Top Minority Students Attracted to Business and Entrepreneurship After Attending Program at University of South Carolina's Moore School

July 8, 2009

COLUMBIA, SC – July 8, 2009 – As part of its efforts to attract more top minority high school students to study business and entrepreneurial management when they graduate, the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business recruited a group of outstanding rising seniors from North and South Carolina to summer business camp, where they took classes in business development and how to run an enterprise.

The week-long program, now in its third year and funded by the Wachovia Foundation, provides an opportunity for the students to experience business school firsthand and learn about the potential for building and running a business.

Many of the students who participate in the program receive scholarships and go on to study business at the undergraduate level.

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A growing number of top minority high school students are choosing to study business and entrepreneurship.

Now, more than ever, we need our most talented students coming out of high school choosing to study business, economics and entrepreneurial management, said Dr. Tom Lopez, associate professor of accounting at the Moore School and coordinator of the program. This program helps attract these students and then has a tremendous impact in helping them develop the skills and confidence they need to become business leaders in the future.

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Top minority high school students successfully completed Summer Business Camp at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business.

One student who participated last year spoke to this year’s group about the program. I came from a high poverty community with over 90 percent of the high school graduates not being properly prepared for college or the next step in their life. The Moore School program changed the way I looked at myself. It helped me decide my college, my career and my future. It is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.

The students live on the USC campus and attend classes taught by Moore School faculty in accounting, management, finance, marketing and computer information systems as well as presentation skills, business research and teamwork. Working in five-member teams, the students will present their business plans to faculty, peers and executives on the final day of camp. The top three teams will be awarded with cash prizes.

  The 2009 Wachovia Business at Moore Summer Camp Scholars are:

  Adrienne Anderson, Wade Hampton H.S., Greenville, SC
  Tori Bobo, Greenville Technical Charter H.S., Greenville, SC
  Stephen Bradley, Bluffton H.S., Bluffton, SC
  Kourtney Bradshaw, Providence H.S., Charlotte, NC
  Devin Broaden, North Augusta H.S., North Augusta, SC
  Renee Brooks, Colleton County H.S., Walterboro, SC
  Kamaal Brown, Goose Creek H.S., Goose Creek, SC
  Kristen Brown, Rock Hill H.S., Rock Hill, SC
  Matthew Brown, Lower Richland H.S., Columbia, SC
  Michael Brown, Lower Richland H.S., Columbia, SC
  Charles Craig, Rock Hill H.S., Rock Hill, SC
  Blake Crawley, Chapin H.S., Chapin, SC
  Branden Crouch, Southside H.S., Greenville, SC
  Christopher Davis, Ridge View H.S., Columbia, SC
  DeShara Gadson, Bluffton H.S., Bluffton, SC
  Tonique Garrett, Highland School of Technology, Gastonia, NC
  Sheimaliz Glover, Ridge View H.S., Columbia, SC
  Allison Hill, Raleigh Charter H.S., Raleigh, NC
  Destinee Johnson, Westside H.S., Anderson, SC
  Sophia Jones, Rock Hill H.S., Rock Hill, SC
  Epiphany Keels, Cardinal Newman H.S., Columbia, SC
  Jonathan Larry, North Augusta H.S., North Augusta, SC
  Pedro Lopez de Victoria, South Aiken H.S., Aiken, SC
  Elliott Lynch, Walter M. Williams H.S., Burlington, NC
  William Nesmith, Sumter H.S., Sumter, SC
  Ashley Sabripour, Southside High School, Greenville, SC
  Patrick Sutton, Bishop England Catholic H.S., Charleston, SC
  Cheyenne Turner, Pinewood Preparatory School, Summerville, SC
  Quentin Williams, Mauldin H.S., Mauldin, SC
  Shanice Willingham, Barnwell H.S., Barnwell, SC