HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — An Indiana student who began selling his grandfather’s seasoning as a child is now a national award finalist.

Luke Schilling, a young entrepreneur, is helping others live a “seasoned life.”

Schilling turned his grandfather’s secret recipe into a growing business, leading to his recognition as a national FFA American Star Award finalist.

“I started selling my Big Doug seasoning mostly through friends at my church,” Schilling said. “Once I got into high school, I started selling it as part of my SAE project.”

The project now honors his grandfather, who supports the venture. Schilling said his grandfather enjoys seeing the seasoning production continue. When they first began, his grandfather told him it “sounds good to me.”

The business also serves the community. Over the past two years, the business obtained 501(c)(3) status to become a nonprofit organization. Schilling now donates all proceeds to charity.

“What’s cool is I get to choose where that goes,” Schilling said. The business currently sponsors four children through Compassion International and World Vision.

His mother was the first to realize the scale of his success.

“She was like, ‘Well, you’re a national star,’” Schilling recalled. “I was in disbelief because it wasn’t even on my radar. The goal was to win the Indiana FFA star. I knew I had a chance to go to nationals, but I never expected to be in the top four.”

FFA officials will announce the winner in October during the National FFA Convention. For now, Schilling is focused on future business ventures while attending Purdue University.

“I know for sure I want to keep impacting people and giving back to the community,” Schilling said. He added that if the business grows to the point of requiring a commercial kitchen and a salary, he looks forward to that possibility as long as the charitable mission remains.

As for the secret recipe, Schilling remains tight-lipped, though he hinted at one key component: “One of the ingredients is love.”