CEO Trade Show Draws Wall-to-Wall People

A move to the Keller Convention Center came at just the right time for the Effingham County CEO Trade Show.

Wall-to-wall people was the story for much of the 2015 Trade Show held Thursday evening. The Trade Show is held to allow CEO class members an opportunity to show off the business they have developed over the past semester. Many of those operating the 27 businesses say they plan to operate the business once out of high school.

(THE TURNOUT WAS TREMENDOUS THROUGHOUT THE C-E-O TRADE SHOW)

CEO is the acronym for Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities and involves students from each county high school. The program has expanded to several states, to the point that a CEO Network Trade Show will be held at the Convention Center on June 15 featuring the best businesses from the various trade shows in the CEO network.

(C-E-O STUDENT MADISON WOELFER DISPLAYED THIS WORK OF ART AS PART OF HER "MADICLAIRE DESIGNS" BOOTH. PASSERSBY WERE ASKED TO PUT THEIR FINGERPRINT ON THE WORK AS A "LEAF" ON THE TREE AND THEN TO ADD THEIR NAME TO THEIR LEAF. MADI SAID HER IDEA IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER WEDDING KEEPSAKES, BUT CAN ALSO BE A PART OF REMEMBRANCES OF OTHER EVENTS)

A highlight was the announcement of award winners. Landon Oder of Altamont High School was the recipient of the "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award selected by his fellow class members. Zachary Mette of Teutopolis High School received the John Schultz Scholarship worth $2,000, and Maria Kuhns of Altamont High School was awarded the Open Prairie Network scholarship valued at $4,000.

(ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT WAS THE PRESENTATION BY THE CURRENT C-E-O CLASS OF A CHECK FOR $3,000 TO THE PROGRAM TO HELP FUTURE C-E-O STUDENTS)

There are now 28 CEO programs nationwide. A second CEO class is being added in Effingham County for the coming school year.