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Bridgette Herrig, McKade Gillette and Emma Schuur
On Monday, May 23rd a large group of parents, investors and board members gathered in Garvin with the twenty-one students who have committed to participate in the Lyon and Murray County Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program during the 2022-23 school year. This is the first of what community members hope will be a long tradition of growth and learning for students and members of the business community.
Lyon and Murray County Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities is a program for high school juniors and seniors from MCC, Tracy and Marshall high schools. Thirty-eight students submitted a blind application with a personal narrative and references, and twenty-one students were selected. Every school day from 7:00-8:45am the students will spend time with businesses throughout the two counties. The young professionals are expected to be punctual, trustworthy, dress professionally and use technology proficiently. They are paired with a business mentor and create, develop and operate a business plan.
The program emphasizes all of the business opportunities that exist right in our own counties, encouraging young people to build future businesses in their hometowns.
At the Launch Program on May 23rd, Board Chair Carla Goedtke of Investors Choice Financial Services introduced members of the board, thanking investors and volunteers and briefly describing the work of the past year. “CEO is a national program that began in Illinois and has grown to at least fifty-nine programs all over the United States,” explained Ms. Goedtke. “We are the third program in Minnesota and we began about a year ago with a steering committee, then a board.” The program is financially independent of the school districts so collaboration is beneficial in rural areas. Ms. Goedtke said, “We needed a minimum of thirty-five investors committing $1,000 a year for three years”. Lyon and Murray County CEO exceeded that requirement and currently has forty-four investors which enabled the board to hire facilitator Shanda Walker. Ms. Walker emphasized that her role is that of facilitator, not teacher. “The business leaders are the teachers. My job is to inspire, encourage and network. I will help students explore the world around them and find creative and innovative experiences that will help them think outside the box.“ The gathering heard testimonies from Katie Baustian, the Southwest Minnesota CEO facilitator in Luverne and two recent graduates, Hermella Suda and Samantha Moser. All three women were enthusiastic as they shared their experiences and insights, emphasizing the many areas of growth they have all experienced. The students briefly described the businesses they developed: Hermella Suda operated her own home and business cleaning service and Samantha Moser created and marketed an agricultural-themed activity book for elementary students.
Three of the twenty-one students will be Murray County Central seniors in the fall as they begin the program: Bridgette Herrig, McKade Gillette and Emma Schuur. McKade remarked, “This is a good step forward for me. I hope to start my own business someday and this opportunity will help with networking.” Bridgette said, “I’ll possibly get a business degree in college so I’m looking forward to meeting business owners. I’m curious to learn what they prioritize, such as customers or products.” Emma added, “I’m excited to get a step ahead and some experience on how to be successful so I can start my own business.” If you’d like to follow the progress of the program, check their Facebook page at: Lyon and Murray County CEO. If you’d like more information about investing in this program, contact Carla Goedtke or Jake Scandrett at Murray County Central School.
