Image: 11 Alive
Two Atlanta friends, Jack Faught and Calder Johnson, started selling Christmas trees from a pickup truck in 2015 to help pay their college expenses. A decade later, their small seasonal venture has grown into a seven-location business that sells thousands of trees during the holiday season and has donated more than $230,000 to community causes. The idea took shape in 2015, when Faught and Johnson were 16 and 17 years old and studying at Grady High School, now known as Midtown High School, in Atlanta. Their first season was modest, with approximately 30 trees sold. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2021, where they studied finance and marketing, the two decided to make the business their full-time occupation. The business has employed more than 100 people, most of them students, according to a 2023 report by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A significant part of the money goes towards college scholarships for students who need help affording higher education. The business has also created seasonal employment opportunities for young people, supported local schools and youth sports programmes, and funded tree-planting initiatives. Their venture has turned a college side hustle into a community-focused enterprise. However, the venture helped them earn money towards their college expenses, including tuition, accommodation, food and other living costs. They eventually expanded to seven locations across metro Atlanta. Students can apply for scholarships through the programme, with preference given to applicants from Atlanta-area schools. The application also asks them to explain how they intend to make their community or the wider world a better place after college. Beyond scholarships, Trees for Tuition has created seasonal employment opportunities for high-school and college students.