Blazing Their Own Trails: There Is More Than One Path to a Big Future
Five Paths to their own Future: Cameron, Ava, John, Mateo, Chloe
I’m tired of hearing people say, “Kids these days are lazy.” Because that is not what I see. I see young people who are questioning the old playbook. I see kids looking at the traditional path laid out in front of them and asking, Is this actually the best way for me to get where I want to go? And sometimes the answer is no.
So they’re bucking tradition. They’re removing pressures that don’t serve them. They’re choosing community college, homeschooling, online universities, individualized schools, trade programs, early graduation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, travel, work experience, and completely different combinations of all of the above.
They aren’t refusing to work. They’re saddling up and chasing their dreams in their own way. And I think we should pay attention. For generations, we have presented education almost like a single trail: graduate from high school, go directly to a four-year university, earn a degree, find a job, and begin your adult life. That can still be a wonderful path. But it isn't the only path.
Some of the young people I know are proving that there are a whole lot of trails leading toward a meaningful, successful life—and sometimes the smartest thing a student can do is have the courage to leave the well-worn trail and blaze one of their own.
🤠 Cameron: Graduating Early and Building the Dream Now
Cameron isn't waiting for adulthood to begin building the life he wants.
He chose homeschooling and is working toward graduating from high school a year early while simultaneously building experience in cattle, beef, auctioneering, construction, business, and high school rodeo.
Why graduate early?
Cameron's answer is pretty simple: he's excited about where his life is going.
He wants to own businesses and pursue his dreams in agriculture and construction. And instead of waiting for some imaginary point when he is finally "old enough" to begin, he's already getting to work.
Through agriculture, business, and auctioneering, Cameron says he has learned that there are many layers to running a business—but two things rise above everything else: Your work ethic and your word.
He's also learning something that I wish every young person understood: failure isn't the end of the road. Sometimes you fail, regroup, try again, and keep trying until you figure it out.
Auctioneering has taught him another enormously valuable skill—how to talk to people, build relationships, and create a network. As Cameron puts it, sometimes success is simply being able to say, “I can't do that—but I know a guy who can.”
And Cameron isn't dreaming small.
Ten years from now, he pictures multiple ranches across Texas, Montana, and California, along with businesses in agriculture, construction, and real estate. His Bar W Cattle Co. is already giving him real-world experience working with customers and learning what it takes to build something of his own.
One thing Cameron said really stuck with me: “My hero is me in 10 years.”
He knows he'll never quite catch that guy—because he'll keep setting the next goal. Now THAT doesn't sound lazy to me. And Cameron, I haven't forgotten: when those ranches happen, I was promised a tiny house in a tiny corner. 🐄🤠
❤️ Ava: Sometimes the Smartest Trail Isn't the Most Expensive One
Ava's educational path has had a few turns. Traditional school. Homeschool. Back to traditional high school. Community college. Studying abroad in Florence. Nursing prerequisites. And eventually, nursing.
When I asked why she chose Sierra College rather than heading directly to a four-year university, her response was very Ava: “Because it was cheaper. That's literally the only reason that I chose it.”
And you know what? That's actually a pretty darn good reason. Choosing a less expensive route toward the same larger goal isn't a lack of ambition. It can be an incredibly practical decision. Community college has also given Ava opportunities she might never have expected. Studying abroad became one of the most meaningful experiences of her life. She learned about other places, experienced independence, went to school in another country, and discovered more about who she wanted to be.
And then came nursing prerequisites. Let's just say chemistry has not made Ava's list of favorite life experiences. 😂. But difficult classes have taught her something important too: she can do hard things.
Her road isn't necessarily easy just because it started at community college. She's working through demanding prerequisites toward a demanding career—and learning along the way what she is capable of. Her advice to another student whose path looks different? “Just own it.”
Own the difference. Own the detour. Own the fact that something might take you longer—or that you may choose to do it completely differently. Because sometimes, Ava says, you'll take a risk and even surprise yourself with just how extraordinary you can be.
I couldn't say that one better myself.
🐄 John: College, Cattle and Building a Business at the Same Time
At 19 years old, John Davis isn't choosing between college or work. He's doing both.
John started Porter Ag when he was just 15, initially selling hay and grain to neighbors in his local community. One opportunity led to another, the contracts became larger, and eventually he began handling bulk orders and semi-loads of hay and grain for customers including livestock centers, equestrian facilities, feed stores, feed yards, and other agricultural operations.
Today, John is attending Colorado State University online while continuing to work full-time and grow his businesses. Why online college? Because it fits the life he is actually building.
Colorado State's asynchronous program allows John to work through his education while continuing to gain real-world experience. He's studying business because he wants to become better at the work he is already doing—management, business practices, agricultural sales, livestock markets, supply and demand, and the decisions involved in buying and selling cattle.
His next chapter may also include owning and operating his own brick and morter business soon, which would mean another leap forward: managing employees and taking on the responsibilities that come with running an established business.
John hasn't put his life on hold to get an education. He has built an education around his life and his goals. That's a very different way of thinking about college—and I think it's one we're going to see a lot more of.
🐎 Mateo: Learning by Doing—and Becoming the Swiss Army Knife
Mateo's trail shows us something else entirely: sometimes the job becomes the classroom.
