By J1 Reporter Abby McGuire

Raising money for WAT can be tricky. After all, going door to door is nerve wracking, and you can only beg your grandparents for money so many times. However, the need to raise money gives entrepreneurs like junior Anna Guillen a way to promote their businesses. 

Guillen became a nail tech and started apg_nail last spring, and she says that WAT has made her more popular than ever, “WAT has helped me gain a larger following and customers. During this month (referring to September), all my weekends were full of customers. I was constantly getting new DMs and people were coming up to me in school.” 

Guillen is an exemplary example of how WAT can raise awareness of student-made businesses in the community. Due to her larger number of customers, she was able to donate $60 to WAT. However, Guillen said that she is noticing some fallout, “…after WAT ended, I have noticed less people coming. This might be because homecoming ended.” 

Raising money for WAT helps not only students who need tuition assistance, but it helps women-owned businesses to thrive. It also offers Marian girls a cheaper price for services, like Guillen’s acrylics, that would be an entire paycheck at salons. 

This support helps the girls running businesses to learn more about being entrepreneurs and give them real life experiences. If you want to follow Guillen on instagram, her business handle is apg_nail, and she is able to take appointments on the weekends.