Since 9th grade, I’ve always been drawn to building things from the ground up—whether it's events, campaigns, or startups. I’ve participated in and organized over ten projects, accumulating more than 400 hours of hands-on experience. Eventually, I transitioned from participant to mentor, guiding others through the same journey. One of my recent projects, Posters KG, was created to promote patriotism through ethnic Kyrgyz poster art. We started small, not expecting much beyond our local community. But after just our first batch of posters sold, international orders started to roll in. That moment opened my eyes to the real-world importance of managing cross-border payments, understanding logistics, and being financially ready to scale when opportunity knocks. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that behind every successful project is smart resource management—especially with time and money. My two years in Teenagers in Free Enterprise (TIFE) taught me this over and over again. I worked on ten different team-led initiatives ranging from environmental awareness campaigns to social entrepreneurship. I saw how budgeting, cost control, and strategic use of funds could completely change the outcome. One miscalculation could break momentum, and one smart move could bring in new partners or supporters. The next year, I returned to TIFE not as a participant, but as a mentor. I helped guide students through everything—from shaping their ideas into business models, to managing deadlines, and even working with guest speakers to stay on track with goals. While I was teaching others, I was still growing myself. That role pushed me to become more responsible, more aware of detail, and more confident in financial discussions. I learned that financial education isn’t just theory—it’s action. It’s how we plan, correct mistakes, and measure success. Now I carry those lessons into my own startup, Aquafree. As creative director, I deal with budgeting marketing strategies, calculating design costs, and thinking long-term about how to make the business profitable without losing sight of our values. I’ve learned to use spreadsheets just as much as design tools. I’ve realized that creativity and financial literacy go hand in hand if you want to build something that lasts. My goal is to study international business and finance in college, gaining advanced tools that will help me lead teams, manage larger budgets, and create sustainable growth. Financial education changed the way I think—not just about business, but about life. It taught me to be realistic, intentional, and patient. And most of all, it gave me the mindset to turn ideas into results.