eB4T Features - Adventure & Success Stories Teen Angels Computer-savvy teenagers are one solution to the information technology worker crunch facing small businesses. When Andrew Lufburrow's pager went off for the third time in his math class, the high schooler asked his pre-calculus teacher for a bathroom break. "Hurry back," said the teacher, knowing perfectly well that the 17-year-old CEO was on his way to see a client. It was no secret among the faculty of C. Milton Wright High in Bel Air, Md., that Lufburrow had his own technology services business. Most didn't like it. Says Lufburrow, "My pre-calculus teacher thought my business was a running gag to get out of class. It was like, 'Andrew's bolting again.'" Lufburrow earned a "C" in pre-calculus that year. But his company, AAL Technologies, turned in an "A+" performance and grossed $150,000--much to the surprise of all his teachers. Fast-forward to the present: Lufburrow is now a freshman at the University of Maryland of Baltimore County (UMBC) where he continues to balance work and school: he has more than two dozen regular clients and yes, he's taking calculus. Clients still buzz him during class, but his college professors understand his need to take care of business and are interested in seeing him succeed. After all, his AAL Technologies is the first-ever student start-up to be headquartered in the school's new high-tech incubator, the UMBC Technology Center. Though his success is exceptional, Lufburrow's ability is not. High school classrooms are filled with students who know how to install a local-area network, build Web commerce applications, or construct corporate databases. But that doesn't mean businesses are scrambling to hire them. Employing teens means reconciling the concerns of parents, schools, and labor laws. Not to mention that students live in a social universe that's light-years from a professional workplace. Would you like to read the rest of this article? Point your browser to: Inc.com: Teen Angels You've reached the end of this story... Please check out the eB4T Interviews & Stories! [ Next Story! ] . home . features . knowledge . interactive . search . . about us . thanx . contact . awards . guestbook . site map . Copyright (C) 1999 (email link outdated)