Grand Island senior turns crochet hobby into thriving business

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Esther Silva is a senior at Grand Island Senior High School and while her business is named 'Something Smol,' it's far from tiny.

Earlier this year, Esther launched her business after two years in the entrepreneurship pathway classes with her teacher, Adam Zlomke.

"I really got started just because I wanted a way to make an extra little bit of money and then I enjoyed seeing how happy it made people to buy my product," said Esther.

Since launching 'Something Smol,' Esther has started selling her handmade crocheted keychains and other creations in local businesses, and partnered with GROW Nebraska to sell her products at the Nebraska State Fair.

"It's exciting, I didn't expect it to go this far," Esther said. "I expected it to just die out by the time I graduated but I don't know, it's really exciting to be able to have all these opportunities and have Zlomke push me to do them all."

Zlomke said not every idea that comes through his class doors is a success, but that's part of the learning process.

"There's a lot of cool things that we've seen, some businesses have failed, some haven't," Zlomke said. "I tell kids their sophomore year the biggest thing they can learn is to fail and get back up, and so a lot of them go through that you know the trials and tribulations, and they get through it and hopefully we set them up with the skills to be successful after high school."

Esther recently placed in the top five at Big Idea Grand Island, but she never planned on entering.

"Oh no, I didn't expect it at all," Esther said when asked how she felt about making it to the finals of Big Idea GI. "I just... Okay honestly I just signed up because Zlomke wouldn't leave me alone about it and then I got in. I mean it is exciting and everyone there is really supportive as well."

This is the ninth year GISH has offered the entrepreneurship pathway and Zlomke said throughout the years he's learned along with the students.

"If I walk around, one table's working on one business and another table's working on something different and so it's never the same and I get to build with them and you know learn," Zlomke said. "You know I tell kids a lot of times they're building something and I've never done it before and so we do it together and it's exciting to see what comes from it."

Esther has plans to continue growing 'Something Smol'. She's been looking at adding clothing to her shop and has a plan to make that possible.

"I'm hoping to get a manufacturer that way I don't have to, because it takes a lot of time to make each product, so that way I have more time for me and school and I hope to make it big but it all just depends on what happens," Esther said.

If you want to check out Esther's products on her Instagram page, click here.

'What's Cool in Your School?' is sponsored by Hastings College Watch it Sunday night and Monday morning on Local4. If you have something or someone 'cool in your school' you'd like us to highlight, let us know by clicking here.