Entrepreneurship Club
Basics
The St. John’s Entrepreneurship Club (EClub) educates our students about Entrepreneurship as a possible career direction. The club relies on the ongoing participation of a core group of alumni to be successful. These alums bring their experience in creating or building businesses back St. John’s, and share their stories with the club.
Why the club exists
The Entrepreneurship Club was created out of the realization that many students may not have exposure to the concept of entrepreneurship, or see it as a possible career path. The intent of the club is to provide information and coaching about entrepreneurship, such that students understand what it takes to create a business, and what is possible in their lives out of doing so.
How the club works
Once a month, a speaker comes to St. John’s and tells the club about their experience in business. These talks last about 45 minutes, and are highly interactive with the students. The students reap great value by hearing success stories from people who once sat in the seats of St. John’s just as they do. Underlying their own story, speakers intend to convey what is possible in life for someone who takes on creating a business. Self-reliance, freedom, independence, and the idea of creating vs. consuming employment opportunities are common themes. In between guest speakers, the club meets monthly to discuss what they’ve heard from speakers, and determine if there are particular types of speakers they’d like to invite to speak.
Who participates
Students who participate in the club have a wide variety of backgrounds. Some already have small businesses of their own; others have nothing more than a keen interest in learning more about what it means to be an entrepreneur.
Alumni participation opportunity
Alumni who participate in the EClub create an opportunity for themselves to truly make a difference in the lives of St. John’s students. Out of sharing their experiences, they inspire students and show them the doors to a world that goes beyond what they otherwise might have seen as possible for themselves. The time commitment for alumni participants is small; the effect of their participation is immeasurable. We ask that alumni participants come to St. John’s and share their own story with the club no more than once a year, which requires minimal preparation and about an hour with the club. In addition, we request participation in an annual meeting of the alumni who participate in the club, which lasts about two hours. This meeting is an opportunity for the alumni who participate to get together, discuss their experiences with the club, and determine what actions should be taken over the next year to have the club fulfill on its intention as effectively as possible. Lastly, some alumni choose to offer coaching (via phone or email) to the students in the club, on an ad hoc basis.
Contact
Faculty Advisor – Chris Benestad - cbenestad@stjohnshigh.org – 508.842.8934
Alumni Lead – Rob Giacchetti – rob.giacchetti@comcast.net – 617.470.1696