Many students are drawn to the idea of being their own bosses, she said, but they have never been exposed to the critical financial, marketing and technological realities of being a business owner. By having students think about entrepreneurship in such hands-on detail, Huddleston hopes they will be able to recognize the opportunities available to them in the business world. I try to make it a real world situation where it is a little bit intimidating for them. They have to research the demographics in the market. They have to research the competition.
Reality sets in.
Huddleston said her students have been working toward this project all year. Since the school year started, they have learned to use important business software programs and have listened to people with real-world business experience. A guest speaker from Merrill Lynch taught the class how to buy and sell stocks, and a manager from the Papa John's pizza chain explained how to start and run a restaurant franchise. Pan American addressed Huddleston's classes Thursday and talked about how to write a business plan. Huddleston said she believes the project has convinced some of her students to pursue a career in business.