Northern Ireland’s Young Entrepreneur of the Future 2012 gives food for thought at gala event

 

By Eleanor McGillie

THERE are not many Year 12 pupils who can describe themselves as an ‘entrepreneurial speakers’ but Markethill High School pupil, Laura Marshall, is exactly that.

Laura, who was crowned with the honour of being Northern Ireland’s Young Entrepreneur of the Future 2012, was invited to be a main speaker at this year’s prestigious Young Enterprise NI Awards 2013.

The awards, which were supported by Ulster Business School, the University of Ulster and Ernst & Young,  prepare young people in Northern Ireland for the world of business and recognise their achievements.

Laura was speaking to a packed audience comprising of business people and students at the gala ceremony at Belfast City Hall.

She said: “The Young Enterprise Company Programme was really my first stepping stone to get me to where I am today and to be awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the year. The experience you have all gained over the past few months, I can assure you, is second to none, and if you haven’t noticed this already, you definitely will over the next few weeks, months and even years.

“Young Enterprise has helped me develop the confidence to trust my own instincts and believe in myself. It was my first venture into working as a team and realising how many different aspects there are to creating a well-rounded business, including teamwork, leadership, communication, managing risk and responding to change, confidence and a can-do attitude.

“You may not have realised, but during your time taking part in the team and company programme, you have been developing these skills and learning new ones.

“You have gained business and economic understanding, as well as a multitude of other skills through your participation in the company programme, whilst creating some unforgettable experiences and that is something that you should be very grateful for.”

The evening was hosted by Pete Snodden, from Cool FM, and included highlights from students involved this year and last year. Young Enterprise Ambassador and former Apprentice star, Jim Eastwood, was also speaking.  They keynote speaker for the evening was Aaron Taylor of Goprezzo and Maria Doran, Young Apprentice finalist and Young Enterprise alumni, also attended to show her support.

Laura gave the students the encouragement to push forward with their ambitions.

She added: “Everyone here tonight is a winner; you have all gained something over the past few months. Use this experience to your advantage. Believe in yourself as the question you should be asking yourselves isn’t ‘who’s going to let me’ but rather ‘who is going to stop me’.”

 

ENDS:

For further information contact Eleanor McGillie of MGMPR Ltd on 028 3756 9569 | 07709805379 Education PR Public Relations Northern Ireland | Public Relations UK | Brand Journalism Experts | Brand Journalism Northern Ireland | Brand Journalism UK

NOTES TO EDITOR:

Markethill High School is a co-educational 11-16 Comprehensive School situated on a spacious site adjacent to the town. Since 1959 the school has been educating pupils of all abilities drawn from a wide geographical area. The school’s ethos is ‘Believe To Achieve’.

• January 2012 – Markethill High School – winners of a £4,000 prize fund for the best Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics project application to develop those subjects with Year 9 pupils.
• In May 2012 Markethill High School was announced the British Academy Award Winner for the Best School in Northern Ireland for Modern Languages, with an award of £4,000. The school is shortlisted to the final three schools for the title of Best School in the United Kingdom for the delivery of Modern Language education.
• In May 2012 – Laura Marshall in Year 11 was awarded the outstanding title of Northern Ireland’s Young Entrepreneur of the Future
• For the second year running, in June 2012, Jonathan Armstrong in Year 12 was named the Southern Regional College student of the Year as a result of his work on the Schools’ Partnership Programme studying Occupational Studies
• In November 2012, Markethill High School win Euroscola Programme