Balancing entrepreneurship as a Kean student

By Valerie Sanabria | Published by December 9, 2020

Samantha Medrano expected combining student life and entrepreneurship to be a challenge. The Kean University student majoring in Business and Management never thought that her business and biggest project, Dakota Garden, was going to be the reason why her student career was going to be delayed. Dakota Garden is an innovative eatery with products low in sugar but also a garden-like environment where friends can spend time together. 

“I started this semester online, with five classes and a high GPA, but I had a high risk of lowering it because of my business,” Medrano said. “ I decided to drop some classes  to have more flexibility because it’s not the same to maintain five classes and a business full time.” 

Medrano’s biggest project had been delayed due to COVID-19 but had a successful grand opening on July 1st which exceeded her expectations. 

“We officially opened in July first and it was a great experience,” Medrano said, “ We lost track of the amount of people who attended during the opening weekend, we were afraid of the number of people because we needed to follow the precautionary measures.” 

For Medrano the opening was difficult to control but everyone who attended wore their masks and maintained the distance at all times, which made it easier for her. 

To attract people to the business, Medrano and her partners constantly create social events and host talks about the importance of eating healthy.

“Through social events, people in the community can get to know us,” Medrano said, “We give awards to anyone who achieves something, we create groups with a mission, and also holiday events like pumpkin painting, but this was before the cases [COVID-19] went up. We recently had to limit all social events, indoor dining, and the number of clients at the same place.”

Dakota Garden is what Medrano loves, and even if she considers herself to be disorganized, for her the way of finding a balance is by knowing what makes her happy. 

“I’m super disorganized but I also feel that when the days go by I end up doing what I like,” Medrano said, “ I’m human and of course I’m not perfect but I think that the importance of everything you have to do, you do it because you like it, it won’t be an obligation if that’s what you like.”

Her business also gave her the opportunity to give back to those in need. This year with the opening of her business, Medrano introduced her clients to a Samaritan’s Purse organization.

At Dakota Garden, she collected shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items for children outside the United States living under precarious conditions. This organization is really close to her heart because she was once one of the recipients. 

“The Samaritan’s Purse shoeboxes are something personal that I decided to link with my business this year so more people get to know this organization,” Medrano said. “Samaritan Purse marked me for life since I was a child and received a shoebox.”

Medrano had to learn how to balance student life and entrepreneurship, and she is also finding ways to help other people through her business. She was able to collect 80 shoeboxes to make children around the world happy just as someone made her happy once.   

“I grew up dreaming that one day I was going to make the boxes and change other children’s lives as mine changed with something as simple and beautiful as a shoebox,” Medrano said.

Dakota Garden is Medrano’s long-term goal. For her, finding balance between college and business is fundamental to make her business bigger. 

“I am trying to find a balance until I get my degree and be able to create something bigger with the Dakota concept,” Medrano said. 

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