PUEBLO — Starting a business during the COVID-19 pandemic seemed impossible, but students at Pueblo West High School decided that they could beat the odds.
Paige Boitz just graduated with the high school's class of 2021 and says she has "just loved to craft" her entire life. Boitz learned to quilt at 12 years old.
“Last year a family friend actually texted my mom asking me about if I could make this wreath, and I was like sure I’ll try! It might not go over very well!"
The customer posted the wreath, and suddenly Boitz was flooded with requests.
“When everybody saw it they just kept texting my mom and they were like ‘Hey, can she do one for me and me?!”
The demand spiraled into Boitz's small business, 'Turn the Paige Creations", and she says that having to learn from home for her senior year due to the pandemic actually proved itself beneficial.
“Obviously COVID wasn’t good, but for me it definitely was because I got to do all of this stuff. Like if I was in school, I would have never had enough time to make as many wreaths as I did!”
Boitz is not the only young entrepreneur coming out of Pueblo West High School. Benjamin Hall now owns NoSpots4Less, a car detailing business that he launched in September 2020. The business has been so busy that the team was so booked with appointments, they did not have time for an interview.
Boitz says these student's motivation stems from their wonderful community.
“They are so supportive of everything we do, no matter what it is, like sports? They’re always there. And I think just the motivation that we have from the community really pushes us to do these things."
As for the future of Turn the Paige Creations, Boitz will soon leave Pueblo to attend school in Nebraska and pursue her dream of becoming a pharmacist. She hopes to "try to at least craft, maybe not make wreaths in college, but definitely continue crafting!”
