Minnetonka native Drew Steinke thinks of himself as different from many of his classmates. The Orono High School senior says he realized at any early age that he couldn’t sit back and wait for life to happen. “It was sixth grade when I realized that a white picket fence, a happy family and a golden retriever are not just handed to you,” Steinke says. “It took me a few years to find my niche and it was worth it.”
Steinke required no coaxing to start his own lawn mowing business after inheriting his grandfather’s riding mower. Still servicing 11 yards throughout the year, he has also broken into the modeling business and has won awards for his glassblowing. Steinke is proud to be 100 percent self-made and is eagerly awaiting responses from colleges, including the University of St. Thomas, where he wants to go into business entrepreneurship and psychology. Steinke is not just dreaming his dreams—he is earning them.
