For the second consecutive year, I was honored to speak to students participating in the Woodford County CEO program about my experiences in running a successful small business.
Led by former Eureka High School Principal Rich Wherley, Woodford County CEO is a co-op elective class for students from Eureka High School, El Paso-Gridley High School and Roanoke-Benson High School. Students must apply to participate in the year-long, two-credit high school course through a formal selection process. Five days per week for 90 minutes, the class meets in local businesses and changes locations throughout the year. This helps the students establish a common identity based on their CEO experience and a greater appreciation for our area's professional work environments. Business owners, such as myself, speak to these students and discuss how their specific business operates.
Entrepreneurship education seeks to prepare people, especially youth, to be responsible, enterprising individuals who become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities. The CEO program is much more than a textbook course. Rather, students are immersed in real life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes.
I love participating in this every year! Take a good look at these faces. They are sure to be successful business leaders one day!