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Entrepreneurship Program Launched at Mississippi College


MC student Kyle Alford of Tupelo is a biomedical sciences major and entrepreneurship minor.

A successful entrepreneur, Jonathan Ishee serves as the CEO and president at Broad River Furniture.

A 2000 Mississippi College business administrative graduate, Ishee leads a booming company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. What began in 2003 as a firm he co-founded with one location in Pineville, N.C. spread across the state along with stores in South Carolina and Georgia. The company is staffed by hundreds of employees.

Ishee is counted among the bold and innovative entrepreneurs making a difference in business circles across America. MC School of Business leaders point to the alumnus as a role model for students engaged in a new program launched on the Clinton campus.

Starting this Fall, Mississippi College students have the opportunity to be entrepreneurship majors or minors. At the moment, there are 60 students signed up forclasses. There are seven majors, but the program is expected to experience dramatic growth in years to come.

The program in Self Hall, said MC Business Dean Marcelo Eduardo, “will provide students with a valuable option that will enhance their ability to imagine, create, plan, develop and operate a new venture.

The curriculum incorporates all phases of business plus a diverse array of complimentary activities. That includes academic competitions, employing anentrepreneur in residence, company internships and a high-tech business incubator. “All make for a strong and vibrant career option for our students, Eduardo said.

MC School of Business leaders were delighted to invite Ishee back to the Clinton campus in late September to tell hundreds of students about his retail company. He also touched on the possibilities ahead for prospective entrepreneurs with big dreams.

Millions of Americans see the upside in the marketplace to becoming entrepreneurs. Fans of the popular ABC TV show “Shark Tank, each week are treated to the business vision of emerging entrepreneurs. Whether the show’s guests work with “Shark Tankinvestors like Mark Cuban or not, they often bring interesting ideas to the table.

The idea-rich Mississippi College program is designed for people who want to run a small business, says professor John Brandon, who oversees entrepreneurship studies.

Courses showcasing entrepreneurship don’t just appeal to business students. They are important for students with majors in Christian studies, music, art, and many others, Brandon said.

MC student Kyle Alford of Tupelo is majoring in biomedical sciences. But he believes his minor in entrepreneurship is key to achieving much more as a dentist.

A 2015 Tupelo High graduate, Alford, 20, says the minor at Mississippi College will equip him valuable business skills should he pursue his dreams of owning a dental clinic in a few years.

Planning to graduate MC in May 2019, Alford will apply to the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry in Jackson.

In the months ahead, Mississippi College School of Business leader will promote thenew initiative. The program on the Clinton campus should receive a major boost soon. Eduardo, Brandon and others anticipate the creation of an entrepreneur center at the 5,121-student Baptist-affiliated university in 2018.

For more details, contact John Brandon at brandon00@mc.edu or Marcelo Eduardo at eduardo@mc.edu