Baldwin High School alumnus Jake Mysliwczyk has the spirit of an entrepreneur. “One of the biggest lessons I learned in high school was not to be afraid to try new things,” Mysliwczyk says. He saw the fruits of this approach first-hand. When he was in tenth grade, he bought a drone soon after they became available to consumers, because he had an idea of how to use the drone to serve the student body. Mysliwczyk recalls, “I saw Superintendent Lutz at an event, so I approached him and asked if we could fly the drone at BHS graduation, using it for video. Now it’s something we do every year. I remember my video teacher at the time was really impressed that I was able to go up to the superintendent and ask about an idea I had.”

Mysliwczyk’s love for photography was cemented while a student at BHS. Mysliwczyk recalls, “I’ve been interested in cameras ever since I was a kid. On my first day of school as a freshman at BHS, I had walked into the video production room and instantly knew this is what I wanted to do. I spent those four years at BHS in the TV studio learning every position, helping broadcast events, creating tv shows, and building a new TV set.”

Since graduating Baldwin High School in 2017, Mysliwczyk has launched two business ventures: Jake Mysliwczyk Photography and JRM Video Production. He explains, “I started a photography business in 2018 and mainly manage an e-commerce store selling Pittsburgh prints. Additionally, I work with real estate agents to provide images and videos for real estate listings. I also do freelance work for multiple news outlets, including one that allows me to cover the Pittsburgh Steelers. I photograph the team from the sidelines for home and away games.” Last year, Mysliwczyk joined forces with another Baldwin alum to share the excitement of Highlander sports. Mysliwczyk shares, “In 2021 I started JRM Video Production with another BHS grad, Ryan Milan. We built a state-of-the-art video production trailer. We work with local school districts, colleges, and other clients to provide video services and mainly specialize in live sports/events broadcasting. We run the Fighting Highlanders Sports Network, which is where we broadcast football, basketball, and hopefully other sports soon. I enjoy giving people an experience they can watch from home as if they are there at the venue.”

While college is a good fit for some students, that’s not true for every individual. Mysliwczyk appreciates that his time in the District allowed him to explore his strengths and evaluate the best options for his future. He reflects, “I owe a lot to Baldwin as I learned pretty much everything I needed to know to start a business without attending college. My teachers gave me the creative freedom to succeed and allowed me to learn valuable life skills without going into major debt from college costs.” Mysliwczyk now creates spaces for students to explore their own career options. He explains, “I enjoy working with students to offer them an internship program that helps gives back to the community and also help students that were in my shoes figure out what they possibly what to do in their life.”