Last spring,11-year-old Q’yaron Gadsonrode his bicycle up to a neighbor mowing his lawn to ask if he could assume the job that summer to gain work experience. The neighbor thanked him but declined, responding that his own 15-year-old son would probably take on the responsibility. Undeterred, Q’yaron returned 15 minutes later and asked, “Well, sir, do you have anyone who would have a used lawnmower?” Energetic and ambitious, it was clear that Q’yaron saw a lawn mower as an entry point to a job.
Impressed by the young man’s determination, the neighbor called on a friend who repairs lawn-mower engines and the two gifted Q’yarona brand-new lawn mower, weed-eater and the gasoline needed to fuel them. In just five days, Gadson earned $60 —not bad for a budding entrepreneur!
Mowing lawns is a summertime rite of passage in America providing young adults with their first money-management experiences —including purchasing the gasoline that fuels the whole operation, and budgeting for the oils and lubricants that keep the mower engine and blades running smoothly. Back in 1961, Beaver Cleaver may have inspired a whole generation when he started his own lawn-mowing business on an episode of “Leave it Beaver”—and today, Q’yaron’s story proves that mowing continues to be an accessible, affordable and invaluable first job, one made possible by U.S. refiners.
U.S. refiners produced record levels of gasoline in 2017, helping meet the needs of consumers who use about 392 million gallons of gasoline each day. While most of us think about filling up our cars, gasoline also fuels motorcycles on the road, boats in the marina, small aircraft, construction and landscaping equipment, and portable and emergency generators that provide power supplies that are nothing short of critical in times of crisis.
But for many of us, like Q’yaron, the first time we use a gasoline-fueled engine is cutting grass out on a front lawn. American refiners are proud to fuel the first jobs and futures of young entrepreneurs all across the country.
