A lesson in cleaning up

Christine Carrillo

What started as a school workshop for all fifth-graders at Pegasus

School in Huntington Beach turned into a thriving business of love

for one 10-year-old boy.

After just two days of learning how to make soap, David Penner

decided to implement everything he learned and capitalize on the

upcoming holiday, Valentine’s Day.

He purchased the supplies, made his product and ventured out into

the world of commerce in search of a target clientele.

David found it.

After testing his salesman skills in various areas, grocery stores

and coffee houses, David began to assess the progress he made at each

location and quickly noticed that the laid-back mentality of

customers at a coffee house, once they’ve had their coffee that is,

was much more profitable.

“If you don’t sell your soap at a good price, your supplies will

end up taking over your business,” said the now-business savvy

Newport Beach resident. “I feel like an entrepreneur and I didn’t

even know what that word meant until three weeks ago.”

Having sold more than 100 scented soaps, in the shapes of hearts

and frogs, David has found himself running a business with a product

in high demand.

“This was one of those cases when a kid realizes his

entrepreneurial interests,” said John Sullivan, the assistant head at

Pegasus who also taught the workshop. “He’s going to be a

businessman. We can all see it.”

And seeing his profitability, David has also seen the affect he

can have on others. In honor of his grandmother, who survived a heart

attack in November, David has set aside 20% of his profits to donate

to the American Heart Assn.

“I believe that you have to teach kids how to give back,” said

David’s mother Joy Penner, who said she is not surprised by her son’s

entrepreneurial spirit. “It’s important to learn at an early age how

to give back.”

As his business continues to prosper, and the number of soap

hearts he’s made start to dwindle, David has already begun to set his

sights on the next holiday -- Easter.

“He looks at something and he’s able to see the possibilities ...

it’s just amazing for me to hear about what he’s doing now,” Sullivan

said. “”He’s the one that just saw the possibilities that he could do

and ... that’s what every educator wants, is a kid to be sparked by

something that you taught.”

While Pegasus’ mission, “building wings so bright minds can soar”

helped inspire David, his personal drive enabled him to turn that

inspiration into a reality.

“This workshop really built my wings,” David said. “But I decided

to make my bright mind soar.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO is a reporter with Times Community News. She

can be reached at (949) 574-4268 or by e-mail at

[email protected].