As Saniya Oneil walked into UCA this fall, she did so not only as a new junior, but as a new business owner.
Saniya is the driving force behind Vending Delights, LLC — a vending machine company that has placed its first machine in the very spot where Saniya first saw a need for it: the lunch area at UCA.
UCA junior Saniya Oneil stands next to a UCA’s first vending machine — which she owns and operates.
The process
“I always noticed last school year students were asking each other for snacks,” she said.
That perceived need turned out to be the ideal proving ground for one of Saniya’s long-held ambitions: starting her own business.
Saniya met with UCA Head of School Mr. Okuley to work out some of the details of UCA hosting the machine. Saniya’s entrepreneurial family helped her purchase the vending machine online before going to Sam’s Club to purchase a variety of chips, drinks, candy, and other snacks to stock it with.
Entrepreneurial goals
It’s been quite a shock for some students to realize that Saniya is in charge of UCA’s sole — and very popular — vending machine.
“They see me open it up and they’re like, ‘Woah what are you doing?’” she said. “Some of them have said, ‘Thank you for bringing it in, we needed it.’”
Saniya remembers watching her grandfather operate a vending machine at her church growing up, and she also had a good experience at a previous school where her class ran a candy vending machine.
“I’ve always wanted to do something on my own, not working for other people,” Saniya said, who also enjoys doing nails and hair.
The new entrepreneur has already learned lessons of customer service and maintenance as she’s answered payment questions from fellow classmates, and had to occasionally help a paying customer get their snack “unstuck.”
Starting to look beyond UCA, the junior isn’t sure what she wants to do in life, but she’s hoping to keep working for herself and continue pursuing her entrepreneurial calling.