section_path: Early life
section_name: Early life
paragraph_text: Early life
  
  Ulbricht was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He was a Boy Scout, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended West Ridge Middle School and Westlake High School both in the Eanes Independent School District in the suburbs of Austin, graduating from high school in 2002.
  
  Ulbricht attended the University of Texas at Dallas on a full academic scholarship and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in physics. Ulbricht received an additional scholarship to attend Pennsylvania State University, where he was in a master's degree program in materials science and engineering and studied crystallography. By the time Ulbricht graduated from his master's degree program, he had become interested in libertarian economic theory and adhered to the political philosophy of Ludwig von Mises, supported Ron Paul, promoted agorism, and participated in college debates to discuss his economic views. Ulbricht graduated from Penn State in 2009 and returned to Austin. He tried day trading and started a video game company, but neither venture succeeded. He eventually partnered with his friend Donny Palmertree to help build an online used bookseller, Good Wagon Books.
  
  Ulbricht was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He was a Boy Scout, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended West Ridge Middle School and Westlake High School both in the Eanes Independent School District in the suburbs of Austin, graduating from high school in 2002.
  
  Ulbricht attended the University of Texas at Dallas on a full academic scholarship and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in physics. Ulbricht received an additional scholarship to attend Pennsylvania State University, where he was in a master's degree program in materials science and engineering and studied crystallography. By the time Ulbricht graduated from his master's degree program, he had become interested in libertarian economic theory and adhered to the political philosophy of Ludwig von Mises, supported Ron Paul, promoted agorism, and participated in college debates to discuss his economic views. Ulbricht graduated from Penn State in 2009 and returned to Austin. He tried day trading and started a video game company, but neither venture succeeded. He eventually partnered with his friend Donny Palmertree to help build an online used bookseller, Good Wagon Books.