By: Brynn Gibson and Georgia Kaufman

Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor

Are there any neglected and dusty windows in your house? Do you recoil at the thought of cleaning them yourself? Do not fear! LGHS window-cleaner extraordinaire –– junior George Charles –– will come to the rescue!

With professional equipment and killer technique, Charles makes sure each of his customers is fully satisfied. Offering much lower rates than his professional competitors, Charles has gained a large pool of clients: “I charge somewhere around half of what a commercial company would charge you.” Charles founded his own window cleaning business ––  Window Cleaning LG –– during COVID. Rather than having his mom pay 1000 dollars to get their windows cleaned professionally, Charles decided he would do it himself. “I just went online, and I taught myself how to clean windows. And then I kind of realized that it was a really profitable profession.” 

The most memorable window he’s encountered had barbeque grease “five millimeters thick.” Charles recalled, “It took 20 minutes to clean, and I had to use a razor blade and scrape this rubbery sludge-type stuff that was stuck to the window.” What a pane.

Charles excels in all things academics. He acknowledged Social Justice as his favorite class because “we talk about relevant topics. I like how interactive the class is and how much we all engage with each other.” The junior looks forward to enrolling in LG legend David Homa’s social entrepreneurship class next year. “I have a lot of interest in entrepreneurship and building businesses.” However, Charles does already have some experience with building a brand from the ground up.

Although he’s lived in Los Gatos since the third grade, Charles is originally from Bristol, England, where his Dad’s side of his family resides. Charles travels every summer to his hometown, where he reminisces on the delectable school lunches he once had as a primary school student.

A two-sport athlete, Charles’ endeavors are not limited to entrepreneurship. Charles is a defensive tackle for the LGHS Varsity Football Team and throws Shot Put and Discus for Track and Field. While he enjoys the football team’s unique camaraderie and brotherhood, Charles also recognizes the benefit of personal discipline that comes with track and field. “Football is a very team-oriented sport, but track and field is just you. You focus on improving yourself.” 

Charles also dedicates much of his time to the art of leatherworking, attributing his success in this creative field to his “ability to naturally visualize things well and physically [applying] this visualization to the work I’m doing.” The master leatherworker finds much enjoyment in this activity because of its engineering-like qualities. He admits, “When I make stuff, I don’t really follow any sort of guide…I just make whatever I think would look cool.”

With his current affinity for entrepreneurship as an amateur window cleaner, Charles hopes to study business or entrepreneurship in his college. “I like managing myself and creating new things. I also like working with other people and being able to help people — even if it’s not in a big way.”