CINCINNATI — It’s hard enough being a full-time college student, but one UC Bearcat is focusing not only on his education but on his business as well.

Nick Nguyen is a finance major at the University of Cincinnati and spends a lot of his time crunching numbers for both his business and his classes. 

What You Need To Know

  • Nick Nguyen is a junior studying finance at the University of Cincinnati

  • He is also a business owner, opening his first store in July in OTR

  • The 22-year-old's store, From The Sidewalk, is a shoe store 

  • He hopes to continue to grow his show business in other cities in the U.S.

“Education is a top-tier priority in our household," Nguyen said. "I don’t want to be in college because I already did what college would help me eventually do.”

Nguyen opened his first store, From The Sidewalk, in July. The junior is an immigrant from Vietnam and says he’s setting up a better life for himself and for his parents.

Nguyen works at his store, From the Sidewalk. (Katie Kapusta/Spectrum News)

“I walk around with a chip on my shoulder," he said. "Every day I have to prove that I have something to bring to the table. I deserve to live a better life.”

Three years after moving to the Queen City, he’s living his dream as a student.

“Three years later, I made that happen," Nguyen said. "So it’s a great moment to look back on.”

Now, he’s made this happen, his own store, filled with the trendiest shoes.

“We got Yeezys over here, following down we got SB Dunks, Dunk lows and more down we got the Jordans, all the retro Jordans here," he said.

Nguyen, at just 22 years old, helps make up the 6% of business owners under 35, according to the U.S. Census. He started his business venture selling shoes out of his trunk before calling this shop in Over the Rhine home earlier this summer. And thanks to high sales already, he knows he has something special. 

From the Sidewalk has a wide range of rare and trendy shoes. (Katie Kapusta/Spectrum News)

“You cannot walk into a Foot Locker or Finish Line to get these products," he said. "You either have to know someone or you either have to be very lucky.”

While each item in this store is special, Nguyen knows his journey takes the cake. 

“I do reflect a little bit on the journey on what it has become and how fortunate I am to be in this position today," he said. "Yeah, it’s surreal. Surreal’s the right word.”