HENDERSON, Texas — When people think of kids earning extra cash over the summer, going door-to-door mowing may come to mind. But one East Texas teen is thinking outside the box.
In Rusk County, 17-year-old Kennedy Miller, a Henderson High School senior, can be found on the side of the road selling watermelons to raise money to pay for his tuition. His entrepreneurial career began back in middle school selling candy.
“Growing up I always heard the stories, and I knew one day, I wanted to get paid for something like that,” Kennedy Miller said.
These aren’t just any watermelons – they’re watermelons from Grapeland, a small town in Houston County.
“We have to wake up early every morning to get there, the hours are very long. It's very hot,” Kennedy Miller said.
The melons aren't just a way for him to put extra cash in his pockets but a way for him to invest in his future.
“I want to get into (Texas) A&M,” Kennedy Miller said.
His goal is to be an executive producer for high or low budget Hollywood films.
His dad Steve said the issue was Kennedy had problems with finding a place to sell the watermelons.
After two of the locations he was offered to sell at rescinded their invitations, on last Thursday, a local company offered to let him sell watermelons in their lot temporarily.
“I want to help him as much as I can to help facilitate his dreams,” Steve Miller said.
Not only is this a financial opportunity for him, it also brings the father and son duo together.
“It's not about just following by footsteps but about him using my footsteps to chart his own course. He’s got a bright future and I'm so proud of him,” Steve Miller said. “I'm glad, honored to be his father."