After graduation, the founder joined Teach for America to follow his purpose, teaching remedial math at a Title 1 High School where he grew up.  He was shocked to learn that the school's math averages were 60% and knew he had to motivate his students. By continually having his students reflect on their dreams and goals, he intrinsically motivated them.  Combined with expert teaching practices (learned from his mentor teachers in Teach for America, Adam Morales and Jason Catanese, doing what was right for kids (which might not be following the scripted curriculum), and deep love and support (inspired by his family) his students were averaging 80-90% on all math exams by the end of his second year of teaching. It was a phenomenal transformation. 

Yet at the end of the day, many students asked "why don't we learn about practical life skills, like money?" or "why doesn't school teach us about what we want to do?" Many students felt unprepared for real life after graduation. And they were right. High school doesn't necessarily align with today's world anymore. There is much more freedom, problems are much more diverse, and the need for entrepreneurial thinkers is much greater. 

While earning his M.Ed in Secondary Education, the founder learned that the modern day school system was designed to prepare students for factory jobs from the industrial age. His class was challenged to think about what designed education might look like. While there were many innovative K-8 schools in Arizona, there were no high schools that met this need. The founder decided that he might as well be the guy.