenkins, started Beaches Habitat for Humanity in Jacksonville Beach, FL. He noticed that there was no chapter for Habitat at the beaches, yet there was a major need for one. For those who do not know what Habitat for Humanity does, it is an international nonprofit organization that builds houses for families who need help; it is a great organization that has built hundreds of thousands of homes worldwide for those in need. Once I was 12 years old,  I started volunteering with Beaches Habitat and that is when I noticed my father was an entrepreneur and saw the impact he had on peoples' lives. Now, my dad is retired from Beaches Habitat, but he still holds the title as Director Emeritus and the organization continues to thrive. Also, he continues to help build houses and volunteer where he is needed. Though my dad did not invent the nonprofit of Habitat for Humanity, he noticed a geographical need for one at the Beaches.

Pictured is my father (far right) and two other Habitat volunteers in 2009.

On a different note, I am very excited to dive into this class, ENT3003. From what I can tell, this course is unlike any other business course I have taken. Typically, I feel business classes can limit abstract thinking, so I am thankful to take this class to foster my creative side a little bit. I enrolled in this class because I have always been interested in entrepreneurship (I am a big Shark Tank fan), but my schedule in the fall and spring did not allow me to take it, which is why I decided to take it over the summer. I also have heard great things about this course from friends, which enticed me to enroll. From this class, I hope to gain a better understanding of entrepreneurship on a smaller level/ day-to-day basis. Before this class, I interpreted entrepreneurship as starting a business, but now I am able to see that there is much more to it, and anyone can be an entrepreneur. I also hope to gain the confidence in my creativity and ideas, as I always convince myself I am not creative and more of a numbers person.