Clubs and Activities
Center for Entrepreneurship
About
Saint John’s High School is embracing the entrepreneurial spirit that has long been present in students and alumni. Whether in starting businesses, fostering creative ideas, establishing strong relationships, or simply embracing opportunities, Saint John’s Pioneers have exemplified entrepreneurship in all walks of life.
Through the Entrepreneurial Studies course and Entrepreneurship Club, students and alumni are coming together to share ideas. The Entrepreneurship Club is open to all interested students and meets after school weekly as a supplement to the class. Students can hear from alumni speakers who share their stories of business ventures and their professional paths after Saint John’s.
THE BASICS
The Saint John’s Entrepreneurship Club (EClub) educates our students about Entrepreneurship as a possible career direction. The club relies on the ongoing participation of a core group of alumni to be successful. These alums bring their experience in creating or building businesses back Saint John’s, and share their stories with the club.
WHY THE CLUB EXISTS
The Entrepreneurship Club was created out of the realization that many students may not have exposure to the concept of entrepreneurship, or see it as a possible career path. The intent of the club is to provide information and coaching about entrepreneurship, such that students understand what it takes to create a business, and what is possible in their lives out of doing so.
HOW THE CLUB WORKS
Once a month, a speaker comes to Saint John’s and tells the club about their experience in business. These talks last about 45 minutes, and are highly interactive with the students. The students reap great value by hearing success stories from people who once sat in the seats of Saint John’s just as they do. Underlying their own story, speakers intend to convey what is possible in life for someone who takes on creating a business. Self-reliance, freedom, independence, and the idea of creating vs. consuming employment opportunities are common themes. In between guest speakers, the club meets monthly to discuss what they’ve heard from speakers, and determine if there are particular types of speakers they’d like to invite to speak.
WHO PARTICIPATES
Students who participate in the club have a wide variety of backgrounds. Some already have small businesses of their own; others have nothing more than a keen interest in learning more about what it means to be an entrepreneur.
ALUMNI PARTICIPATION
Alumni who participate in the EClub create an opportunity for themselves to truly make a difference in the lives of Saint John’s students. Out of sharing their experiences, they inspire students and show them the doors to a world that goes beyond what they otherwise might have seen as possible for themselves. Contact Chris Benestad to learn more about working with today's entrepreneurial students.
THE BASICS
The Saint John’s Entrepreneurship Club (EClub) educates our students about Entrepreneurship as a possible career direction. The club relies on the ongoing participation of a core group of alumni to be successful. These alums bring their experience in creating or building businesses back Saint John’s, and share their stories with the club.
WHY THE CLUB EXISTS
The Entrepreneurship Club was created out of the realization that many students may not have exposure to the concept of entrepreneurship, or see it as a possible career path. The intent of the club is to provide information and coaching about entrepreneurship, such that students understand what it takes to create a business, and what is possible in their lives out of doing so.
HOW THE CLUB WORKS
Once a month, a speaker comes to Saint John’s and tells the club about their experience in business. These talks last about 45 minutes, and are highly interactive with the students. The students reap great value by hearing success stories from people who once sat in the seats of Saint John’s just as they do. Underlying their own story, speakers intend to convey what is possible in life for someone who takes on creating a business. Self-reliance, freedom, independence, and the idea of creating vs. consuming employment opportunities are common themes. In between guest speakers, the club meets monthly to discuss what they’ve heard from speakers, and determine if there are particular types of speakers they’d like to invite to speak.
WHO PARTICIPATES
Students who participate in the club have a wide variety of backgrounds. Some already have small businesses of their own; others have nothing more than a keen interest in learning more about what it means to be an entrepreneur.
ALUMNI PARTICIPATION
Alumni who participate in the EClub create an opportunity for themselves to truly make a difference in the lives of Saint John’s students. Out of sharing their experiences, they inspire students and show them the doors to a world that goes beyond what they otherwise might have seen as possible for themselves. Contact Chris Benestad to learn more about working with today's entrepreneurial students.
Upcoming Events
Join us virtually for our upcoming Business Plan Competition!
Thursday, April 29, 2021
7:00 PM
LIVE STREAMING from Saint John's High School
Guest Speaker: Kevin Gillis '85
Interested students should submit plans to Mr. Benestad via email at cbenestad@stjohnshigh.org by Thursday April 15.
Thursday, April 29, 2021
7:00 PM
LIVE STREAMING from Saint John's High School
Guest Speaker: Kevin Gillis '85
Interested students should submit plans to Mr. Benestad via email at cbenestad@stjohnshigh.org by Thursday April 15.
The top three plans will be asked to participate in the competition for a chance to win a $1,000 grand prize.
"Entrepreneurship, I believe, at its heart, is about empowerment of the individual to go out and to make a difference in the world. It is about opportunity, risk, possibility, innovation, and progress... It can be grand or small, white collar or blue collar. Entrepreneurship can, of course, be economic, but it can also be social, political, or simply about a new way of thinking. It is so much more than just that tech startup you read about in the paper... There are entrepreneurs all around us, starting small businesses or volunteer groups every day.”
