16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2026
On most weekends, young Shea DeFusco can be found at Long Family Markets in Stafford
County hocking slime — the slippery, plasma-like substance popular with kids that her cousin
taught her to make.
What sets her apart from most other youths who undertake small business ventures is her
dedication. She started making and selling slime when she was in the second grade and has
continued to show up every Sunday between April and November for the past seven years.
"I have to sit down sometimes and say 'holy smokes' she's good with this," her father David
DeFusco told the Advance. "She has returning customers from year to year. She donates
some of her proceeds every year to local charities. She pays for all the supplies herself."
But then, Shea has always been driven. Her ability to dive headlong into projects and excel
has grown well beyond slime.
Now a freshman as Mountain View High School, Shea is quickly working her way up the
ranks of a new challenge — women's wrestling.
WRITTEN BY MARTIN DAVIS
Shea DeFusco
is a freshman
at Mountain
View, but
she's already
launched a
successful
small business
and proven her
mettle at
jiu-jitsu. Next
on her list?
Wrestling. Her
parents are all
behind her.
Beast of the East
Entrepreneur
From to
