Whether it’s his sports cards business, academics, athletics, or connections, Finn Kaplan does it all. The motive behind it? Success.
“I think the good part about success is that it’s a very arbitrary word. It can mean so many different things to many different people. For me, it’s happiness,” Finn said.
This mindset has allowed Finn to find his place for success at St. Luke’s. He’s been at the same school since fifth grade, where he has grown alongside his classmates, taken a rigorous course load, and built a close group of friends. He is especially fond of the community at St. Luke’s and believes “it’s been great growing up at just one school. It’s given me the chance to focus on other things because I know I am supported by my community.”
Finn has described himself as driven, but he prioritizes his happiness over results. He grew up as a competitive and serious kid, but as he’s grown older, he’s changed his mentality. He reflected on his mindset, noting, “I feel like I need to have a good amount of effort, but not a ridiculous amount. I think more of a laid-back approach in and outside the classroom helps me stay not stressed, but also perform well.”
This approach applies to Finn’s life outside of the classroom as well. He loves to play sports recreationally, including basketball – where he plays JV basketball for St. Luke’s and is a regular at his local YMCA – skiing, where he frequents The Hermitage on the weekends – and tennis – where he participates on the St. Luke’s JV team. “It’s all about having fun,” he said.
Finn also dedicates significant time to CARE (Community Aid for Resources and Education), a club he’s managed since 2022. Finn joined CARE with the intention of connecting local nonprofits to schools nearby that can provide resources to help them. He has also brought in countless volunteers from all throughout Connecticut. He’s been highly successful, with his work being featured on News 12, helping connect over 20 nonprofits to schools, and partnering with 9 schools across the state.
Close friend and CARE founder Jared Gordon noted, “Finn’s work here has been integral to the evolution of CARE. He’s reliable, motivated, and useful.”
Another thing close to Finn’s heart is sports cards. What initially started as a hobby has gradually transformed into something far more important to him. Around 10th grade, Finn realized that he could make serious money from trading all types of sports cards by putting them up for sale online. He began with basketball cards, then started trading football cards, and eventually baseball cards. He started with only $500 worth of cards, but over the past two years, Finn has accumulated over $30,000. He estimates that he’s making around $1,000 each month in profit, and that number is only going up.
“It’s enough to save up for college, gas, food, all that stuff, but I’m always looking for a way to get the profit margin up,” he said. What initially started as just birthday gifts and Christmas presents from his family has transformed Finn’s life. Most importantly for him, it introduced him to business and finance, something which he intends to pursue in college. Finn believes his sports card endeavors were a major factor in his college acceptance.
For Finn’s choice of college, he decided to enroll at Boston College. Finn was inspired by Boston College because of its proximity to family, Carroll School of Management’s potential for success, and its community, where he envisions himself connecting with other business-oriented people. He made the decision knowing that it would make him happy, and he is very excited to attend next year.
“It checked all the boxes. There’s a perfect balance of hanging out and partying compared to schoolwork. I want to be social on the weekends, but when it comes to Sunday night or Monday, I know I’ll be locked in, and so will everybody else,” he said.
Fellow Boston College and St. Luke’s classmate Bryson Baker agreed, “I think everything Finn has done up until now has set him up incredibly well for Boston College. If he stays on track, I couldn’t see a world where he isn’t successful there.”
As Finn takes his next step forward in life, he will continue to strive for success while prioritizing his happiness above all else. He is nervous about the challenges of entering an unfamiliar environment, but he has the confidence to believe that he can thrive in it.
