‘I’m productive and make the most out of my time, so if anyone can handle owning a company and be a doctor at the same time, it’s me.’

Massapequa

“My whole life, my family’s been in and out of hospitals: my grandma, aunt, grandpa, great grandpa and great grandma all had medical issues. The early years of my life felt like I lived outside the hospital on my bicycle.

“I looked up to the doctors who were helping my family. I wanted to be like them and started college to become a doctor. However, in 2020, my second year, COVID happened. School slowed down as things went online, so I figured, let me just start my business.

“The idea came to me during the summer of 2019. I was doing construction and waterproofing basements. I was lugging stuff, getting covered in paint, throwing out dead rats; I hated it. The whole time, I was thinking about being on the water.

“I grew up fishing and boating, and that’s my passion. I realized there’s not a lot of boat rental companies on L.I., and since not everyone can afford to own a boat, my plan was to make it easier for people to enjoy the water like I do. I did construction hoping to learn a trade, but just ending up learning it wasn’t for me.

Despite all that happened during COVID, I made the best of it.

“The next summer, I bought an existing boat rental company. I also had been selling real estate at that time; my parents work in real estate and I got my license when I was 18. Everybody came in from the city during COVID to buy houses; it was crazy, with houses selling for thousands over asking prices.

“I used the money made from selling houses to buy the boat rental company, and the day the marinas reopened from COVID, I put a down payment on a boat, also from money made from selling houses.

“Despite all that happened during COVID, I made the best of it. I’m back in school I’m taking the MCAT on June 17, and if it goes well, I can then start with med school applications.

“I still also help my mom sell houses whenever I’m not studying or working on the boat business. I don’t know how much time I’ll have in med school to work on my boating business, but I’m training people to hold it down for me

“But even if I become a doctor, I can’t imagine saying, ‘Forget about the boat rentals.’ I’m productive and make the most out of my time, so if anyone can handle owning a company and be a doctor at the same time, it’s me.”

Interviewed by Ian J. Stark