Thirty-seven area high school and college students opted to spend six weeks of their summer immersed in the world of entrepreneurship as members of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy Class of 2025.

In addition to spending time in classrooms led by local business owners and participating in internships at local businesses, students were intentional about gathering to recite their daily affirmations.

Speaking in unison, they worked their way each day through a list of traits they aspire to meet, saying, “I am intuitive. I am a visionary. I am creative. I am resilient. I am a risk taker. I am a strategist. I am passionate. I am a leader. I am resourceful, I am professional. I am an entrepreneur.”

Those declarations, according to Ston Nelson, class representative of the 2025 cohort, meant a

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