Mateo was already working for LIG Rentals when he realized he didn't want to spend another full year in high school just to complete the credits he still needed. Through Confluence, he was able to turn the job he already had into an internship while completing the classes he needed to graduate.
That opportunity also helped Mateo realize something important about his future.
College was available to him—but he didn't have a goal or dream that required a college degree. Rather than going simply because it was the expected next step, Mateo chose to keep building the career that was already unfolding in front of him.
And he certainly hasn't stopped learning. Mateo started at LIG Rentals weed-eating and doing odds and ends as one of the owner's first employees.
Since then?
He's done a little bit of everything. He earned his Class A license so he can drive commercial vehicles, including semis. He's helped run multimillion-dollar turnkey camps. He's developed management, business, mechanical, logistics, communication, and problem-solving skills. Mateo describes himself as the company's “Swiss Army knife.”
I LOVE that. Because almost every day presents a new problem that requires him to learn something new to solve it.
This year, he has been spearheading emergency sites, which has pushed him even further into logistics and leadership—deciding which employees should handle which equipment and jobs, recognizing individual skill levels, and even learning when someone is ready to be pushed slightly outside their comfort zone so they can grow while still getting the job done correctly.
He's learning about return on investment when purchasing equipment. When does it make sense to buy? When is it smarter to outsource? What will benefit the company over the long term rather than simply solve today's problem?
He's also learning how to communicate with employees, vendors, customers, and business partners and how important it is to make sure everyone who needs information has it. That's an education. It just doesn't happen behind a desk.
Mateo also isn't anti-college. He believes education is important and strongly encourages young people to earn their high school diploma. But he also recognizes that college should have a purpose.
And if college isn't part of your plan right now? Mateo has some pretty solid advice. Keep your options open. Keep your driving record clean. Stay out of trouble. If you have an idea of the field you want to enter, get into it somehow and start learning.
Learn from everyone. Take in as much knowledge as you can. Watch what works. Watch what doesn't. Don't be afraid to start at the bottom.
And don't let other people convince you to abandon a path you believe in.
Mateo said something that beautifully captures the entire point of this article:
“There are so many different options in the world to become whichever version of success you want. You have to find out what your specific version of success is and go after it.”
Exactly. Success doesn't have one definition. And neither should education.
K. Just one more CONGRATULATIONS-Mateo just bought his first home-k he's 21-well done you!!!!!!
🌾 Chloe: Making School Fit the Learner—not the Other Way Around
Chloe's path is different from all four of the young people above. And once again, that's exactly the point.
Chloe has experienced traditional school and homeschool, but she discovered that she learns best in a one-on-one educational environment at Fusion.
Why? Because her teachers have the opportunity to really know her. They learn her strengths, understand how she learns, connect lessons to her interests, and even help her choose a schedule that works with the time of day when she learns best.
Chloe still loves the social side of traditional school. But when it comes to learning, she prefers the individualized teaching she receives now. And here's the part I think is particularly important. Because Chloe can complete her school day in about half the time, school no longer has to consume all of her energy. Traditional school used to wear her out.
Now that time and energy can go somewhere else. Chloe already has two businesses. Her schedule gives her time to practice, develop ideas, work on those businesses, make things, and simply be creative. And instead of keeping those interests separate from school, her teachers often bring them directly into her education.
She can pursue electives such as graphic arts, fiber arts, interior design, business ownership, and entrepreneurship. Teachers can also develop projects and assignments around the things that genuinely interest her. That's not making education smaller. That's making it more relevant.
Chloe loves creating things, and she already has a pretty clear picture of where she might be headed. She plans to attend college and cosmetology school. Eventually, she would love to own her own shop, do hair and nails, create products, and continue building businesses of her own.
Her education doesn't have to choose between academics and creativity. Or between college and a trade. Or between school and entrepreneurship. She can build a trail that includes all of them.
And perhaps Chloe's story gives us one more question worth asking about education: Instead of constantly asking, How do we make this student fit school?
What might happen if we occasionally asked: How can we make school fit this student?
Maybe This Generation Isn't Lost. Maybe They're Leading.
When I look at young people like Cameron, Ava, John, Mateo and Chloe—I don't see a generation that lacks ambition. I see something else entirely. I see trailblazers.
I see young adults asking better questions.
What do I actually want my life to look like?
What education do I need to get there?
Is there a smarter or more affordable way to do it?
Can I work while I learn?
Can I build the business now?
Can I graduate early?
Can I take longer?
Can I homeschool?
Can I go to community college first?
Can I learn online?
Can school be built around the way I actually learn?
Can I choose agriculture, nursing, construction, entrepreneurship, cosmetology, a trade, a university—or some wild combination of all of them? YES.
Education should be a tool that helps young people build their futures. The future shouldn't have to be squeezed into one predetermined version of education.
And maybe that's where adults need to change our thinking.
Instead of asking young people, “Why aren't you following the traditional path?”
Maybe we should ask: “Where are you trying to go—and what trail will get you there?”
Because these kids aren't sitting around waiting for someone to hand them a future. They're climbing into the saddle. They're taking some risks. They're learning from a few hard falls. They're dusting themselves off. They're bucking traditions that don't fit. And they're blazing trails toward lives that actually belong to them.
Ride on, kids. 🤠. I cannot wait to see where these trails lead.
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