Entrepreneurs from Mullingar, Kilbeggan and Moate to represent Westmeath at Student Enterprise National Finals
Local Enterprise Office Westmeath have confirmed that teenage entrepreneurs from Mullingar, Kilbeggan and Moate schools will represent Westmeath at this year’s Student Enterprise Programme National Final on Thursday May 9.
The students all took part in the Westmeath final on March 5 at the Golden Island Shopping Centre, Athlone.
An estimated 1000 students took part in the annual programme for 2023/2024.
The enterprise education initiative, funded by the government through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 28,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2023 / 2024.
The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Final.
The students representing Westmeath at the national final are
Junior: Moate Community School, Eco Estate (honey products); Will O’Brien, Conor Cunniffe, Aodhan Curren, Jack McGuinness.
Intermediate: Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan, Silk and Ivory (handmade soap); Odhran Claffey.
Senior: St Finian’s College, Hatch it Out (hatch your own chickens pack with an educational aspect); John Glennon, Brian Dillon and Jamie Gaffney.
Other category award recipients
Most Enterprising School: Our Lady’s Bower; Mad Systemz and Locker Ledge, Ellie Byrne, Isabel Leech, Mia Daly, Emma Boyle, Aoibhin Tynan, Molly Copelin.
Junior Runner Up: Moate Community School, Wooden Wonders; Evan Allen, Oisin Collins, Senan Hatton
Intermediate Runner Up: Mullingar Community College, My Decor; Pamela Goldi, Diay Badushah, Adeeba Ahmadi.
Best Display: Mercy Secondary School, Rudaí Deasa, Maire Claire Maxwell.
One To Watch Award: St Finian’s College; Gloine Mara, Abigail O’Connor, Anna Sheehy, Kila Fagan, Molly Goldsberry, Isabel Cox.
Sustainability Award: St Joseph’s Secondary School; Sniff Savers; Max Flynn.
Student Choice Award: St Finian’s College; Hatch It Out; John Glennon, Brian Dillon, Jamie Gaffney.
Senior Runner Up: Our Lady’s Bower; Mad Systemz, Ellie Byrne, Isobel Leech, Aoibhin Tynan, Molly Copelin.
Special guests at the Westmeath final included Cllr Liam McDaniel (cathaoirleach) and Barry Kehoe, interim chief executive.
Christine Charlton, head of Enterprise of Local Enterprise Office, Westmeath, congratulated the students: “We have a successful student enterprise programme here in Westmeath, and more than 1000 students from 13 local schools took part this year.
“Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the best of luck on May 9, and we will be there to support them.
“What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business.
“The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers.”
The local students will be competing against hundreds of other student entrepreneurs from all over Ireland at the Student Enterprise Programme National Final, in the Mullingar Park Hotel on May 9.
Since th Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, 380,000 students have taken part.
The Student Enterprise Programme also has new range of online resources for 2023/2024 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
Further information around the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie and by searching #studententerprise on social media.