The CEO program has affected me in many ways, but I believe I have shown the most growth in becoming a much more confident speaker, a better problem solver, a much more disciplined student, and achieving a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship. Because of the dress code in CEO, and it being very different from what the majority of students wear regularly, it was a little uncomfortable at the beginning, getting used to wearing business casual attire each day. But because of that dress code, I felt like a professional, and also began noticing myself acting similarly. This has allowed my confidence to grow as well. At the beginning of the year, it was difficult for me to hold conversations, especially with strangers, but because of the practice we have done with pitching and selling our ideas, talking to strangers is not nearly as intimidating to me. I will admit, I still have much farther to go with my networking skills, but being able to get exposure to what real networking feels like because of this program has been both difficult and fun at the same time. I am very grateful for the resources that CEO has granted me to support my personal growth and business. The creation of my personal business wasn’t straightforward. I went through a few different ideas before finally settling. I really admire that CEO program is a safe space for students to try something new or different with their businesses; they could fail miserably, but it would all benefit the student because of the learning and experience gained by the student. I feel like I fell a bit short in my personal business in some aspects. I overspent quite a few times and made mistakes. Starting any business comes with problems, inevitably, so having to work through my mistakes and working for solutions has benefited me by showing me what kind of work really goes into making a business work. I learned lots from starting a business and from the program. I am very proud of the growth I have experienced over the last few months, and I am excited to see how the skills I have built and grown as a CEO will apply to my real life.
