Viera wins top prize at Business Plan Challenge By Carl Kotala
Students from Viera High School’s Academy of Business and Finance not only got a chance to experience what it is like to create a business plan … they also got a taste of success. Viera students took first and third place at the second annual Junior Achievement of the Space Coast “Be VIERA VOICE Carl Kotala Entrepreneurial Business Plan Viera High’s Academy of Business and Finance took first and third place Challenge” in December. The at the “Be Entrepreneurial Business Plan Challenge.” Pictured from left event was held at the Florida are members of the two teams: teacher Sandy Spence, Shelby Jelenik, Institute of Technology and Dalton Wiedman, Joey Molnar, Dominick Vaske, Sean McKeel and also sponsored by the college’s Nicole Fraumeni. Nathan M. Bisk College of Business and Women’s Business Center. First-prize winners were awarded $1,500 from the Balda Family Foundation and also split $160,000 in scholarships to attend Florida Tech for four years. The thirdCOUPON
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place team was awarded $500 from Maverick Media. “It has boosted their confidence,” Viera teacher Sandy Spence said. “They’re actually having to experience being a leader and the real, true meaning of it. It’s showing them what it’s like to be successful. That’s a cool thing. You have to know how to handle that, too. It was very exciting for us.” There were 17 teams at the two-round event. Four finalists were selected and pitched their plan to a panel of judges under the premise of seeking investors. Seniors Shelby Jelinek and Nicole Fraumeni, took third place with their idea for waterproof headphones. The winning team consisted of juniors Dalton Wiedman, Joey Molnar, Dominick Vaske
and Sean McKeel. Their idea was called Go Fitness. “The concept was we would bring the gym to you and have a personal trainer for those who don’t have time to actually go to the gym,” Wiedman said. “We would set up a time slot.” The students spent roughly four weeks putting their projects together, learning about leadership, compromise and, of course, teamwork. Taking first place came as a surprise, and it also may have put at least one student on his future career path. “What it did most for me is that it kind of locked in my want to become a business man,” McKeel said. “I’m looking at going into international business, and winning this competition inspired me a little bit more to do so.” VV
Manatee student selected first Student of the Month
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www.melaniessalonandspa.com Viera Voice • February 2013
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VOICE
T EONN D TH U STOF THE M VIERA VOICE Susan Taylor
Viera Voice Student of the Month Paola Irizarry of Manatee Elementary School, center, with teacher Shirley Bunker, right, and Principal Carl Brown, said helping others helped her settle into a challenging school year. By Linda Wiggins
After a bumpy transition to her new school last year, Manatee Elementary School sixth grader Paola Irizarry began to hit her stride this year, feeling plugged in, back to being the happy, high achieving student she had been before the move. All the while, she was reaching out to other students to help them with transitions of their own. Her hard work and giving spirit earned Paolo the honor as Viera Voice Student of the Month. “Paola has an extraordinary ability to make herself available to teachers and fellow students, helping in any way she can without sacrificing her own academic responsibilities,” said her teacher, Shirley Bunker. “She continues to push herself in pursuit of the
highest standards. She never makes excuses, but consistently does whatever is necessary to reach her full potential.” Recently, Paola’s class gained a new student from Peru. The new classmate speaks no English and was overwhelmed. Fortunately, Paola is bilingual and made herself immediately and consistently available to help her new friend make a smooth adjustment to her challenging environment. Additionally, Paola volunteered to provide a copy of written notes for a classmate with a learning disability. “She does this beautifully and without drawing attention to her contribution or to her classmate’s special needs,” said Manatee Principal Carl Brown. “Quiet service is her natural demeanor.”
Paola’s classmates and superiors noted that she demonstrates a strength of character under all circumstances. “She can be counted on to do the right thing, serving as a role-model without putting herself above others.” “She has a genuine sense of humility rare in someone with so many fine qualities,” were some of the comments, including, “We really hope she gets the award because she is so unassuming that she could easily be overlooked.” In fact, all of the students in Paola’s class, sang her praises except for one: Paola. “I am really happy that I won. It feels good to get acknowledgement for all that people think I have done,” Paula said. “But to me, I don’t think I do anything that anyone else wouldn’t do for me.” VV
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