What We’re Learning: Entrepreneurship Class

This semester, our entrepreneurship class is highlighting vocation and innovation. We’ve been learning more about ourselves with each class as we explore what it takes to be a healthy leader. To better understand our vocation, we find ourselves asking a lot of questions: “What am I passionate about?” “What does the world need?” “What can I do to help?” The first assigned reading for the course is a book called Ikigai and it’s about the Japanese secret to happiness. We reference it a lot because it so succinctly tackles the problem of purpose and where to look for it. 

As the semester continues, we notice that the books we read often talk to each other. In Ikigai, Viktor Frankl and his book Man’s Search for Meaning is mentioned as a big inspiration. It just so happens that Man’s Search for Meaning was our first assigned reading for the last semester. Knowing who the author was referencing feels like we’re a part of the conversation. What’s even better–and my favorite part of the entrepreneurship curriculum–is taking action.

This semester alone, we have gone to El Salvador to see first hand how a new, innovative economic system is being put into play. We didn’t just read about it in an article or history book– we were able to witness the people that are making history. On that trip, we learned through exploration and experience–not to mention the amazing people and connections we made along the way. Secondly, we are currently planning this year’s Common Good Market which adds to our experience as real-life entrepreneurs.

Projects like these force us Hildegadians to rise to the occasion since the stakes are higher than simply doing a report or writing an essay; we are responsible for the success, not only of ourselves, but of the vendors and customers of this event. There is no better way to learn about entrepreneurship than through doing, and we are able to fully understand that this semester. Thankfully, the work we do is immediately rewarded with the knowledge that we are making real change in our communities and the communities of others. 

Pretty soon, we’ll embark on our own entrepreneurial paths in the form of our polymath project. It’s comforting to know that we have the best support system a student can ask for, and it's exciting to think about our ideas manifesting in reality. I can’t wait to look back and see the exponential growth this class has provided. Stay tuned.