BOWLING GREEN, Ohio —
One organization is helping students be prepared to interact with business professionals before graduating high school.
Junior Achievement is an organization that creates events for students to get hands-on experience preparing for careers in their desired fields. The organization held the inaugural Business of Life Challenge at Bowling Green State University.
Over 100 students from ten different high schools in northwest Ohio came to the event. Students went through different challenges to help build their professional skills.
In one of the rooms, students had 15 minutes to prepare an elevator pitch, explaining to employers why they were the right candidate for the job. They had to present in front of business professionals from different industries and receive feedback on their performance.
Although he didn't win, Ezion Watson, a student at Rogers High School, said he learned a lot. He said getting feedback from the professionals helped him know what to work on in the future as he hopes to pursue a career in music production.
Another activity included competing against peers to see who could come up with the best solution to workplace problems.
"That was fun," Kaylah Haith, a student at Rogers High School said. "I ended up being one of the final four, and I was the only girl on the panel."
Participants had to work together in teams to put together a pitch. Throughout the day they were receiving feedback to see where improvements could be made.
"Students are lacking getting these skills in the classroom," Junior Achievement marketing and event manager Julia Simon said. "If we can provide an opportunity for them to come to a new environment and network and be with people that they might not get to see on a regular basis, I think it is really helpful."
This is the first of four events the organization plans to host throughout the spring. One of the other events will be a stock exchange simulation.