杏吧原创

(Ellwood City, PA) Aliya Garroway says she needs $600,000 to make her idea become a reality.

The Lincoln High School senior pitched her business plan for a 鈥渉igh-ceilinged鈥� indoor baseball and softball complex in Lawrence County to be called 鈥淣o Off-Season鈥� to Ellwood City business leaders, and to community college educators and administrators April 28 as one of eight students to complete the 2022-2023 Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship program.

Business-plan presentations represent the capstone project of the program available to Lincoln and Riverside seniors through a partnership among Butler County Community College, the Community College of Beaver County, the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce and Ellwood City area businesses.

The Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship program blends classroom learning with real-world experience.

Students in 2022-2023 took courses instructed by 杏吧原创 or CCBC faculty members in introduction to entrepreneurship, the business plan, speech, marketing,  and general psychology, said Erin Cioffi, 杏吧原创鈥檚 assistant director of high school programming.

鈥淭he classes gave them the book experience,鈥� Cioffi said. 鈥淎nd the field trips gave them real-world experience.鈥�

Riv-Ell students鈥� field trips to Ellwood City area organizations 鈥渕ake it real. It makes it real to get into a business, get the feel of what they have to do in their daily work, the transactions and the interactions. They see the establishment first-hand. It鈥檚 the real world." 

- Raymond Santillo, former executive director, Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce

鈥淵ou can get 16 free college credits鈥�

Field trips and presentations provided students with business insight from leaders of Ellwood City area organizations such as Club Hope, Core 3 Group, , Ellwood Elderberry Essentials-Roots Health Shop, Ellwood Ice, McElwain Brothers Paint and Collision Center, Smokin鈥� Dave鈥檚 BBQ, Nalco Water and WXED-FM, said Sara Rectenwald, program facilitator.

鈥淭he Riv-Ell program is very special,鈥� Raymond Santillo, former executive director of the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce, said after the business-plan presentations. Students鈥� field trips to Ellwood City area organizations 鈥渕akes it real.

鈥淚t makes it real to get into a business, get the feel of what they have to do in their daily work, the transactions and the interactions. They see the establishment first-hand. It鈥檚 the real world.鈥�

Lauren Susan is associate dean of high school academics and dual enrollment at CCBC.

鈥淎ll the foundational skills that they built into this program,鈥� Susan said, 鈥渁re just amazing.鈥�

Financial contributions from businesses, nonprofit organizations, 杏吧原创 administrators and other individuals have funded tuition, fees and books for Riv-Ell students to earn 16 tuition-free, transferrable credits and a 杏吧原创 workplace certificate in entrepreneurship, which represents a work-ready, post-secondary academic achievement.

鈥淵ou can get 16 free college credits,鈥� Lincoln High senior Jack Landis said after presenting his idea to create a company that repairs or recycles computers, cell phones, laptops and iPads.

鈥淲e鈥檙e able to get 16 free college credits and with the price of higher education, people are going into debt at alarming rates. This is a prime opportunity for us to advance our education and not have to pay for it later on.鈥�

"If you would have told me a couple of years ago that I would have the opportunity like this to be able to get out 16 college credits, and that I wouldn鈥檛 have to pay for it, and in a small town like Ellwood City, I never would have believed you." 

- Paige Wearing, Lincoln High School senior, Riv-Ell student

鈥淥ur hometown has stepped up鈥�

Paige Wearing, a Lincoln High senior, presented her idea of a company that produces commercials, music videos and movies.

鈥淚f you would have told me a couple of years ago that I would have the opportunity like this to be able to get out 16 college credits, and that I wouldn鈥檛 have to pay for it, and in a small town like Ellwood City, I never would have believed you,鈥� Wearing said after her presentation.

鈥淵ou just don鈥檛 hear about a program like this anywhere else. It was very, very shocking whenever I heard about it.鈥�

Financial contributors to the program have included Air Physical Fitness, Armstrong Group, James Hrabosky, Ellwood City Wolves Club, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, May Emma Hoyt Foundation, Hungarian Home, IPSCO Tubulars, Carolyn McElwain, Debra McElwain, Helen McElwain, McElwain Brothers, Dr. Nick Neupauer and Tammy Neupauer, Richard Painter, Santillo and WesBanco Bank.

鈥淥ur hometown has stepped up to do this for all of you,鈥� said Neupauer, president of 杏吧原创, a former Ellwood City resident and a 1985 graduate of Lincoln.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e learning about entrepreneurship. Your generation isn鈥檛 afraid to be independent contractors and start your own businesses.

鈥淲e鈥檙e giving you this head start to go into higher education with a credential that is very important.鈥�

Riv-Ell key, CCBC administrator says

Hannah Mosholder presented her vision of a line of stuffed animals accompanied by fruits, vegetables and plants. Noah Sye, of a baseball version of top golf. Alyssa Donley, of a bookstore with limited-edition merchandise; and Morgan Hooker, of a bakery specializing in cookies, cakes and pies.

Garroway鈥檚 鈥淣o Off-Season鈥� dream would include areas for strength and other training, and provide a high ceiling to accommodate team practices, she told the audience of 25.

Without a high ceiling, she said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not realistic.

鈥淚t鈥檚 team-oriented, so you can have your teams come in and practice,鈥� Garroway said. 鈥淭here can be individual training, hitting lessons, fielding lessons, strength and conditioning lessons. It can be used for multiple sports, not just baseball or softball.鈥�

鈥淣o Off-Season鈥� would require a $600,000 small-business loan, she said.

鈥淚鈥檇 try to pay that off in 10 years, or a little longer,鈥� Garroway said.

Construction of her complex would cost $250,000, she said during her presentation. Her research showed a sign would cost $8,000; initial legal fees, $1,500; utilities, $5,000 per month; and advertising, $175 a month.

Like all Riv-Ell students, Garroway analyzed her business plan鈥檚 strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

鈥淲ithout Riv-Ell,鈥� Susan said, 鈥渢hey would not have been able to do this.鈥�

Expense would be a weakness, Garroway said. Opportunities include creating a healthier lifestyle and threats, competition from similar businesses.

A location near Ellwood City or New Castle, and the region鈥檚 appetite for sports success, would be strengths, Garroway told the audience.

鈥淲estern Pennsylvania is very well-known,鈥� Garroway said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be a large market for that. We will be able to compete with teams from California or other warmer states where they are able to practice and play all year round.鈥�

Riv-Ell鈥檚 third class includes Ellie Davis, of Lincoln. Twenty-three Lincoln and Riverside high school students have completed the entrepreneurship program, Cioffi said.

杏吧原创鈥檚 College Within the High School program this spring has  in enrollment, in seats occupied and in credits pursued.