Because of the community involvement piece of the INCubatoredu course, students are visited year-round by community leaders and business men and women who help lecture, demonstrate tactics, and just talk to students about their real business world experiences.
Last week, the INCubatoredu students, along with many other Frenship CTE classes, were visited by Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope, who is an entrepreneur himself. Mayor Pope heard from INCubatoredu teacher Lauren Denning , who explained what the goals of the class are. He spoke to the class about how important their INCubatoredu class is and described some of Texas Tech’s programs through their Innovation Hub.
“Mayor Pope founded Benchmark Business Solutions in 1994 and built the business into one of the top document-related solution providers in the region,” Frenship Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Keith Patrick said. “Benchmark now operates in more than 100 counties in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.”
Patrick explained that community leaders and business people are what leave a lasting impact on Frenship’s CTE classrooms.
“Frenship simply couldn’t do what it does without the involvement of a passionate community,” Patrick said. “Every aspect of our district is made better by community involvement because in reality, it’s their school district. Classroom speakers, mentors, coaches, and committee members bring valuable expertise and perspective to help Frenship drive forward as we grow and change.”
Denning is new to the INCubatoredu classroom this year and said that she was excited to have such a big-name guest so early on in the year.
“Having Mayor Pope come in and show so much excitement for the class was a great way to start off the year,” Denning said. “Mayor Pope said that he was an entrepreneur himself and he understood how important this class was for this community and was very optimistic about the long term effects it could have on our area.”
Denning explained that one of the most exciting parts of the INCubatoredu class is that her students are able to interact with professionals within the community.
“There is always excitement within the students when they see someone successful in the field they are interested in pursuing themselves,” Denning said. “It gives purpose to what they are doing every day, and I believe the community members feel a similar sense of purpose in giving that back to the students.”
Denning was excited as she spoke about the impact that the INCubatoredu course has on her students lives, simply as students in high school, and as budding professionals.
“The real world application of this class goes beyond just business,” Denning said “I want these students learning how to problem solve, how to work with team members, how to work in professional settings, and to be able to present their ideas in all forms. One of my big beliefs is they should be learning life skills that will apply to any career they choose with confidence that they can handle anything thrown at them.”
Denning is excited to see what the school year will bring for her INCubatoredu students and hopes that they take away all of the things they will need to be successful in their futures.
“One of the quotes we have hanging in the classroom is a quote from Winston Churchill, ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts,’” Denning said. “I believe that is one of the greatest things we can teach high school students and this class is a great way to practice that.”