1. E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P
T H R O U G H M Y E Y E S
What is an entrepreneur? One might
think of super tech geniuses like Elon
Musk, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. At
my school, Babson College, the idea of
entrepreneurship has many definitions
but the overarching thought is creating
social and economic value through the
optimal blend of the correct leadership
and resources. And most of all- failing.
Trying an idea, failing, and moving
forward. If one looks at the pathways of
most successful entrepreneurs, they
would see many failed business ideas
before the right opportunity materialized
in front of them. My name is Krystal
Leonardo von Seyfried and this is my
(incomplete) entrepreneurship story.
First, a little bit about me. I am a half
Filipina, half German American from the
Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Like most Filipino-Americans, I've gone to
private Catholic schools my whole life.
Photography by Hydee
Abrahan of studio1003
Manila Up! | 8
BY KRYSTAL VON SEYFRIED

2. Let's go back half a decade to 2011. I was a sophomore in
high school attending Immaculate Heart High School,
one of the most prestigious all girls schools in the Los
Angeles area. Pretty good, right? On the surface yes, but
crack a little bit underneath and it wasn't so pretty. After
getting expelled I was a mess. It took a lot to get out of
the mess, and a change of pace definitely helped. I went
on to attend Pilgrim School, a co-educational high
school with an attached middle and elementary school.
The start was rocky, but the right mix of helpful students
and great teachers got me slowly back on my feet. By the
end of my first year there, I had won the election for
Associated Student Body president as a new student. I
was also crowned homecoming queen and got onto the
headmaster's list, but the real crowning achievement of
my time at that school was getting admitted to Babson
College. After all this, my expulsion actually worked out
in my favor.
I knew that it would be extremely hard to get anywhere
decent in terms of college. My GPA at Pilgrim was sky
high but my GPA from Immaculate Heart made my
cumulative drop like a stone. Not to mention getting
expelled from high school. It was a long shot and I was
told by many to not even try at my dream school, but I
went for it. I didn't know this at the time, but
entrepreneurs are known to attempt projects even if
there is a huge risk of failure. Many of my peers drop out
of school halfway through to pursue their entrepreneurial
goals. I guess Babson noticed this in me because it paid
off, and obviously I got in.
I knew that it would be extremely hard to get anywhere
decent in terms of college. My GPA at Pilgrim was sky
high but my GPA from Immaculate Heart made my
cumulative drop like a stone. Not to mention getting
expelled from high school. It was a long shot and I was
told by many to not even try at my dream school, but I
went for it. I didn't know this at the time, but
entrepreneurs are known to attempt projects even if
there is a huge risk of failure. Many of my peers drop out
of school halfway through to pursue their entrepreneurial
goals.
I guess Babson noticed this in me because it paid off,
and obviously I got in.
Babson was grueling. I wasn't ready. For the first time in
my life, I got a D. When I had my first summer to go back
home to LA, I took it with open arms. I was so burned out
from taking summer classes one year and essentially not
having a summer between freshman and sophomore
year. I wanted to do something that didn't involve
income statements or Microsoft Excel. So while my peers
were working their dream internships on Wall Street, I
decided to join a pageant. Going to a business school, it is
a pretty strange choice to spend my summer entering
junior year joining a pageant rather than taking a huge
internship. But I didn't care about what my peers were
saying and just followed my heart.
I didn't win. I wasn't expecting to win, because I was
officially barred me from placing into the top ten as well
as Best in Evening Gown and Swimsuit. But I didn't care. I
took the opportunity to get healthy and build on myself.
And I did. The pageant was tough and grueling but
thanks to my personal trainer, mentor and family, I was
stronger than I ever was, ready to tackle the next phase of
my life. I came out of the pageant a loser in the eyes of
most but to me, I won everything I needed and more.
Here I am now. I was named one of the top ten most
beautiful Filipinas of 2015 and I've finished my first
semester back at Babson stronger than ever. I've started
sending autographs out to fans, and I have several
modeling jobs under my belt, not including my
upcoming job with Flaunt Magazine and this cover story.
What's next for me? More winning, but definitely more
losses. More expulsions, more disparaging comments,
and more controversy. But also more big photoshoots,
more self improvement and more opportunities. This is
the heart of the entrepreneurial experience and I'm glad
that I got a taste of it through my life already. Hopefully,
I'll be prepared when I'm ready to launch the project I've
been brainstorming for the past month. But even if not,
I'll take a failure with open arms, knowing something
even brighter is coming in my future.
Manila Up! | 9