Fourteen-year-old Tyce Pender had a very strong motivation for wanting to create an independent stream of income for himself: love.
Tyce is raising money so that he can be adopted by his stepfather.
Though Eric Jenkins has raised Tyce since he was 2, South Carolina’s legal system requires thousands of dollars for them to make it official.
Tyce told TODAY that he has no memory of his life without Eric in it.
“He’s been a father figure to me since I was 2,” Tyce told TODAY Parents. “He’s always been there for us and helps me with anything I need like homework.”
Eric met Tyce’s mother Marcy in 2010. The couple married four years later.
Adopting Tyce and his 15-year-old brother Tylee has long been a dream of Eric’s.
However, they just recently found a pro bono lawyer to sort all the details. Despite finding a lawyer to work the case for free, other associated fees will still cost the family thousands of dollars.
Tyce, his brother, and their 14-year-old stepsister Tierrianna still wanted to make the adoption official.
So, Tyce decided he would try and raise the money by starting his own small business.
“Court is expensive,” said Tyce. “I thought I could make enough money to pay for the adoption.”
Tyce’s older brother 21-year-old brother Jayden used to mow lawns as a kid to make money and he figured that he could do it too.
After all, he’d seen other people do it before and he mowed in grandfather’s lawn once.
So, his mom got him a $192 battery-powered lawnmower and he started to advertise his business, Tyce & Company Lawn Service, on Facebook.
“Hi my name is Tyce. I am 14 years old and today my mom gave me a business loan and I was able to purchase a rechargeable lawn mower,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I do have safety glasses and gloves and I am hoping to find some yards to cut and maybe even maintain them. I go to school during the week and I am available some afternoons and all day on Saturday and Sundays.
I also have an electric leaf blower and a rake, too. I am wanting to make this into a business so I can have my own business.”
Tyce admits that he was a little nervous at first but once he mowed that first lawn, but after that, it was a breeze.
He negotiates a fair price with each customer based on their lawn size.
Tyce even had people offering to support him without having him mow their law. Tyce’s aunt and uncle ended up buying him a riding lawn mower.
Now he even donates some of the money he makes to help other people. Tyce’s parents said they will be covering the majority of the costs associated with the adoption but are very proud of their son.
“Caring for Tyce is my job,” Eric said. “His heart is in the right place.”
“It’s a powerful thing that Tyce wants to give this recognition (to his stepfather),” Marcy said.
The City of Cayce even gave Tyce his very own business license.
“I am a real business owner at 14. This is big to me. There’s a lot that’s gone on since this time last month, so many people to thank, and I can’t wait to share more good stuff,” Tyce said on Facebook. “I hope I’m inspiring others.”
Hopefully, Tyce still has time to do teen stuff with all the other obligations he says he’s engaged in, including school and sports.
Learn more about his story in the video below!
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