TWO AWARDS FOR KILKENNY STUDENTS AT THE NATIONAL STUDENT ENTERPRISE VIRTUAL FINAL

TWO AWARDS FOR KILKENNY STUDENTS AT THE NATIONAL STUDENT ENTERPRISE VIRTUAL  FINAL

 

Students from Coláiste Éamann Rís in Callan scooped two awards for Kilkenny at the National Student Enterprise Programme Final which was streamed live on social media on Wednesday 27th May.

 

Nathan Ryan from Colaiste Eamann Rís, Callan took first place at intermediate level in a new pilot competition “My Entrepreneurial Journey”. Nathan impressed the judges with his imaginative account of his future life as a self-made businessman and his grasp of the likely ups and downs of running a business having researched the area and interviewed a real-life local entrepreneur. In Nathan's case he interviewed Morgan Ging in Ballykeefe Distillery. 

Intermediate Category Winner, Nathan Ryan,

Picture includes: Overall Winner – Entrepreneurial Journey Pilot Competition  – Intermediate Category Winner, Nathan Ryan, Colaiste Eamann Ris Callan pictured receiving the County Kilkenny Final award with Cllr Pat Dunphy, his teacher Emer Hickey and Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny

Colaiste Eamann Rís, Callan also had further success with twin brothers Mark and Evan Srouji winning a Special Merit Award in the Intermediate Category of the main Student Enterprise Programme competition with their high-quality handmade Bee and Bug Houses.

Intermediate Category Special Merit Winners - Mark and Evan Srouji from Colaiste Eamann Ris, Callan

Picture includes: Intermediate Category Special Merit Winners - Mark and Evan Srouji from Colaiste Eamann Ris, Callan

Other entrepreneurial students who also represented Kilkenny at the national final were April Walsh from Duiske College, Graiguenamanagh with her business “Artistic Adventures” as well as Rosa White, Aly Cantwell and Ella Cantwell from St Brigid’s College, Callan with their business “Phone Essentials”.

 

This year’s virtual National Final was hosted by RTE’s Rick O’Shea and Student Enterprise Programme Ambassador, Josh Van Der Flier, also spoke by video link during the ceremony. Kilkenny’s finalists were amongst 85 student enterprises competing at national level in what is Ireland’s largest entrepreneurship programme for second level students. The initiative is funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, with close to 26,000 students from almost 500 secondary schools across the country taking part.

 

Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny said; “Never has it been more important in business to be adaptable and to rise to the challenge. We are delighted that in true entrepreneurial spirit, our local finalists pushed ahead with their projects and did Kilkenny proud at national level in this year’s Student Enterprise Programme. Seven student entrepreneurs from three Kilkenny schools competed at national final level this year on behalf of Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny. We extend our sincere thanks to all the teachers, parents and everyone involved in bringing this year’s programme to fruition and we congratulate the winning students on their remarkable success”. 

 

Full details relating to the Student Enterprise Programme can be found at www.StudentEnterprise.ie