You might have seen Keon going around and knocking on doors to talk to you about his student painting services. Keon Satari Dizaj-Khalil is a second-year university student, currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program at Mount A University.

Keon is a born entrepreneur. He moved to Bathurst four years ago after his mother received a promotion and finished his schooling right here at BHS. There, he started to dive into courses surrounding economics, entrepreneurship, accounting, and other business-related subjects because, as he says, “It all felt so natural to me.”

In Bathurst, Keon found the place where he belonged. He loves hunting and fishing and also did a lot of volunteer work with different organizations around the city.

Last September, while studying at Mount A, Keon met a vibrant guy named Caleb, who was heading an information session about how to run your own business. Keon, of course, being very interested in the world of entrepreneurship, showed up to the session and then continued to attend the rest of them. He was accepted into the program, and Bathurst Student Painting was born.

Since then, Keon has been handling sales, management, marketing, recruitment, and HR. He has qualified painters working with him, but when it comes to the sales aspect of the job, Keon is a one-man shop, even knocking on doors in the middle of winter during some of the season’s coldest days.

“We’ve succeeded at creating the ultimate experience,” says Keon when talking about the services offered by Bathurst Student Painting.

“There can be confusion among contractors, often because of a lack of communication.”

What Bathurst Student Painting does is conduct a thorough assessment and then provide a price. It isn’t done by the hour, and there are no changes to the price once the initial estimate has been given.

Bathurst Student Painting does both interior and exterior work. While Keon is in school, he comes up to Bathurst to do some marketing on Saturdays and Sundays, but starting April 18th, he’ll be in Bathurst full-time.

“What I’m providing is a position for college and university students to work during the summer,” says Keon, who explains that it isn’t always easy for students to get jobs because employers know they will be returning to school in a few months.

Keon plans on being a part of this program for the next few years and then doing something big once he graduates.

“There’s insane potential for growth here in New Brunswick.”

Keon is only 19 years old and is already driven to make a positive impact on the province.

We wish him and all the students of Bathurst Student Painting the best of luck.That’s it for another edition of The Northern Heat Report—the place you come to listen to the stories that have not yet been discovered.