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Opening Doors for Brighter Futures: FSU’s School of Entrepreneurship by priscilla feroli and hannah miller
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“The program opened doors to so many different perspectives and skill sets, and allowed each of us to define very unique career paths...” —Hannah Miller
lorida State University has exceeded our expectations once again in scholastics and accomplishments. The new Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship, which began accepting students in fall of 2017, will be congratulating its very first graduating class in May. Leading the charge is Dr. Susan Fiorito, the program director for the new school. She has worked at Florida State University since 1990 and says of the program, “Entrepreneurship is a state of mind. It’s a passion for wanting to be your own boss, for finding a new way to solve a problem or meet a need. I spent years leading my own business with a focused devotion to meeting customers’ needs, so I can completely relate to students who feel that same drive and desire to create.” As an empowered woman paving the way for this program, Dr. Fiorito continues to be noted while she inspires students to grow, seize opportunities and learn.
What’s Next? The school currently offers three majors: commercial entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and retail entrepreneurship.
But they are not stopping there; the School of Entrepreneurship is also on track to offer two additional majors and multiple graduate programs. Within five years of the school’s inception, the school plans to offer five majors. These programs include the three majors already integrated into the school, as well as a STEM-focused track and an arts and music-focused track. As for the graduate programs, master’s of textiles and apparel will begin this fall semester, and the following year, fall 2020, master’s programs in hospitality entrepreneurship and product development will be available. The Jim Moran School is on the road to success, and the new graduates look forward to showing the world what the first class has to offer. Florida State University, together with its new School of Entrepreneurship, continues to expand opportunities for students here in Tallahassee and for prospective students around the world.
Photo by Kaitlin Simpson
Jim Moran School Breakdown The Jim Moran School is the nation’s very first stand-alone School of Entrepreneurship at a public university and is creating a path for student innovators at Florida State. The new School of Entrepreneurship works hard to promote and encourage experience-based learning by incorporating numerous hands-on opportunities for its students. The growing program hosts innovative competitions, as well as provides grants to develop student businesses and encourages students to step up as leaders through various opportunities to influence
the program’s growth. The school also brings in entrepreneur-in-residence staff to teach their students, which has allowed real-world experience to be a part of every classroom discussion. Hannah Miller, a senior in the program, stated, “The program opened doors to so many different perspectives and skill sets and allowed each of us to define very unique career paths. As a group, we found our interests and strengths spread across a wide spectrum, and these differences placed a large emphasis on collaboration and team-oriented growth. My professors and the curriculum also constantly encouraged us to think in ways that others did not. After countless innovation exercises and multiple courses dedicated to creating and growing unique microbusinesses, the idea of thinking differently now comes naturally.”
tallahassee woman | 22 | april • may 2019