Their business cards read Managing Director, Marketing Director, Operations Manager and Financial Director respectively - Timothy Hospedales, Laurie Voss, Edward Parillon and Raymond Sandza of Net Results, an Internet development company specializing in website design.

But these executives aren't your ordinary, pot-bellied, pipe-smoking, starchy businessmen. They're barely old enough to drive. And no, they are not weirdos; definitely not geeks and not crazy well, maybe they're crazy in their own way.

They are four very intriguing 17-year-olds who have dared to defy the negative stereotype of today's youth, (whether that end was planned or not). Their brainchild Net Results has thrust them into the heart of the adult world where they have come face to face with the many prejudices harboured against young people - especially young 'fellas'.

The first time we met Ray, Tim, Laurie and Ed they were giving a lecture on the implementation of an inter-school network to some high-school students. The extent of their knowledge was fascinating - almost intimidating - as such information was coming from the lips of 17-year-old peers and not from some University graduate with more degrees than that of the tortuous heat-wave presently sweeping some of the American states.

A year later, we heard about Net Results and, determined to break into their life of blissful knowing, approached them. To no surprise, we learnt nothing about computers, (except that the centipede-like object Tim displayed was a chip), but almost everything about this foursome. This experience broke all conceptions we had developed about computer geniuses.

The Sixth Form students of St Mary's College each have an individual style to their merit. Take for instance Parillon, who recently wrote the Advanced Level examinations. Though they are all extremely brilliant, (having attained among them an average of eight distinctions at the Ordinary Level examinations) the others consider him to be the real academic genius. The fact that he scored 1520 in the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) doesn't exactly hurt that concept either! Yet Ed is not solely confined by academia. A Maraval resident, he not only appreciates all kinds of music and composes lyrics, but also possesses a sterling voice that captured the Under 16 Boy's Vocal Solo Championship Trophy at the 1993 Music Festival.

Ed is currently the co-Site Administrator of his school's web site (CIC Web) and was up until recently a member of the Upper Six Student Council.

Then there's Raymond Sandza, cool as a cucumber, a guy of few words. He shares duty with Ed in being another co-Site Administrator of CIC Web.

However, in Voss' words, "Sandza has the most life of all of us." And indeed, this young man has found a balance to his academic life in sports and music. An ardent basketballer, his friends proudly boast that he played on all CIC's basketball teams last year and undoubtedly will be picked again this year. In the musical arena he idolizes Kirk Hammett, an electric guitarist as himself, and indeed any rock guitarist, though he insists that he only respects them for their musical abilities.

Raymond lives in Cascade and, despite devoting so much time to extra-curricular activities, he manages to make significant achievements in his studies as evidenced when he placed an overall 7^th in the country in last year's Math Olympiad.

Voss, who hails from Westmoorings, is the spokesperson of the group. His friends acknowledge him as being the most organized and honour him with relentless torrents of friendly 'fatigue'. However they are forced to agree that this young man's prowess lies in public relations,)"I can babble at 150 words a minute," says Voss) which stems from his love for reading and writing stories, poems, and songs. He too has established a balance by incorporating swimming and listening to pop music into his extra-curricular activities. In form Two hie was given the post of Assistant patrol leader of CIC's Sea Scouts and in Form four was part of his schools award-winning team in the 1996 Royal Bank Young Leaders Competition. He too helps run CIC Web and is a member of the Lower Six Student Council.

"I have no achievements but endless skills," Hospedales declares candidly. He is undisputedly the real computer genius. This St Ann's youth spends most of his time gathering general computer knowledge and gaining skills in application development, system administration and any sort of practical techniques.

"I can type at 150 words per minute," he boasts, adding that he is able to dismantle any type of computer and put it back together again. It is therefore no wonder that Timothy placed in the top ten of the last Computer Olympiad.

So, how did these four unique personalities merge to form Net Results? St Mary's teacher Ginnah Mohammed (who is no longer on staff) first suggested it two years ago. A year and a half later, with the aim of making money, they took up the challenge and Net Results was born.

Their clientele is mainly foreign and, because their work is so excellent, they've never needed to advertise as their satisfied customers do them the honour of spreading the word. They started off with, and still use, their own equipment, and projects are collaborated over the Net. This eliminates the problem of commuting; which is just as well since they aren't old enough to drive anyway; a grouse that is heavily harboured in their hearts.

Each of the four are specialists in certain computing areas; Ray in visual technical HTML development; Voss, the same plus JavaScript; Ed in both of these as well as 2D graphics; and Tim's field incorporates 3D graphics, animation, online databases and service side Applications. Tim and Voss, particularly the latter, are mostly responsible for public relations - meeting clients, accumulating specifics, receiving phone calls and e-mailing.

All in all, business operations are smoothly executed and, because net Results generates little expense, it's gross is huge.

Salaries and income in Net Results are handled simply. Payment from each project is split five ways; with four parts going to the boys and one into the company's account. Each of the four put their payments to good use; whether it's paying gym fees (all), paying parents back for a computer (Tim) and an electric guitar (Ray), saving (Ed), or investing in stocks (Laurie). Yes, you read right. Laurie Voss buys stocks.

Amazingly, it is these four dynamic innovators who are discriminated against in the job market. They complain that their company is not viewed as a full-fledged business because they're under 18 and that their prices are expected to be lower than that of rival corporations because they are 'children'.

"Because you're under-aged, they [adults] think that you can't do a good job." Says the expressive Timothy. "But that's bogus. We've grown up with computers, adults had to learn."

"Yes," Ed joins in. "We learnt on our own - not only software but hardware' so much so that we can fix our own computers."

"Having a poor computer," says Tim, "helps because you learn how to squeeze the most functionality out of it."

"That's right, interjects Sandza. [For example] CIC's latest computers run very quickly but our less modern ones run 150 percent faster."

"Yet adults feel that they shouldn't pay [us] children," argues Ed. "That's demoralizing."

These students who work admit that their schoolmates know almost nothing about their enterprise and that they do so well at school that their teachers are none the wiser. The CXC exams did not even disrupt the timing of Net Results for, besides the ease of not having a heavy workload at that time, these guys swear that they spent negligible time actually studying.

Interviewing these guys was an experience in itself. Their personalities come together and seem to explode; producing vibrant energy, spitfire communication, fast productivity and healthy rivalry. We were privileged to witness their inter-culture of group slang, making bad jokes and 'everybody against Voss'; yet it was clear that their combination is an unbeatable one. Whatever they gather, the atmosphere becomes light, relaxed and jocular, but at the same time focussed and informed. They are, in all positive senses, ordinary teenagers, yet exceptional in the use of their abilities.

This fabulous foursome, who all enjoy a good party, are in the Science and Math line for A-Levels with the collective intention of going to university and becoming 'fabulously wealthy'. No doubt the management skills and knowledge of the business world acquired through running Net Results will play a major part in helping them achieve these goals.

But the prejudices that they are confronted with today won't ever escape their memories. With this in mind, they send out two messages; one to teenagers and one to adults.

To the teenager, they say: "Stop wasting time and use your abilities productively."

To the adult, they plead: "Stop discouraging the advances of youth. We need your support, not your skepticism."

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