FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2007
Contact: Joshua Hollis
(662) 329-7119

MUW Business Week celebrates 30 years
  
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mississippi University for Women will host the 30th annual Business Week program June 24-29.

The program is designed for talented high school students who want to experience what it takes to be successful in the business world. Students are also given the opportunity to learn about several business concepts and network with peers.

“Research shows that self-employment is among the fastest-growing segments of American business,” said Louisa Russell, first-year director of the program. “Many look to entrepreneurship as a means of achieving professional freedom and creativity; others seek financial rewards; others want more time for their families; and still others simply want more control over their career path.  Regardless of the reason, an increasing number of Americans are opting to start up their own businesses rather than join the ranks of corporate America.”

During the program, students will be charged with building their own store in a mock mall from the ground up. The students will pick the product, the story layout and storefront appearance. They will then advertise their business by creating a commercial.

“For those who do become entrepreneurs, the skills they learn will give them an advantage over their competitors because they had the opportunity to learn from their mistakes before making any financial investment,” Russell said.

Students will live in the residence halls on the MUW campus, which will allow them to meet and interact with other students. Some fun activities include a luau and a red carpet party with a live DJ.

“For thirty year, Business Week has been a great opportunity for high school students to get a taste of running (or designing or managing) their own business,” said Dr. Anne Balazs, interim dean for the College of Business. “They learn some fundamentals of business, compete with other students' business ideas and have fun in the process. It's a chance to learn and be creative and competitive all at the same time.”

Students will tour local businesses, such as Woody’s on the Water, Jubilations, and Eurocopter. They also will visit WCBI television studio and watch the news at noon live.

The application deadline is Friday, May 25. For more information, contact Russell at (662) 241-6277 or e-mail her at lrussell@muw.edu.