Each Tuesday starting at 7 a.m. for the previous seven months, 20 college students have been planning the Illinois State College School of Enterprise’ 2023 Enterprise Week to perfection.

Enterprise Week, a School of Enterprise custom for the previous 44 years, is a weeklong occasion which immerses college students in skilled improvement alternatives.

This yr’s Enterprise Week will happen February 20-24 and can characteristic keynote audio system, seminars centered on transitioning from faculty to company life, knowledgeable improvement dinner, an fairness, range, and inclusion workshop, and the School of Enterprise Corridor of Fame ceremony.

Although Enterprise Week lasts for 5 days in the course of the spring semester, the Enterprise Week workforce has been planning since August. Enterprise Week President Tori Poska first attended Enterprise Week as a freshman. She then joined the planning workforce as a sophomore and has been concerned ever since.

“I like all the pieces that Enterprise Week stands for and represents,” stated Poska. “It’s made a big impact on my life in addition to numerous my buddies. That is how I’ve discovered about so many nice alternatives inside the School of Enterprise—by networking with different college students, workers, and college.”

Vice President of Skilled Improvement Benji Prendergast first obtained concerned with Enterprise Week as a mentee by way of the Enterprise Week Mentor Program his freshman yr. As a sophomore, Prendergast grew to become a mentor which prompted him to hitch the Enterprise Week planning workforce.

“It’s simply really a rewarding factor to be part of and to see all these professionals and college students popping out and being a part of our program and celebrating skilled improvement,” stated Prendergast. “In actuality, you achieve a lot from simply this one week and carry it on to your lessons, lectures, jobs, and internships. The experiences simply proceed to develop and develop from this one week.”

Having taken benefit of the skilled improvement alternatives that Enterprise Week and the School of Enterprise supply college students, each Poska and Prendergast have already got post-graduate jobs lined up: Poska in advertising and marketing for Ecolab and Prendergast in gross sales for Dell.

The Enterprise Week workforce, which consists of an government workforce and 6 committees, plans occasions exterior of Enterprise Week as effectively. Final fall, the workforce hosted a film discuss occasion which consisted of a exhibiting of The Homestretch, a film about homeless teenagers, adopted by a dialogue. The group additionally hosted a company social accountability occasion through which gently used enterprise skilled clothes was collected for a clothes drive. This spring, the workforce is planning a March 1 Enterprise Week Talks occasion with a speaker-oriented, Ted Speak format centered on company social accountability.

College students interested by planning subsequent yr’s Enterprise Week are invited to use to hitch the 2023-24 Enterprise Week workforce all through the week. Non-business college students are welcome to use.

“Getting concerned modified my entire faculty profession and the entire course of it each personally and professionally,” Poska stated. “My recommendation can be to attend and be engaged.”

Although sponsored by the School of Enterprise, all college students are welcome to attend Enterprise Week. To study extra and to register for occasions, discover the Illinois State College School of Enterprise 2023 Enterprise Week pamphlet.