Registration is Open for Business Horizons 2024
February 19, 2024 | Physician Recruitment, Workforce Lead Healthcare Challenges
Business Horizons, a program of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) Foundation, invites Iowa high school students to register for the “best week of summer” July 14-18 at Drake University.
Business Horizons enables students to confidently forge connections between concepts learned in the classroom through real-world application. The five-day program combines hands-on, entrepreneurial experiences with team-oriented challenges to demonstrate how business and leadership skills are applicable to any career.
In this action-packed week, students work in teams to identify a real-world problem to solve, then create and continuously refine a product or service as basis for a new business venture. At the end of the week, teams will participate in investor pitches, infomercial screenings, and a trade show in front of live judging panels. Iowa industry professionals are brought in to provide mentorship and facilitate dynamic workshops. Additional highlights include leadership development activities, local business tours, on-campus living experiences, and “after hours” socializing with new friends from across the state.
“Business Horizons is a place for students to express their strengths, develop their leaderships skills, and solve real-world problems their generation has the answers for,” said Jennifer Guttierez, a student at Storm Lake High School and 2023 participant. When asked to share one interest she’s furthered after Business Horizons, Guttierez brought up the topic of marketing. “I pay closer attention to advertising and have begun noticing different ways businesses promote their products and services. It’s neat to recognize their strategies, and it also reminds me that one thing marketing and leadership have in common is the importance of communicating effectively.” When asked what advice she would offer students considering attending, Guttierez suggested that students embrace the unknown. “I was nervous the entire car ride to Business Horizons because this was outside of my comfort zone. Five days later during the car ride back home, I then knew that I shouldn’t be afraid to try new things anymore because you never know what doors may open, and either good or bad, you always learn from these experiences.”
“This program not only teaches but connects you with opportunities in Iowa,” said Maddox Doty, a former student at Central Lee High School, 2022 participant, and 2023 student ambassador – a small group of peer mentors who return to the program a second year. When asked why he chose to return as an ambassador, Doty credited previous ambassadors as fueling his ambition. “Seeing how passionate my ambassadors were about every speaker and activity made me realize how much this program impacted them. Their actions inspired me to invest my full effort into getting as much out this program as they did, and that was the biggest contributing factor to wanting to come back: to instill a similar feeling of motivation.” Now a full-time college student, Doty commented on how the program has helped prepare him for the adjustment of attending Iowa State University. “It’s a big campus with a lot of students, but I left Business Horizons much more open to meeting new people and understanding both the personal and professional benefits of networking.”
Business Horizons continues to serve as an economic catalyst for Iowa’s future workforce. From forward-thinking students who are eager to set themselves apart and thrive in new situations, to those who show leadership potential but are unsure of their direction after high school: everyone has something to gain from Business Horizons.