Paige C.

Q&A with Paige

• What did you enjoy most about your program experience?

  For me, the best part about NYLF Business Innovation was gaining the confidence to step outside of my comfort zone and meet new people from backgrounds entirely different from my own. Prior to the program, I had never truly interacted with like-minded students who are pursing goals outside of a typical high school curriculum. This experience allowed me to meet people from across the country, and even the world, who were all interested in learning about Global Business and Entrepreneurship. The topic may seem dense for a high school student, and it partly was, but it started a stimulating conversation among the students in the program. We would attend events, classes and seminars together, and afterwards share our opinions, how we valued the experience and what we were planning on taking with us. I appreciated the glimpse into college life because this was my first experience leaving home on my own and sharing a dorm room with a roommate.

• You accredit your experience with helping you determine your major and which university to attend. Can you explain how so?

  Since I was young, I had aspirations to attend college in New York City, as I have always known it to be the epicenter of the finance and business world. During the conference, we attended Professor Bruce Bachenheimer’s entrepreneurship presentation, where I first learned about the Pace University NYC campus. He was immensely passionate about the Pace Pitch Contest, in which students enter their business plans and pitch for funding. I suddenly understood that it was possible to launch and grow a business with the support of a university, and I decided that I was going to apply to Pace. Since then, I have competed in the Pace Pitch competition, as I truly believe that my experience with NYLF Business Innovation has come full circle.

• You recently started your own business, SheerStock. How did your experience prepare you for the challenges you'd face?

  Prior to NYLF Business Innovation, I did not have many opportunities to meet people outside of my small hometown or network of friends and family. Being able to strike up a conversation with anyone was not a skill that I had developed until I attended the program. On day one, we were all strangers, but by the end, I knew that I had made connections for life. By interacting with other students, I learned valuable communication skills and it influenced the way I approached my business when it was only an idea. I knew that I would have to raise awareness for the brand, share my plans for the future and network with students and professionals alike – all skills that I established during my NYLF Business Innovation program.

• What would you tell other students considering attending this program?

  If I could talk to students considering attending this program, I would tell them to forget about any summer plans they may have at home. Kids these days feel pressure that they are missing out if they are away from home, but what they would truly be missing out on is the experience of a lifetime if they pass up this opportunity. To be honest, this experience changed my life, and had I never made the decision to attend, I don’t know where or who I would be today.

• For parents who might be hesitant to send their son or daughter to a program, what would you tell them?

  Let them go! Forget about homesickness – students these days need real world experiences, and that is exactly what NYLF Business Innovation offers: the chance for your child to grow as an individual, expand their opportunities, and gain an understanding of university life.