Teenager Ditches University, Buys Restaurant She Worked At With Her College Savings

Cursory: Samantha Frye, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, decided not to follow convention by ditching college. The young girl bought the restaurant she worked at instead of her her college savings.

A recent high school graduate made an unconventional choice for her future instead of following the traditional path.

Samantha Frye, an 18-year-old from Ohio, USA, realized during her first semester of college that pursuing a degree for four years was not the right fit for her. This realization hit her when she visited her hometown and returned to the restaurant where she had worked during high school.

At the age of 16, Frye took up a job as a dishwasher at Rosalie’s Restaurant in Strasburg, and she had multiple jobs simultaneously.

“I started working when I was 14 and then when I was 16, I got two jobs, one of them being here,” Frye said.

“I eventually had three jobs at one point. And then I worked with my dad. So, basically, I just worked a lot.”

After graduating high school, Frye initially enrolled in Ohio State University to study environmental engineering. However, during winter break, she received disheartening news that the owners of Rosalie’s were planning to sell the restaurant.

This revelation led Frye to trust her instincts and express her interest in taking over the business.

“I was thinking that maybe this was something I wanted to do,” Frye told WNEM-TV.

“I had savings because I was saving for college, so I had quite a bit of money saved away. And I was like, I could possibly do this.”

Utilizing her savings, which she had accumulated for college, Frye was able to make the down payment and officially become the owner of Rosalie’s in April 2023.

Although becoming a restaurant owner at 18 was not part of her original plan, Frye expressed great satisfaction in her new venture, dedicating most of her time to running the business.

While her decision initially concerned her mother, who had envisioned a college education for Frye, she eventually came to support her daughter’s choice.

“My mom, she was pretty angry at first, because her dream was for me was to finish college,” Frye said, which her mother echoed. “I was not on board with her leaving OSU and taking on such a huge responsibility at her age,” Beitzel told the publication.

“But over time, I warmed up to it and realized that it might not have been the path I envisioned [for] her on but it’s the path she wanted to take.”

Other employees at the restaurant also admired Frye for her determination to pursue her dreams rather than conforming to traditional expectations for high school graduates.

“I just really think she’s a great example of a young lady that is following her dreams and doing what she loves,” Gardner, one of the employees told the news outlet. 

Frye emphasized that a college degree is not essential for a successful career and that many people share this perspective nowadays.

“You don’t need college to make a decent living, and I think that’s what a lot of people think nowadays,” Frye pointed out. “Follow your instinct, honestly. If it feels right, just do it.”

Watch video telling her story:

Credits: Yourtango, ALLSCHOOL.

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