Taylor University’s new entrepreneurship and economic development program launched this fall.
Its cutting edge combination of classes isn’t like any other university's business or economic programs, said Amy Stucky, business department chair at Taylor.
The entrepreneurship and economic development program aims to equip students to pour into their local communities through solid knowledge of business and economic principles, Stucky said.
Business and economic principles aren’t typically taught in conjunction in similar programs, let alone with an emphasis on local impact, Stucky said.
Classes are interactive, hands-on and experience-focused. They combine business core classes, economic development classes and entrepreneurship classes, she said.
The program’s creation was part of Taylor’s Main Street Mile initiative. The program was pulled together last year through hard work and lots of paperwork, Stucky said.
Mick Bates, professor of entrepreneurship and director of innovation and entrepreneurship, and Margaret Chasara, assistant professor of economics, headed up the project, Stucky said.
The program’s unique nature addresses a market need within communities, said Bates, as it will impact the Upland community before students even begin their careers. Projects involve hands-on experience within Grant County, he said.
“(The major) will position them well to work with local governments, with local community development or economic development activities and or even start their own business,” Bates said. “The statement Taylor is making is that we believe in local communities…We're backing that up.”
Ellie Transparenti, a freshman majoring in entrepreneurship and economic development, is excited to learn how to establish an independent business that can feed into her local community by hiring special needs members of society.
From a young age, Transparenti taught children’s ministry classes to special needs kids as part of a missionary family in the Philippines. She also interned at an institution supporting kids with special needs.
Seeing children with special needs who displayed genuine love and care for one another sparked her passion for helping disabled people, she said.
“Their whole persona just exudes joy, and I just think it's such a beautiful picture of Christ,” Transparenti said.
Transparenti sells Bible and journal covers. Equipped with the tools Taylor’s entrepreneurship and economic development program provides, she hopes this business can provide a place where disabled people can learn crafts that they could use to generate their own revenue. She hopes Taylor’s program can hone this dream to become both practical and effective.
Bates is excited for Ellie to take the program. Taylor’s entrepreneurship and economic development program is for any student with a heart to impact their community and an entrepreneurial mindset, he said.
Bates encouraged anyone interested in the program to reach out to him or Chasara.
