Summerside, PEI – From Canadian Stickers to sold-out air fresheners, two Island students have spent the past two years turning big ideas into real businesses.
John Drake and Mason Su shared their Junior Achievement Company Program journey with members of the Summerside business community at the Summerside Chamber & Rotary Lobster Luncheon on July 17.
Drake and Su, both entering their senior year of high school, said they didn’t know what to expect when they joined the program two years ago.
“All we knew was that we wanted to start a business, but little did we know it would become so much more than that,” Drake said.
Their first business grew out of the trade dispute between Canada and the United States. Wanting to give consumers a way to show their Canadian pride, they launched a line of Canadian-themed stickers.
“It was a great way to learn the basics of entrepreneurship — from product design and marketing to working with customers and managing our finances,” Su said. “More importantly, it taught us how to solve problems and adapt when things didn’t go as planned.”
This year, the students rebranded to True North Co., producing car air fresheners inspired by Canada’s provinces and territories. The company sold out of every product they brought to the Junior Achievement P.E.I. Business Hall of Fame Gala in May.
“It was an amazing opportunity to meet members of P.E.I.’s business community, share our story, and see people’s reactions to our products,” Drake said. “By the end of the evening, we had sold out of every air freshener we brought, which was an incredible feeling and showed us how far we’d come since our first year in the program.”
Both students credited mentors through Junior Achievement for pushing them to think bigger and helping them work through setbacks.
“Junior Achievement has been much more than just starting a company,” Su said. “It’s taught us teamwork, communication, leadership, and how to think like entrepreneurs.”
Drake and Su are entering their third and final year as JA PEI company program students and said they plan to keep growing True North Co.
“We’re thankful for everything this program has already given us — the skills, friendships, and the confidence to pursue our ideas,” Drake said, thanking Junior Achievement P.E.I. staff, mentors and supporters.
Learn more about the company program.