Michal Knap doesn’t want to see today’s youth grow up to be ‘meatheads’. Knap, a university student from Poland, was in Meadow Lake this past week to sell educational material as part of a summer internship with Southwestern Advantage – the oldest entrepreneurial and direct selling program in the world for college and university students – but said the experience was about much more than a summer job. “I have been doing this for five years already,” Knap told Northern Pride. “I am selling educational books to families – the books are geared toward high schoolers as well as young children – but the main goal for me is to meet as many people as I can. I get to experience the culture here, which I am always very interested in. I’ve visited several other countries (in the last five years) and Canada was on my bucket list… I am excited to be here and to experience how people live. It’s a win-win because I benefit from the experience while the people I meet benefit by purchasing the books and improving their child’s education.”

Since starting with Southwestern Advantage five years ago, Knap has visited numerous communities throughout the U.K. and the United States. Since arriving in Saskatchewan earlier this summer, he’s visited such communities as Martensville, Dalmeny, St. Walburg and others. He goes door-to-door in an effort to sell his books, and – although he doesn’t have a lot of time at each stop along his journey – Knap said they’re all special, and spoke highly of the experience he had in Meadow Lake. “It surprised me how many lakes there are in Saskatchewan,” he said. “Every time I drive to the different towns, I see lakes on the map everywhere. Everybody is going to the cabin or going camping. I wish in Poland we could do this more. This part of the culture is something, when I was younger, I would always see in the movies or in cartoons, but we don’t have that much in Poland.” Knap also described Meadow Lake as a very welcoming community. “So far I love this community,” he said when interviewed last week. “The people are very open-minded.” When he visits a new community, Knap always takes to social media to explain to the public who he is and to make them aware he will likely come knocking on their door.

“I want to be as transparent as possible and to let people know beforehand I will be going around,” he added. “This way they won’t be suspicious. It also helps people to recognize me. I work very long hours. I start before 9 a.m. and finish after 9 p.m. I work more than 12 hours, but that is part of my experience – to go to people’s houses and introduce Southwestern Advantage’s products. So far, the families I have met have been very appreciative because it’s something educational that helps high schoolers, and makes education fun for the younger kids. It’s great to be able to connect with these families.” This summer, however, marks Knap’s final year as an intern for Southwestern Advantage. “This internship was only for the summer,” he said. “During the rest of the year I studied psychology of businesses in a small town called Lublin, Poland,” he explained. “I finished my studies this year, so this will be my last summer doing the internship. I studied for five years. Now I would like to start my own business. This (internship) has helped me build my social skills, my education skills and how to talk with people.”

This doesn’t, however, mean Knap’s travelling days are behind him. “I love travelling, and my main purpose in life is to experience as many cultures as I can,” he said. “I have been all over Europe, I want to visit Asia and South America… I would also like to continue giving something back to the communities I visit.” Southwestern Family of Companies was established in 1855 and the sales and leadership program, now known as Southwestern Advantage, was founded in 1868. As noted, it is the oldest entrepreneurial and direct selling program for college and university students in the world. In addition to providing an entrepreneurial opportunity, allowing them to gain valuable experience, and building character through running their own business, the experience is also a gateway to a life-long career.