Back row, from left: Robert Johnson, Lone Grove, Okla.; Matt Logan, Flower Mound, Texas; Joe Johnson, Lone Grove, Okla.; Nick Johnson, Moore, Okla.; Arthur Williamson, Kingston, Okla.; Garrett Davis, Blanchard, Okla.; Eric Silva, Pauls Valley, Okla.; Chris Little, Longmont, Colo., and Zach Logan, Flower Mound, Texas.
Front row, from left: Governor Bill Anoatubby; Sara Miller, Ada, Okla.; Jessica Kretzschmar, Kingston, Okla.; Kaleigh Wilkins, Kingston, Okla.; Cory McGuire, Bloomington, Ill.; Chelsea Johnson, Moore, Okla.; Sydney Holt, Calera, Okla.; Leslie Carter, Calera, Okla.; Leah Langley, Kingston, Okla.; Murri England, Norman, Okla.; Kelli May, Ada, Okla., and Kori Wiegmann, Norman, Okla.
Chickasaw Nation employee Linda Medlock (left) makes a transaction with Calera High School graduate Sydney Holt and Latta High School graduate Sara Miller at the Entrepreneurship Academy Youth Market.
The Chickasaw Nation Entrepreneurship Academy was held June 14-18 on the Southeastern Oklahoma State University campus in Durant, Okla. The academy is a partnership with SOSU and the Chickasaw Nation.
More than 20 Chickasaw students attended the entrepreneurship academy to learn business strategies and techniques.
"This successful partnership with Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a positive learning experience for Chickasaw students," said Governor Bill Anoatubby. "The academy is a great way for students to learn basic business skills for future entrepreneurial opportunities."
Chickasaw students from Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Illinois participated in the academy learning business strategies, business operation basics, team development, small business opportunities and marketing strategies for future business plans.
High school senior Cory McGuire from Bloomington, Illinois, decided to attend the academy to better her business skills for future career plans.
"I decided to come to Oklahoma for the camp because of my interest in business and the chance to get involved with the Chickasaw Nation," said Cory. "In the future, I want to be a doctor and hope to open my own practice, so the business skills I learned here will help me along the way."
Lone Grove High School graduate Joseph Johnson also learned key techniques for his restaurant plans.
"I want to open a restaurant some day and learned that the Chickasaw Nation has programs that can help me along the way," said Joseph." This is a great camp and I recommend it to other students even if they aren't interested in business because you learn so much."
During the academy, the students divided into teams and participated in a Youth Market. At the Youth Market, students created a table-top business and used business strategies to market and sell snack products. Each team competed to sell the most by negotiating with customers to create the best deals.
"The youth market allows the students to gain hands-on experience as they talk and work with actual customers," said entrepreneurship academy organizer Bill McCurdy. "We want the students to learn how to sell products and sell themselves to future employers."
The Entrepreneurship Academy is a partnership between Southeastern Oklahoma State University's John Massey School of Business and the Chickasaw Nation. The summer academy is for Chickasaw high school sophomores through seniors who have strong business interests and want to achieve academic excellence. The academy is held on the campus of SOSU.
Upon completion of the academy, students graduate with a better understanding of business planning and the tools necessary to write future business plans.
For more information about the entrepreneurship academy, contact Callie Roebuck at (580) 421-7711 or visit www.Chickasaw.net.