- Scott Army '01
A Conversation with Scott Army ’01
SJ: How did your time at SJ influence your professional life?
SA: I think Saint John’s is many things to many different people, but I found the value system that was instilled at every level of the school to be something that I have carried with me my whole life. It, of course, started with my mother and father, but SJ built upon that solid foundation and drove home the need to be a respectful, confident, gracious, and self-aware gentleman. It has allowed me to stay grounded and evaluate both successes and failures, personal and professional, through the proper lens.
Describe just how diverse and holistic this Entrepreneurship Program can be in planting the seeds of creativity and leadership for students to take into their lives long after Saint John’s.
Entrepreneurship can mean so many things and I want this program to explore and highlight the many different facets of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship, I believe, at its heart, is about empowerment of the individual to go out and to make a difference in the world. It is about opportunity, risk, possibility, innovation, and progress. It is about saying "I can make a difference" and going out and executing. It can be grand or small, white collar or blue collar. Our history books are full of entrepreneurs, including the founding fathers of the United States. Entrepreneurship can, of course, be economic, but it can also be social, political, or simply about a new way of thinking. It is so much more than just that tech startup you read about in the paper. There are entrepreneurs all around us, starting small businesses or volunteer groups every day. My hope is that this program will make SJ students aware of the possibilities in front of them by embracing an entrepreneurial mindset in life and the sense of purpose, self-worth, and individual empowerment that comes with that.
Why do you think it is an important endeavor for Saint John’s to begin developing students’ entrepreneurial skills?
I think it is important to teach the roadmap of starting a business or any organization at a young age. These are real, valuable life skills. Learning about the broader applications of entrepreneurship will also be instrumental to those students who choose to pursue a career in a larger corporation or organization, as the ability to innovate and think creatively and independently will set them apart. The class will provide the foundation of the entrepreneurial principles and spirit. Going back to the value system, it will also attempt to provide the proper lens to evaluate goals beyond monetary success. Once this foundation is set, the Entrepreneurship Day will be the opportunity to showcase our way of thinking with the rest of the SJ community and beyond. It will also provide a real-life testing ground for ideas and businesses through the pitch competition.
Who in the Saint John’s community is this program open to?
The Entrepreneurship program will be something that many people in the SJ community can identify with personally and as a result they will be very eager to become a part of it. Saint John’s did a great job of driving home the belief that “wherever you go, you'll find a Pioneer,” showing the reach of the alumni. The program will take that one step further to highlight some great success stories of alumni in all walks of life, and in doing that, it will provide a model for future students to aspire to and replicate. “In harmony small things grow.” We can now see some of the results of that growth.
SA: I think Saint John’s is many things to many different people, but I found the value system that was instilled at every level of the school to be something that I have carried with me my whole life. It, of course, started with my mother and father, but SJ built upon that solid foundation and drove home the need to be a respectful, confident, gracious, and self-aware gentleman. It has allowed me to stay grounded and evaluate both successes and failures, personal and professional, through the proper lens.
Describe just how diverse and holistic this Entrepreneurship Program can be in planting the seeds of creativity and leadership for students to take into their lives long after Saint John’s.
Entrepreneurship can mean so many things and I want this program to explore and highlight the many different facets of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship, I believe, at its heart, is about empowerment of the individual to go out and to make a difference in the world. It is about opportunity, risk, possibility, innovation, and progress. It is about saying "I can make a difference" and going out and executing. It can be grand or small, white collar or blue collar. Our history books are full of entrepreneurs, including the founding fathers of the United States. Entrepreneurship can, of course, be economic, but it can also be social, political, or simply about a new way of thinking. It is so much more than just that tech startup you read about in the paper. There are entrepreneurs all around us, starting small businesses or volunteer groups every day. My hope is that this program will make SJ students aware of the possibilities in front of them by embracing an entrepreneurial mindset in life and the sense of purpose, self-worth, and individual empowerment that comes with that.
Why do you think it is an important endeavor for Saint John’s to begin developing students’ entrepreneurial skills?
I think it is important to teach the roadmap of starting a business or any organization at a young age. These are real, valuable life skills. Learning about the broader applications of entrepreneurship will also be instrumental to those students who choose to pursue a career in a larger corporation or organization, as the ability to innovate and think creatively and independently will set them apart. The class will provide the foundation of the entrepreneurial principles and spirit. Going back to the value system, it will also attempt to provide the proper lens to evaluate goals beyond monetary success. Once this foundation is set, the Entrepreneurship Day will be the opportunity to showcase our way of thinking with the rest of the SJ community and beyond. It will also provide a real-life testing ground for ideas and businesses through the pitch competition.
Who in the Saint John’s community is this program open to?
The Entrepreneurship program will be something that many people in the SJ community can identify with personally and as a result they will be very eager to become a part of it. Saint John’s did a great job of driving home the belief that “wherever you go, you'll find a Pioneer,” showing the reach of the alumni. The program will take that one step further to highlight some great success stories of alumni in all walks of life, and in doing that, it will provide a model for future students to aspire to and replicate. “In harmony small things grow.” We can now see some of the results of that growth.
