22/05/2026
📝| 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐯𝐬. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 7:30 𝐀𝐌 𝐂𝐄𝐎
𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐐𝐏𝐈 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐃𝐔 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.
At 7:30 AM, the earliest class hour in Ateneo de Davao University, most students are still waking up. But for some, the day is already split between academics and running a business.
However, for student-led ventures like The Butcher's Block, NewsFlash! Photobooth, Ji Chicken, and Gusla Bai, these reflect the realities of balancing entrepreneurship with school life. Their stories involve negotiations, academic pressures, and the unpredictable nature of business.
For many of these founders, the jump into business was not born from a lifelong ambition, but from the practical requirements of the classroom.
Cholo Palad shared that The Butcher's Block became a real food business with loyal customers.
“We never imagined it would grow into an actual business. As time passed, we found ourselves forming genuine connections, with our customers, our team, and the experience itself. Seeing people enjoy our food and return with smiles became something we truly valued,” Cholo shared.
Similarly, Jamie Bisnon explained that NewsFlash! Photobooth originated from a thesis panel suggestion to simplify data collection. Since joining its first flea market in August 2025, it has evolved into both a creative outlet and a learning experience among friends.
“Over time, operating our business in flea markets became more than a thesis requirement but also an activity among friends and an outlet for our diverse talents. Operating our photobooth enabled us to not only earn money but also apply our talents, skills, and knowledge gained from the classroom to real life,” Jamie noted.
For Raghnall Uy, of Ji Chicken, Ji Chicken was inspired by Taiwan’s “Ji-Pay” chicken fillet, influencing the brand’s East Asian-inspired concept.
“The cultural experience was honestly a driving force for our journey in choosing this business because we wanted to learn how to start a business but not a tedious one to start up since we realized that it would be hard to grow a business while maintaining life at school, ” Raghnall highlighted.
Meanwhile, Phoebe Montoya described how Gusla Bai shaped her entrepreneurial journey while balancing academics and real-world experience. Alongside Gusla Bai, she also co-founded The Clubhouse, which supports local small businesses through events and flea markets.
“What drives me to pursue this path while being a student is my passion for building something meaningful not only for myself, but also for others. Although balancing academics and business is challenging, it has taught me discipline, resilience, and responsibility,” Phoebe recounted.
From class requirements to functioning businesses, these student entrepreneurs show that the classroom can become the starting point for real-world ventures.
Balancing the pressure of academics and business requires constant prioritization, sacrifice, and discipline. All four of the students have emphasized the same core challenge: time.
Jamie explained there is an overlap in being a student and operating a business, which often required her to sacrifice one responsibility for another.
“Until now, I have had to constantly choose and definitely gave up some quizzes and flea market opportunities to balance being a student and a business owner,” Jamie noted.
Phoebe added that balancing the demands of being a full-time student and business owner is her biggest challenge yet. With the need to manage academics alongside business operations and decision-making.
“Balancing both requires discipline, sacrifice, and the ability to stay focused under pressure,” Phoebe explained.
𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬
Beyond logistical struggles, there is a constant mental challenge of transitioning from "manager mode" at the stall to "student mode" in an early morning lecture. This internal shift requires more than just a change of scenery; it demands a total recalibration of focus.
Jamie shared that she needs time to mentally reset after business operations before attending class, though she admitted that sometimes simply showing up is enough.
“I make it a point that there is at least an hour interval from what I was doing to transition to doing something else. This allows me to give me some mental space to prepare to be another person completely,” Jamie explained.
Similarly, Phoebe emphasized that discipline is required to compartmentalize academics and business responsibilities, learning to focus on each at the right time.
“It takes discipline although I have learned how to be present in the moment. There are times when I struggle to focus, but I am still learning that academics and business matters have specific times to focus on,” Phoebe elaborated.
For Raghnall, however, the transition is less distinct; since Ji Chicken is closely tied to their academic requirements, making the business feel like an extension of the classroom.
“Honestly, we really treated our business as also a school requirement because it was also part of our academics to report on operations for our business, and also some of our experiences during the implementation is integrated into the activities in our academic life,” Raghnall explained.
𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝
When faced with the difficult choice of prioritizing academic deadlines over business opportunities, the consensus among all four respondents remains the same: education is the foundation.
Cholo acknowledged that his decision is guided by the purpose of the business. However, since it was established as part of an academic requirement, school remains the priority.
"While sales and profit are important, we believe that gaining knowledge and completing our education hold greater long-term value. We trust that there will be a time when we can fully focus on growing the business, but for now, our priority remains our studies.”
Similarly, Jamie viewed herself as a student first, emphasizing that although entrepreneurship offers valuable real-world learning, she prioritizes exams and major requirements even if it means losing sales.
“It's a good experience and I believe it’s important to learn beyond the four corners of the classroom but when it comes to exams or papers that have a heavy bearing on the grades, I choose to give my full attention to my studies even though it means that I have to lose sales,” Jamie noted.
As for Phoebe, she pointed out the practical reality of academic standing, noting that while sales can often be recovered at a later date, missing academic deadlines can not.
“My deciding factors are usually urgency and consequences, and I try to choose the option that will have the bigger effect in the long run.”
Success for these students is not just measured in profit margins, but in the discipline required to sacrifice. It is a balancing act where the stakes of a failing grade often outweigh the risks of a slow business day.
Despite the “CEO” title, student entrepreneurship is far from glamorous. Behind the label are students still learning to navigate the realities of business operations.
Cholo described taking on “un-CEO-like” tasks such as buying supplies and cooking rice bowls to cleaning stalls, he believes that staying hands-on in these daily operations helps him remain grounded as a business owner.
Meanwhile, Jamie admitted that while she is highly organized, she sometimes struggles with unexpected conflicts during operations and relies on her team for support when problems arise.
“Luckily, I work with a team, so there is really someone that I can ask to take over. But it’s something that I really have to work on. I cannot handle conflict! I can be very thorough - plan it all seamlessly, spoonfeed my members with what they have to do, but when something unexpected happens and a customer gets confused, I back away.”
𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡
Ultimately, student entrepreneurship provides a depth of knowledge that the classroom setting cannot fully replicate.
Jamie highlighted networking as an essential skill, sharing, “Networking, communication, and charisma. Your character is really important in business, along with your ability to make an impression on others. This will land you more business opportunities.”
As for Raghnall, he emphasized interpersonal learning, noting that “theory can only take you so far in the real world than experience, because in experience, you get to really see firsthand how the world works.”
Cholo added that one of the key development was in handling a business is the ability to stay calm and composed during challenging situations, whether with partners, suppliers, or customers.
Finally, Phoebe pointed out the unpredictability of the market, sharing, "In the real world, you have to be more alert and prepared for external factors that can affect your business, like competitors, the weather, and even the current political or economic situation."
Across all perspectives, the dual life of being a student-entrepreneur is defined by the act of showing up and switching roles. As Phoebe and Cholo both emphasized, resilience and adaptability are the essential traits for survival in a cut-throat environment where success depends on your flexibility in the face of uncertainty.
