Fingal Student ‘Snaps Up’ Award at Student Enterprise Final
From (left-right) : Pictured at the Student Enterprise Awards National Finals in Croke Park were: Stephen Walshe, Chair of Enterprise Committee, Local Enterprise Offices, Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English T.D., Ryan Corneille of Skerries Community College (representing Fingal Local Enterprise Office in the Intermediate Category) and Kieran Comerford, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices. Photography credit: Mark Stedman, Photocall Ireland.
A student entrepreneur, representing the Fingal Local Enterprise Office, has won a major prize at the Student Enterprise Awards National Finals which took place at Croke Park this week (April 22nd 2015), claiming second place in the Intermediate Category.
Ryan Corneille (age 15) from Skerries Community College, impressed the judges with his business: ‘Book Snaps’, a book and organisational copy tool, which bounds books and copies together. Ryan was presented with the runner-up prize in the Intermediate Category in front of 500 guests which included Cllr Mags Murray, the Mayor of Fingal, Paul Reid, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Oisin Geoghegan, the Head of Enterprise with Fingal and Ryan’s teacher, Séamus McGowan from Skerries Community College.
After scooping the Intermediate Category at the Fingal Student Enterprise Awards back in March, Ryan won his place at this year’s National Finals alongside ‘Holly’s Pet Patisserie’ of Sutton Park School (Senior Category) and ‘LOK’ of Santa Sabina Dominican College in Sutton (Junior Category).
Co-ordinated by all 31 Local Enterprise Offices, the Student Enterprise Awards Programme involves 17,000 students from 370 secondary schools around Ireland.
Speaking in Croke Park after Ryan’s win, Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise with Fingal said: “We are proud of the achievements of all our student entrepreneurs from Skerries Community College, Sutton Park School and Santa Sabina Dominican College, who represented the county at the very highest levels. Special congratulations to Ryan and his business ‘Book Snaps’ from Skerries Community College, for winning such a major prize. Every year, the Student Enterprise Awards encourage students from all over the country, to develop new enterprise concepts and products, learning about the business world in a ‘hands on’ way. Now that they’ve started their entrepreneurial journey in the classroom, the Fingal Local Enterprise Office is there to help them with their aspiring businesses in the future too.”
In the Senior Category, Fingal’s Aviva Kearney from Holly’s Pet Patisserie set up a business to make nutritional treats for dogs. In the Junior Category, Hannah Killeen, Emily Kilcar, Sophie Finn and Lucy Ryan set up ‘LOK’ to make organisational kits for lockers.
In Croke Park, the Intermediate Category, which is open to second and third year students, was won by ‘My GAA Journey’ from Coláiste Eanna in South Dublin. The top prize in the Junior Category, for first year students, went to ‘Bring a Fairy Home’, from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Charleville in North Cork. The Senior Category was won by ‘An Tionchar’ from St. Brendan’s Community School in Offaly.
The Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Mr. Damien English T.D., presented the awards on stage in Croke Park, saying: “ It is important that we continue to develop links between the education system and the real economy, so that school leavers are equipped with the skills, expertise and practical knowledge of business operations that will enable them to consider self-employment as a career option.”
Minister English added: “It is extremely satisfying to see entrepreneurship as a career option for students becoming more mainstreamed thanks to the cumulative impact of programmes such as the Student Enterprise Awards, run so successfully by the Local Enterprise Offices. The enthusiasm of the winners – and all participants – should be acknowledged as well as their ingenuity and “can do” attitude which gives great hope for this Country going forward. By supporting the aspiring entrepreneurs of today, the Local Enterprise Offices are fostering the job creators of tomorrow.”
The Social Media Awards were supported by Essential French and the Intellectual Property Awareness Awards were supported by the Irish Patents Office.
The 2015/2016 programme starts in September, with full details available at www.studententerprise.ie or by searching #studententerprise on social media.