Attending college in America is not considered easy, especially when it comes to the hefty tuition fees. Most students do part-time jobs to meet the expenses of their studies. Some work in cafes, while others work shifts in delivery or retail stores. But the method that 23-year-old Anthony Ondo from Pennsylvania chose to pay his fees surprised people. Anthony made beekeeping his side business and today he is completing his college studies with the income from it. When his story came out among the people, everyone got motivated.
Anthony is studying Sustainable Business at Chatham University. Along with his studies, he takes care of about 50 bee hives in western Pennsylvania. Twice a year he extracts honey from these hives and earns good money by selling it. This earning helps in meeting their tuition fees and other needs.
Interestingly, Anthony never thought that beekeeping would become such a big opportunity for him. He had no interest in this work. This story started after high school, one day he helped his friend's grandfather in extracting honey. The beginning was not easy for him. A few minutes after starting work, he was stung by a bee. Usually people get scared after such experiences, but the opposite happened with Anthony. The same incident created curiosity and enthusiasm within him about this work.
Gradually he started learning about bees and their rearing. After some time, he himself started taking care of the hives on a small scale. Due to hard work and continuous learning, his confidence increased. Finally, in the year 2024, he started his business officially.
Anthony says that he also gets some scholarships and has to take some federal loans, but he pays the rest of the college fees from his honey business. He says that this work is not just a source of income for him, but is a business in which he also gets freedom. They do not have to work in an office from morning to evening every day. According to his time, he manages both studies and business.
The most important thing was that he did not take the help of any big investor or bank to further his business. Anthony took a completely different approach. He used to go door to door and make people taste his honey and explain to them how beneficial local honey is. After this he used to ask people for permission to plant bee hives on their land. In the beginning this work was not easy, but gradually people started trusting him. Many people happily allowed their land to be used. In return, Anthony used to give him a share of honey. In this way, without spending much money, he prepared his network.
Today, Anthony not only supplies honey directly to customers, but also to local cafes and small businesses. Their business is continuously growing and people are also liking their products. Anthony believes that local honey is not only better in taste, but it is also beneficial for the environment and local farmers. He is also working to make people aware of the importance of bees and their role in the environment.
Apart from his personal business, Anthony also manages two apiaries located at the University's Eden Hall campus. Here students are given training in beekeeping and sustainable practices. Anthony tells the students in a practical way how bees are taken care of and how important this work is for the environment. His story is also special because he proved that if a person moves forward with hard work and different thinking, then even a small idea can be converted into a big success. While many students struggle with the pressure of fees, Anthony turned his passion into a source of income.
