Americus Mayor Barry Blount and South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) President Dr. John Watford joined members of the South Georgia Technical College Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) organization for a celebration of American Enterprise Day in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the SGTC Americus campus recently.
Mayor Blount, President Watford, and SGTC PBL President Heather Hinton signed a proclamation declaring November 12th as Free Enterprise Day in Americus. Established by President Jimmy Carter in Executive Proclamation 4778 on August 8, 1980, American Enterprise Day encourages Americans to celebrate the free enterprise system in the United States and its benefits.
Local motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur Marc Arnett served as guest speaker for SGTC’s American Enterprise Day event.
“Entrepreneurship is the backbone of this nation,” Arnett said. He spoke of the value of each person’s mind, and encouraged everyone in attendance to understand their worth and to put in the effort to maximize their potential. “With the right mindset, every loss is a lesson. With the right mindset, every obstacle is just an opportunity to prove yourself.”
Arnett stressed that, in order to be a successful entrepreneur, it is critical for each person to find their own personal ‘why’ – the thing that motivates them to push through the stresses of owning and running a business. “Your ‘why’ is what’s going to change your life,” he said. For himself, Arnett stated his ‘why’ is to be a good example for his children. He told the audience that he dropped out of college several times, and only completed his degree when he realized how important it was that his children see him put in the work to follow through and graduate.
Over 120 people attended this year’s American Enterprise Day event at SGTC, including several regional Future Business Leaders of Americus (FBLA) chapters: Americus Sumter High School FBLA, Schley County Middle/High School FBLA, Taylor County High School FBLA, and Webster County High School FBLA. FBLA advisers were given gifts for their service. All high school students were provided with SGTC enrollment materials from Admissions as well Dual Enrollment information.
Each year in November, FBLA-PBL members celebrate American enterprise in their local chapters and communities all over America. Through partnership with business projects and local chapter business appreciation, members have gained an understanding of the rights and obligations in owning a business.
FBLA-PBL’s mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. Through integrated programs and curriculum, FBLA-PBL is on the leading edge of career and technical education. Promoting business ethics is critical to their organization and to the future of the Americus economy.
PBL is made up of students from marketing, business administration technology, computer information systems, welding, aviation, commercial truck driving, accounting, criminal justice, nursing, and more. PBL gives students an opportunity to enhance their learning experience, participate in competitions, and network with students and employers from all over the world. South Georgia Technical college offers over 200 degree, diploma and technical certificate of credit programs along with numerous opportunities for membership in organizations such as PBL. Visit www.southgatech.edu for more information, and to apply for spring semester. Classes begin January 9.