The Symposium, a culminating experience for students who completed an entrepreneurship program sponsored by local banks through the Putnam Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, included teams of students from three high schools.

Teams from Hurricane, Poca, and Winfield High Schools included the following students:

Hurricane High School – Brad Anania, Chris Finch, Aaron Gonzales, Dakota Litton, Thor Meeks, and Josh Null;

Poca High School – Shawn Brown, Andrea Celorio, Brandon Ferrari, Brittany Harrison, Alex Stewart, and Gabrielle Wright;

Winfield High School – Sam Ball, Morganne Bennett, Laney Cunningham, Emily Dill, and Rusty Wilson. 

The program emphasized leadership skills, and students learned to identify a businesses’ values, vision, and mission before selecting a product to market and sell with the goal of making a profit.

John Wilson, Jr., of Putnam County Bank, Craig Young of City National Bank, and Jason Shepherd of United Bank utilized the Junior Achievement Company Program to provide a realistic experience for students enrolled in Entrepreneurship classes at the three schools.  Business education teachers, Rhonda Null of Hurricane High, Diana Painter of Winfield High, and Patty Igo of Poca High worked with the bankers to plan lessons and activities.  Throughout the first term of the school year, the bankers visited the classes weekly and shared their business and entrepreneurial skills to teach students how to start and run a business.  

At the symposium, students highlighted their challenges and successes, explained how they started and operated the business, and provided a financial report.  Each business made a profit which will be donated to a charity of the students’ choice or a school project.

The Business Symposium proved to be a valuable learning experience for the students.  Both students and teachers expressed their appreciation to their banking representatives for providing a realistic project for the business student to learn about entrepreneurship.  In addition, they requested that the Chamber of Commerce continue their sponsorship of the symposium for next year. 

The event was held at the Putnam County Library and presided over by Marty Chapman, President of the Chamber of Commerce. Jackie Chaney, Director of Putnam County Library and chair of the Chamber Education Committee, remarked, "The Putnam County Library is always closely involved with the school system and was thrilled to host and be involved with the Symposium."

Publisher's note: Patsy Smith contributed to this article.