How did CEO impact me?
This year in the CEO program has shaped me in ways I never expected, both as a student and as an entrepreneur. Before the class, I didn’t realize how much perseverance, planning, and relationship-building it truly takes to succeed. Through the experience of building my own business, I gained financial stability going into college and learned to recognize the value of using my talents intentionally.
One of the biggest changes in myself is the belief that if I plan carefully, take action, and put in the hard work, my goals are achievable. Throughout the program, I built important skills in time management, leadership, and collaboration. Balancing school, sports, and running my business forced me to manage my time wisely, especially leading up to major events like the trade show. I am especially proud of the resilience I developed — learning that mistakes are part of growth, but giving up is not an option.
Facing challenges, like building my first website, taught me to push through fear and take action even when I didn’t feel ready. CEO helped me shift from procrastination to proactively working toward goals, making the final results even more rewarding. I also realized the power of teamwork. In our class business project, working in smaller teams that matched people's strengths made our efforts much more efficient and successful.
Throughout the year, my thinking about entrepreneurship has evolved. I now understand it’s less about having a single great idea and more about consistent hard work, adaptability, and learning from setbacks. Moving forward, I want to continue building professional relationships and growing my network, understanding how valuable these connections can be.
I am incredibly grateful to my mentor Julie and my facilitator Nick, who guided me with encouragement and provided the tools I needed to succeed. To anyone starting the CEO program, my advice is to stay open-minded, take every opportunity to meet people, and step out of your comfort zone — the effort you put in will truly shape your future.
