From our local CEO Chapter!!
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P R E S S R E L E A S E…
Media Contacts:
Ketra Roselieb, Board Chair
309-298-2073; [email protected]
Website: mcdonoughcountyceo.com
McDonough CEO now accepting applications for Class of 2026
Students can apply to become a member now through December 13.
MACOMB, Ill. (November 25) – McDonough County CEO is now accepting applications for students who are interested in participating in next year’s CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) program. Students of all skill sets and backgrounds can be successful in this class, so long as they are hard-working, trustworthy, and willing to take on an exciting challenge.
“McDonough CEO is not a business class,” says Ketra Roselieb, McDonough CEO board chair and vice president for finance and administration at Western Illinois University. “It’s a transformational learning course that offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to learn about their community, discover their entrepreneurial skills, and develop valuable interpersonal skills, unlocking their true potential.”
To apply, visit mcdonoughcountyceo.com/applynow, and submit your application by December 13. Organizers will be on each high school campus, sharing more about the program and answering questions:
• Bushnell-Prairie City High School: November 25
• Macomb High School: November 25
• West Prairie High School: November 25
• Trinity Academy: December 4
McDonough CEO is hosting “Experience CEO” this year, where students who are interested in applying can come to CEO for a morning and try it out on Wednesday, December 4, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m., as the class visits Macomb City Hall for a conversation with Mayor Mike Inman. Email CEO Facilitator Alison Jefferson for more information at [email protected].
CEO meets each school day morning from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in a local business. Under the guidance of their facilitator, students visit businesses and learn how community members work together to run their businesses. They also hear from a variety of guest speakers. But more than all that, CEO challenges them to become great communicators and networkers, problem solvers, and creative thinkers.
“I applied for CEO because I wanted to be in a class that gave me real-world experience – something that you couldn’t learn inside a classroom,” says Jun Yoshimura, a Macomb High School student and Class of 2025 CEO member. “I want to be able to communicate with my fellow classmates in a way I wouldn’t be able to in school, and I think CEO is a great opportunity to do that.”
CEO is tasked with helping student entrepreneurs bring the “wow” to any setting – or in other words, to make every contact realize they are not interacting with the average teenager.
“We want everyone who comes in contact with our CEO students to say ‘Wow!’” Roselieb says. “Our student entrepreneurs learn important soft skills like shaking hands, eye contact, professional dress, having meaningful conversations and problem solving, straight out of the gate – during their first week with us.”
The CEO learning environment has two culminating experiences for students: a class business and an individual business. In the past, McDonough CEO class businesses have brought a vendor fair, an escape room, a winter delivery business, and a battle of the bands contest to the area. In the spring, students’ individual businesses will be unveiled to the community through a trade show.
“We love seeing new CEO students turn into seasoned young professionals,” Roselieb says. “They leave our program with essential skills and an expansive, long-lasting network of community professionals and business owners.”
Current CEO class member Aimee Howerter, Trinity Academy student, has high hopes for her CEO experience
“When I finish the program, I want to become more decisive and confident in my abilities. I want to be a leader with the utmost regard, and I want to know what I’m capable of,” Howerter says.
“Through CEO, I hope to become more of a decision maker and a leader, both in the business and in the class. I genuinely want to communicate better and understand people’s ideas. And I want to grow through my intellect and through how I treat others.”
Students in the McDonough County CEO program can come from schools throughout the county, including Bushnell-Prairie City High School, Macomb High School, West Prairie High School and Trinity Academy.
For more information, check out mcdonoughcountyceo.com or email [email protected].
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McDonough County CEO is a program for high school juniors and seniors to develop entrepreneurial skills, introduce them to businesses in the community, and build interpersonal abilities. Program funding is provided by nearly 50 businesses and individuals throughout McDonough County and is administered by a board made up of individuals from communities throughout the county. For more information, check out mcdonoughcountyceo.com.
This news has been created from the social media pages of Macomb Schools 185
