Student testimonial
"I now always attempt to operate on the side of faith, trust and risk. By operating in this manner and not letting the stops keep me down, my self esteem has improved." E.C., Bulkeley High School
"This seminar has helped me in many ways. It has showed me that I can achieve goals that are even higher than my expectations. It has also shown me that what other people think is impossible is possible and that no matter what people say to discourage you, you need to keep on going and always know you can and there are no limits to what you can do." M.H., New Britain High School
"My life right now is a lot better because of the things that I've learned from this seminar. I think more before I react." S.C., Prince Tech
"This program improved my attitude towards people and life and for that I say thanks!" T.L., Prince Tech |
BTEC entrepreneurial program’s success leads to Expansion in coming fall semester
By LISA PEARSON , The Bristol Press
06/23/2004
BRISTOL -- Mike Daley is graduating from high school today at Bristol
Technical Education Center.
Graduate isn’t his only new title. He is also now an entrepreneur and a business
co-owner, thanks
to the success of a new program offered at the school.
Financial Program Strategies Inc. of Waterbury
worked in conjunction with BTEC to bring a six-
week entrepreneurial seminar to seven of the
school’s students. Part of the company’s Road
to Riches Program, students learned valuable
lessons from seminar leader Richard
Giannamore, including using integrity, teamwork
and risk in business.
Daley, 18, said the most important idea that he
took with him from the seminar was "being a
10." "You have to show that you’re in a good
mood and that you’re happy to be working,"
Daley said.
Originally, the seven volunteer students were
each going to develop their own businesses.
After that seemed unlikely, two groups were
formed to create their own businesses. One
team developed a hot dog stand and the other, a
lemonade stand.
"I figured we should stick with something pretty
simple. It wasn’t really about the business, but
about how to manage the business," Daley said.
Bill Thompson, 37, also graduating today, was in
charge of the hot dog stand, which he said he
created because of the low start-up costs.
The groups sold their lemonade and hot dogs
during school lunches, at school activities and
during one of the seminars. Both groups said
they profited slightly, but neither group was sure
if the businesses would continue throughout the
summer.
"People were getting antsy, with school being
over now, and I didn’t want to do it by myself.
That’s difficult to do, when you’re carting around
a wooden stand," Daley added. This first
experience was a good one, overall, according
to Daley, who would like to open a diesel
mechanic business in the future. "I think,
ultimately what I learned is that opening a
business is really either sink or swim," added
Daley.
"This course really taught me to work through
any emotional roadblocks, such as making
excuses for not working," Thompson said.
Byron Waterman, principal of BTEC, said that
although the vocational/technical school system
in Connecticut is known to provide excellent
hands-on experience, it doesn’t typically address
the skills needed to be a successful business
owner.
"What was needed was something that focused
on skills that related to people, and to handling
the obstacles that come up in the business
world, especially for a business just starting up,"
said Waterman, who went on to say that the
program will create a new measure of success
for high school students throughout the state.
In fact, BTEC and the Road to Riches program
believe results of the pilot program were so
beneficial that the seminar will be expanded to
the fall for students from both Bristol and
outside.
Reprinted with permission June 23, 2004 ©The Bristol Press 2004
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