Jacob
15-year-old of Korean descent, lives in Toronto
Assignment 1 Example — Jacob
About Jacob: Jacob is a 15-year-old boy of Korean descent who lives in Toronto. He sees his school as a safe haven and is deeply invested in his community.
Jacob identified a problem related to student safety and support after school hours. Here is what he wrote:
"I see my school as a safe haven — a place where, despite whatever is going on in the neighbourhood, a student feels welcome and can have the opportunities they need to meet their goals and chase their dreams.
It's easy to have these feelings during the day when one attends school during regular hours. But when school finishes, it's as if students easily assimilate into whatever is going on outside, whether it be positive or negative. I wonder if the positive influence from school remains once students walk out the doors.
What I envision is an after-school space where students have the openness to maintain that support — whether through peer tutoring or intramurals. I really like the idea of an after-school peer tutoring program or club, where students can help their peers in certain subjects and also get help in subjects where they feel less confident. I also think this will keep students engaged after school with meaningful activities.
One challenge is supervision — I'll have to figure that out. Also, maybe paying the tutors could act as an incentive to get them to participate, but I'll have to figure out where that money could come from."
Notice how Jacob:
- Identified a specific community (students at his Toronto high school)
- Described a clear problem (lack of structured after-school support programs)
- Proposed an initial solution idea (after-school peer tutoring program)
- Acknowledged real challenges in his solution (supervision, funding)
Acknowledging challenges is a mark of mature entrepreneurial thinking!