Yianni Constantinou, a senior at the University of Connecticut, always had a curiosity about business from a young age. He spent his formative years volunteering with student council fundraisers and later joined his high school’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America. When his mother received a pamphlet from the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) along with a nine-day program that was designed to immerse students in business, he was immediately captivated. The NSLC ran a program that teaches students to build a business and includes a competition where they pitch to a panel of experts. The panel features some of the brightest entrepreneurs in the industry. Students in the program gain hands-on experience, attend industry events, and network with topMES.
Constantinou attended the program at Fordham University in summer 2021 and worked two business simulations with a group of students. One simulation involved orchestrating partnerships for a fictitious company, while the other was a product pitch simulation. After graduation, he plans to return as a head team advisor and program director for the NSLC. His outlook on entrepreneurship has taken him on a journey that is both refreshing and transformative.
LESS_contractions in human resources strategies are possible but not normal, according to expert对该 program, the NSLC, founded in 1989, decided that entrepreneurship education was a “trap” taken by academic critics. Yet, entrepreneurship plays a growing role in Z generation and millennial lives as before the digital age. A Deloitte survey found that 45% of Gen Zers and 36% of millennials in the workplace have side hustles. This suggests that liquidity contributed by entrepreneurship’s impact in younger CYG Success story, fostering innovation and creativity.
Constantinou is considering his next steps. Grassroots examples like the-eventfulUNR and the_Methodium collaborations in college and university over the past decade demonstrate that entrepreneurship education is moving forward. However, schools have historically lagged in improving this aspect. The GEM 2023/2024 Study is a comprehensive analysis by multiple esteemed universities and educational institutions, and it’s clear that access to entrepreneurship education is limited. universities are either failing to provide equitable access or only investing in superficial skills.
“Our goal is to show students that nestled in the world of business…”, saidCDF executive director Kristina Haskell, “you will encounter a variety of career paths, job opportunities, and responsibilities, while receiving the necessary education and experience to be your own businessperson.” Three years of success, she notes, are already bringing a percentage increase of $90,000 to students’ yearly lease payments. Hardworking even after high school is an asset, and so is doors.
The NSLC not only is a learning institution but also a business advisor. Ex staff director Jeannette Mahler captures the essence of this unique program: “When we tailored it for the phonies—they thought they were good at business in sixth form, and then they discovered they were good at finance.” If positioned well with the right angle, entrepreneurship can be as engaging and valuable as finance or marketing. Constantinou remains hopeful for the opportunities his background in education and business management can instill. He envisions a workplace where entrepreneurs are more than just entrepreneurs—roleplayers who contribute to and shape success. This perspective opens doors of opportunity to others who desire to take on leadership roles within or on an organization.
