Raising entrepreneurs from scratch
Released Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 6 p.m.
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Photo by Keith Hudson
Photo by Keith Hudson.
Five Beaufort County high school students recently participated in ECU’s Miller School of Business’ Summer Youth Innovation Camp. Until this year, the camp was only open to Pitt County students. But that’s all changed thanks to Keith Hudson, director of the Pamlico Business Resource Center in Washington. “When I found out about the camp, I approached them and asked, ‘Why just Pitt County students?'” Hudson said. “I asked them if we could get enough kids from Beaufort County to attend the camp, and the answer was yes.”
This new collaborative effort allowed the students to participate in a hybrid camp, reducing travel to and from Greenville each day for five days. The students traveled to ECU on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and spent the remaining two days training at the Pamlico Business Resource Center. During their time in Greenville, they toured the Miller School of Business, were trained in a simulation program that provided resources to launch a fictitious business, and gave a real-life business plan presentation. While attending the Pamlico Business Resource Center, they were taught the principles of entrepreneurship and how to apply it, toured downtown to view business storefronts, gained a deeper understanding of branding and the type of customers they are trying to attract, and were coached on how to prepare their business concept for a presentation at the Miller School of Business. “The fundamentals of entrepreneurship are universal and applicable globally,” Hudson said. “Not only can it be used to start and run a successful business, but it also provides valuable life lessons. We think of this camp as a student success program. No matter what they decide to do when they leave school or college, we know that having given them these principles will help them develop self-worth, grow as people and set them up for a successful life no matter what path they choose.”
The students also had the opportunity to present their business plans to family, friends and other community leaders who were unable to attend the presentation in Greenville on Saturday, July 13. “None of this would be possible without the support of the local community,” Hudson said. “The camp was completely free – all food, supplies and even transportation to and from Greenville on our big purple buses were included.”
Hudson said planning for next year is already underway, and he’s also approaching the Beaufort County school system about introducing entrepreneurship into schools next year. “We have a lot of opportunity,” Hudson said. “Just looking at these five students, I can tell you the future of Beaufort County is going to be very bright if we can give more students the same opportunity.”
