(submitted photo/Cumberland College)

By Ben Tompkins

Future entrepreneurs?

Cumberland College students win Newsask YBEX awards

May 17, 2023 | 3:13 PM

Three northeast post-secondary students recently stole the show at the Newsask Youth Business Excellence Awards (YBEX) competition.

Brayden Hodgson, Karissa Collison, and Sky Turner took home awards in both the business plan and business venture categories, as members of Cumberland College.

“We are incredibly proud of our Cumberland College General Business Diploma students for their achievements at the YBEX competition,” said Cumberland College’s chair of postsecondary education, Jeff Fisher.

“This provides them with that confidence and reassurance that what they’re doing in our programming is providing them with that knowledge and real-life experience to prepare them for the business world going forward.”

In the business plan individual category for out of school youth, all three were awarded prizes for their written business plan submissions.

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Hodgson from Melfort, and Collison from Tisdale tied for first place with their business plans for Northern Sporting Goods and Lit’est Pot Shop, respectively, while Turner of Melfort took home the third-place prize for Best Dressed.

Meanwhile, in the business venture category, Hodgson’s Northern Sporting Goods and Collison’s Lit’est Pot Shop were awarded first and second place, respectively, for their Zoom presentation pitches.

“As is the case with any of our programs, we’re always extremely proud of the success of the students, their work ethic, and all of the good things that they do. When they get an opportunity to be recognized through anything outside of the college, that solidifies and further gives example of the good work that they’re doing,” added Fisher.

In accordance with the competition regulations, 50 per cent of the YBEX winnings are awarded to the students’ institution.

Cumberland College reinvests the funds towards a scholarship for future Cumberland College Business Diploma students.

“So the $500 scholarship that will be made available to a student next year, is a direct result of the success of the students this year, so in lots of ways, sort of an opportunity to pay it forward to the future students,” explained Fisher.

In Hodgson’s case, he was the recipient of the Cumberland College Scholarship last year, which was made possible by the previous year’s class winnings.

In a press release sent to northeastNOW he spoke about the full circle moment.

“I am grateful for the opportunities provided by Cumberland College and Newsask Community Futures and am honoured to receive these awards, as it feels great knowing that next year’s business students will benefit from our accomplishments.”

The YBEX competition, organized by Community Futures Newsask is an entrepreneurship program that encourages participants to showcase their business ideas and to explore entrepreneurship as an option for starting their own business.

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news@northeastnow.com

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