On Apr. 16, 2024, two South High students went to Kansas State University to compete in the Kansas Entrepreneurship Competition (KEC). Dylan Norris (‘25), had an automatic entry as he came in first place at the Youth Entrepreneurship Competition (YEC). Londyn Detlefson (‘24), came in third place at the YEC, so she did not have an automatic entry, but she was chosen from the wildcard picking.
First place winners at their local YEC get an automatic entry, but this year they also included second place winners as well. The wildcard is a chance for people to apply and possibly be the lucky 15 to be selected into the competition. There were over 50 students at K-State, who were showcasing their small businesses.
The event consisted of students going into rooms and give a speech about their business in front of judges. After, the trade show started, where people would come into the building and talk with these students. Questions were being asked, businesses were getting recognized and people got to choose up to three businesses they wanted to vote for as the “People’s Choice Award”.
“My favorite thing about the KEC was being able to present to the judges and hear positive feedback about my ideas. I learned that having a lot of confidence and passion in what you’re doing is key to success,” Norris said.
As the trade show concluded, the students went into separate rooms to play a game that taught them about leadership, while the sponsors counted the votes. After the game concluded, everyone gathered and started announcing winners.
“This was a huge learning experience for me because it made me get out of my comfort zone and think on my feet. One of the things that I learned a lot from was the networking game, this game has taught me how to strategize with a team and learn to change the strategy you’re using for a better outcome,” Detlefson said.
The judges were so amazed that they concluded that all businesses got to take home $500.
There were many different categories to win in. The first category was People’s Choice and Detlefson was one of the winners, and took home $750. The final category was exemplary, which was considered the best. Norris won in the non-existent category and took home $2,500.
“I love watching the students’ confidence grow with each presentation they make and each person they talked to about their business as the day progressed. The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge is not just an opportunity to win cash prizes, it is an amazing opportunity for students to step outside of their comfort zone and challenge themselves. Although it is an emotionally and mentally draining day, I’ve never heard a student say they regretted participating and you can definitely see a difference in the students self-confidence from the beginning of the competition to the end,” Orlando Carmona, business teacher, said.
Carmona chooses students to participate at the YEC yearly in his business classes as it is a great opportunity to learn and have new experiences.
