Local students recognized for entrepreneurship skills
Porterville students made their mark at the fourth annual Student Entrepreneur Challenge on Thursday, placing in the multiple competitions held in Visalia.
Eight teams of young entrepreneurs from Fresno, Tulare and Kings County high schools presented projects developed in response to The Gas Company Student Entrepreneur Challenge.
“We are delighted to see the growing interest in student entrepreneurism,” Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Jim Vidak said. “We also appreciate that The Gas Company continues to be such an active partner and that the Economic Development Corporation welcomed the students at their event.”
The Student Entrepreneur Challenge event, sponsored by The Gas Company, is designed to encourage students to develop products, services or other economic growth ideas that can be applied in the San Joaquin Valley.
Teams participating in the event submitted a written business plan and made a live presentation before a panel of business leaders, who served as judges.
Participating in the event this year were teams from Porterville and Monache high schools, as well as teams from Washington Union High, Lemoore High School and Golden West High School.
The Monache “Agiva Coffee and Discotheque” proposal took third place, winning a $500 prize.
PHS’s Academy of Business and tied for first place with Golden West High School in the Best Exhibit category.
The student projects ranged from agricultural innovations to socially-oriented retail ventures.
Monache High School senior Imran Noorali received the annually awarded Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Entrepreneur Scholarship of $1000, sponsored by TUCOEMAS Federal Credit Union.
The scholarship was created to support students who exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit. Noorali has a 4.24 GPA. His commitment to business and entrepreneurship is illustrated by his service as president of the Central Section of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
He also served as the president of Monache’s FBLA chapter and has twice participated in the Student Entrepreneur Challenge.
For the scholarship, he submitted an essay on the potential of technology-based vertical farming.
For the first time, all teams attended the Economic Development Corporation of Tulare County’s annual luncheon – Recognizing Excellence in Entrepreneurship.
During the luncheon, the top three student teams presented their business concepts to prominent Tulare County business, community and economic development leaders in attendance.
The Student Entrepreneur Challenge was created from the vision and support of The Gas Company with coordination by the Tulare County Office of Education and local business partners.
