Becca is the perfect example of a girl who knows how to turn a dream into reality,
and then share that dream with others. At just 10 years old, she started her very
own space camp for girls called, AstroTots. It all started when Becca told
a neighbor girl that she wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up and the little
girl told her ‘You can’t do that, it’s a boy’s job.'
Right then, Becca knew what she had to do; teach young girls about science and make
it fun. She invited all the girls in her neighborhood to the first-ever AstroTots
Science Camp held in her backyard. She got more and more requests for her
camps to be organized. Now, her venture has gained so much attention that she’s
been all over the USA and even abroad, targeting girls in poverty-stricken neighborhoods
who otherwise might never get a chance to learn about astronomy and science. She
has appeared in People Magazine, Teen People, on ABC and has even met President
Bush. AstroTots has also won many awards, enabling Becca to share her mission
to girls around the world. Besides AstroTots, Becca runs Love Bugs
(a camp about insects) and Mad Female Scientists, which focuses on lab experiments.
All three camps are free and incorporated under her nonprofit group, ‘No Boundaries
– Science Camps for Girls.’
Q: What is your business?
We run an organization called No Boundaries and what we do is we organize, do space camps and science camps for girls ages 4 to 10 to spark an early interest in science.
Q: When did you start your business? How old were you?
I was about 10 years old. I went to an Astro Camp here in Utah and I just loved it. I came home and I wanted to be an astronaut and I was talking to a 4 year old neighbor that was a girl and I told her I wanted to be an astronaut and she told me it was a ‘boy’s job.’ And so I decided that I wanted to change her opinion, because it was not a boy’s job, and by doing that I decided to educate girls and show them that they could really do science and that science is fun and it’s not only for boys.
Q: What were some of the challenges you faced in starting the business?
Getting funding was definitely a challenge, especially when you first start your business. Also, securing places to actually do our camps. And recruiting (volunteers) early on was kind of hard, but not anymore.
Q: What kept you going when there were problems or challenges?
It’s just something that I was passionate about and when you’re passionate about something, it’s fun for you and you don’t want to stop doing it. I love space. I love teaching. I love kids and I love teaching kids about science. So it was something that I really wanted to do with my time and I felt good doing it. I decided that it might be hard but I can work through it.
Q: Did you get help or advice from other people?
My mom has always been willing to help me and to give me advice. Also companies like Youth Venture are always there. They provide funding and second of all they provide resources, books and all sorts of things that you can learn how to maintain and build your business. And they’re also always there to give you advice; you can call them up any time which has been an amazing resource. I applied (and won) a grant through Youth Venture. (www.youthventure.org)
Q: Were you able to pay yourself from the beginning or did you have to put in a lot of unpaid hours?
Most of what I did in the beginning was volunteer work. Just keep on going with your dream, once you become a non-profit you can pay yourself, but in the beginning you should do it for fun, because it is fun. If you start something you’re passionate about, it’s more about wanting to do it than getting paid to do it.
Q: Do you work alone or with a team or staff?
I have a board, and I have my sisters’ help and then I have my crew of volunteer kids usually come to help at every camp. And so we all work together. I’m lucky to have them because it would be very difficult if was all by myself.
Q: What do you like most about your business?
I love interacting with the kids and seeing the expressions on their faces when they learn that they can do anything and that science is fun and you know when they shoot off rockets and stuff and they get really excited about it. It’s just amazing to see that you helped in them finding something that they might really love in the future.
Q: How does your business give back to the community?
AstroTots is an entirely non-profit organization. We provide services to the impoverished community for free for the kids. Learning science is a ticket out of poverty for the girls because science is a real money maker if they go to school and study the sciences, the pay is high for that. I just want to touch as many girls as I can to show them they really can do whatever they want and that they can make a difference. They have the power to do anything that they want to if they set their mind to it.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned through your experience as an entrepreneur?
There are a lot of things I’ve learned. One of the most important things is you can do anything if you set your mind to it. All you need to make a difference in your community is to be the one that’s willing to try. And also I’ve learned to never give up because everything pays off in the end. And to do something you’re passionate about because you’ve only got one life to live and you should make the most out of it while giving back to your community at the same time.
