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 The
local entrepreneurial education project is in its ninth year in
Logan County and has graduated several high school juniors and
seniors from Lincoln Community High School, Hartsburg-Emden High
School, Mt. Pulaski High School, and Olympia High School.
The annual breakfast is an opportunity for networking among the
LLCEO sponsors, business hosts, mentors, and students and a chance
for the audience to hear from students and board members regarding
the value of the program and the needs for future involvement and
investment.
The day began with networking before a light
breakfast catered by Peggy’s Place in Lincoln. The breakfast was
sponsored by the Logan County Professionals Network and the Lincoln
Economic Advancement and Development.
LLCEO Advisory Board Vice Chairman Michelle Bauer
welcomed guests and encouraged everyone to be seated in preparation
for breakfast. After breakfast, Chairman Rachel Judd was the first
person to address the audience.
Judd spoke about what LLCEO is and what it has done
for the students who have graduated. Though the program is tailored
to entrepreneurship, it holds value for everyday life, regardless of
the career paths students may take. She spoke about the program then
introduced a video produced by the Midland Institute for
Entrepreneurship, which was the founding organization that developed
the CEO program for youth throughout the state.
The first guest speaker of the morning was Jordon
Crowell from the LLCEO Class of 2022. Crowell said that he had
learned so many things of value during his time in the CEO program.
He said that originally he had signed up for the credits he would
receive, but he left with so much knowledge that he would take with
him for the rest of his life.
He said that while in the program he found his niche
in business, and he found God. He built relationships that he will
take with him for the rest of his life, and he learned how to build
future relationships that would also benefit him for years ahead.
Crowell said that he is a small business owner now. He began with
his woodworking business and is now developing a landscaping and
lawn care business. His future goals include perhaps venturing into
real estate.
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Crowell concluded his portion of the program saying
that the community benefits from the LLCEO program greatly when the
program cultivates the idea that the next generation of local
business entrepreneurs are already in the community and have a
future that can keep them here for the long term.
When Crowell was finished, Judd returned to the podium to introduce
the next alumni speaker, Ashlyn Duvall from the class of 2023.
Duvall was a CEO student her junior year of high school. As such,
she completed the program and now, in her senior year has become a
huge advocate of the program working hard to help encourage future
enrollment by speaking to her underclassmen about what she gained
from the program. Judd said that because recruiting new students is
the key to keeping the program growing, having an advocate such as
Duvall is a big asset.
Duvall is a senior at Hartsburg-Emden High School. When she came to
the podium she said that she had enrolled in the CEO program her
junior year, even though her intent was not to pursue a career in
business. Her future plans include a career in social work or
education. However, what she took away from the CEO were lessons
that will apply to any career pursuit, and that is one thing she
enjoys sharing with underclassmen at Hartem.
Duvall said what she liked most about the CEO program
was how it was administered. She said it is not a typical classroom
setting, which is freeing in itself. She said the lesson variety was
also a big asset. Duvall felt that when she began with the CEO
classes she was somewhat introverted, not willing to speak or put
herself out there. Through the classes she learned a variety of
things including effective communication. She said that she learned
that networking and making connections with others is an important
part of life. She said that she found that when you ask, people will
help.
Duvall said that the classes permitted freedom of
thought, and also allowed students to learn from their failures. She
said that everything she learned she will carry with her throughout
her lifetime, and that is one of the big messages she delivers to
fellow students who may be considering CEO in their junior or senior
year of high school.
The next person to speak was Paul Crombine, who is a
newer member of the CEO Advisory Board working with student
recruitment. He explained that prior to being a board member his
company, Elkhart Grain, had been approached as a potential investor.
He said he had acknowledged the possible value of the program but
had not opted to invest.
He stayed attuned to the program but didn’t really see what it was
worth until his son Ben was in the class of 2023. He said what his
son learned from the program was very impressive. He said the
communication skills he had acquired had been valuable in the
college application and interview process. Crombine said he was very
impressed by the program and the process and feels it is very
important that the LLCEO program continues to grow in Logan County.
At the end of the morning, Past President Bridget
Schneider thanked everyone for attending. She emphasized that it is
important to continue the program and to foster entrepreneurship in
the youth. She asked that those in attendance please continue to
support the program through monetary support, volunteer support and
mentoring.
As she thanked everyone and wished them a good day, Bauer returned
to the podium only for a moment, sharing there was no time limit on
the ballroom, and guests were encouraged to stay and continue
networking and getting to know this year’s students.
There are four students in the LLCEO Class of 2024.
They are Amy Dederich, a senior at Olympia High School, Aiden Frye a
junior at Lincoln Community High School, Jaedyn Gulley, a junior at
Lincoln Community High School, and Alexander Steffens, a junior at
Lincoln Community High School. The class facilitator is Amy Kuhlman.
Each student is assigned a mentor for the school year. This person
is a business professional in the community who helps coach students
through the various projects of the year.
The students conducted their group business before Christmas and
will now be working on their individual businesses that they will
present at the CEO tradeshow at the end of the school year.
The class is also going to be hosting a special event for
prospective recruits for the 2024-25 school year. The Land of
Lincoln CEO “Shadow Day” will be Friday, January 25th. Any current
sophomore or junior attending a public, private, or home school in
the Lincolnland Technical Education Center area is invited to attend
CEO Shadow Day. Area high school students should see their guidance
office for a field trip permission form. Private and home school
students can email facilitator@llceo.com for instructions on how to
attend.
[Nila Smith] |
