Paxton Parks likes cars, is eager to work and – almost unheard of for a high school student today – he enjoys cleaning.
So last year, while taking a project-based Career & Technical Education class with Nacogdoches High School teacher Laura Hairston, Paxton launched his own entrepreneurial project… Malibu Detailing.
And he’ll come to you.
Now Paxton has regular customers – including the CTE fleet at Nacogdoches High School – and is interested in expanding his efforts next year, when he hopes to start college.
“Once I get out of high school, I’m going to expand more,” Paxton said. That comes next May, when the senior will graduate with the Class of 2024.
A portion of Hairston’s class included constructing an idea to address a need – something all entrepreneurs confront.
“An entrepreneur might ask, ‘Is it a problem for me or a problem for the community’ that needs to be solved,” said Hairston.
In this case, it was dirty cars and Paxton’s willingness to clean them for a fee.
Paxton shown with NHS teacher Laura Hairston.
In the class, using an online graphic arts site, Paxton created a flyer for Malibu Detailing. He also produced a market analysis that was presented to the class at the end of the year for vetting.
The idea of cleaning cars had been developing for a while. “My mom wanted her car cleaned,” Paxton said. From there, he began accumulating some of the equipment needed and also detailed his father’s truck.
Paxton cleaned the company vehicles at NacSpace – a branch of Nacogdoches-based Elliott Electric – that provides, among other things, IT services, website development and software development.
Paxton also detailed Hairston’s family vehicles then got a chance to do the NISD pickups used by the CTE department at NHS.
Hairston’s already convinced of her student’s ability. She bragged on Paxton, who’s enrolled in her real estate class at NHS, using words and phrases like “upstanding” and “works hard.”
In the real estate class, Paxton and his classmates could obtain a real estate license by the time they finish next spring. Students take a pre-licensing course then can sit for the Texas realtor exam before the end of the year.
Last year, Paxton earned an entrepreneurship and small business certification, something he can add to his resumé after high school… either for work or college entrance.
Hairston is convinced that, regardless of what he chooses to do following graduation, Paxton will be successful. “He has solid character, and he’s trustworthy,” she said. “He works hard, and he is smart.”