Mark Sotomayor of Evans City is making his grandmothers tea recipe which he sells and intends to turn into a going business. Sotomayer is part of Grove City College's entrepreneurship program which recently won the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Model Emerging Program Award in recognition of the college's “bold and innovative” approach.

Grove City College’s entrepreneurship program won the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Model Emerging Program Award in recognition of the college’s “bold and innovative” approach.

Yvonne English, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship + Innovation (E+I) at Grove City College, said “USASBE is regarded as the leading association in the field, and receiving the USASBE Model Emerging Program Award is a major accomplishment for the college.”

English said, “The award has already generated greater awareness and interest in our entrepreneurship program.”

One of those entrepreneurs being nurtured at Grove City is Mark Sotomayor of Evans City.

Sotomayor combined his passion for the environment, his knack for entrepreneurship and three generations of tea brewing in one product, Té Amo Tea.

The story of Té Amo began 30 years ago when Mark’s grandmother Vitalia Montez started making tea for his mother, Vitalia Sotomayor, during her teen years. Mark also grew up on the tea and remembers enjoying it as far back as his elementary school.

Last year, Sotomayor, came home from college and having missed the tea quickly finished off a pitcher. “’You could literally bottle this tea and sell it’ I told my mother while drinking the last bit of what is now Té Amo,” he said.

His mother said, “You study entrepreneurship, why don’t you?”

“That’s when it clicked. I felt a feeling of divine inspiration and enlightenment come upon me. As an entrepreneurship major, I had been looking for a product or business concept which I was passionate about to fuel action toward a successful company — my dream. And this was it,” said Sotomayor.

His mother made him two gallons of tea to take back to school for a taste test.

“There was a resounding response with most samplers. It really gave me the boost of confidence I needed to devote more time and attention to the business,” said Sotomayor.

He created a simple label with the name — Té Amo, meaning “I love you” in Spanish and gave out 100 eight-ounce bottles with a survey and began production.

“Our purpose is much greater than just great -tasting tea. We wanted to make a huge difference in the world. I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors, and the simple and divinely made nature of a tree — the bark, leaves, roots, uses for wood — always fascinated me,” he said.

In October a thought popped into Sotomayor’s mind, ‘Buy A Tea, Plant A Tree’.

“It just felt right and as a student of entrepreneurship, I am a huge proponent of using business to help improve the lives of people in need — not just the lives of CEOs and employees,” he offered.

Sotomayor found that Haiti, a once lush green Caribbean nation, is literally turning into a desert due to severe deforestation and erosion.

His new mission is to plant a tree in Haiti for every bottle sold.

English, who is one of Sotomayor’s advisers, isn’t surprised by his success.

“Mark is extremely driven when it comes to entrepreneurial ventures. He is fearless when it comes to sales and has a level of resilience that is key for entrepreneurial success,” said English

English has tried the tea and gives it a thumbs up as a product but gives kudos to Mark for his efforts in making it so successful.

“Mark is a sponge when it comes to his entrepreneurship classes. I’d like to think that he has applied some of the things that he has learned in class to his venture,” said English.