Clairemont business school goes international

The Clairemont High School Academy of Business recently placed 16th in a worldwide competition. Students from as many as 19 countries gathered online to participate in a competition to determine who could create the most efficient and profitable business.

The program called, the “Social Innovation Relay,” provided aspiring entrepreneurs with the hands-on skills and business expertise needed to start a successful business. The program provided a combination of both virtual and face-to-face mentoring by experienced executives.

The participating teams were paired with “e-mentors” who were all Hewlett Packard employees. The mentors worked with the students to help them develop concept papers that could be translated into a feasible business plan.

Thanks to the diligent work of business students Stephanie Kwik, Raymond Perea and Stephanie Hernandez, AOB ranked 16th out of 42,000 other teams with students from programs similar to the Academy of Business.

They placed first within the United States. In addition to earning bragging rights, each student was given a free HP laptop by the competitions sponsors, Hewlett Packard and Junior Achievement.The Social Innovation Relay first launched in 2010, has connected more than 67,000 students and 800 Hewlett Packard mentors from 19 countries.

This year, nearly 1,600 teams around the world registered for the relay, showcasing an ever increasing interest in the initiative around the world.

 – By O'rion Kennedy , Staff Writer, The Arrow, Clairemont High School