Student a ‘shoe-in’ for top enterprise award

A TRANSITION year student with designs on success has won the top award at the Student Enterprise Awards National Finals in Dublin yesterday.

Tara Haughton, a 16-year-old student from Cross and Passion College in Kilcullen, Co Kildare, and who trades under the name Rosso Solini, was named as the winner in the senior category at the awards after she produced stickers that can be used to create designer looking high-heel shoes.

Tara, who has made €65,000 since she started her business in November, said: “The fact that I won the competition has not sunk in yet. All I want to do now is keep the business going.”

Also among the winners at the awards were two card sharp students from Kerry.

Gráinne Ághras and Ian Ó Gealbháin, both aged 14, from Pobal Scoil Corca Dhuibhne in Dingle, have been successfully marketing playing cards with advertising slots.

The two second-year students were chosen from over 240 teenage entrepreneurs from secondary schools throughout Ireland who competed in the national final.

Gráinne said she hit on the idea for the new business venture last year while playing cards with her family and contacted Ian straight away.

The advertising slots are printed on the coloured cards, produced in China, and the enterprising duo have made €2,220 selling the product, the culmination of eight months of hard work by the students.

Last year, the two students got as far as the county finals with their “goody bags” for children, which Ian admitted was a non-runner.

“We have had no bother selling the playing cards locally and now we intend to go to other towns with our product,” said Ian.

Since last September, around 15,000 students from 400 secondary schools have researched, set up and managed their own businesses through the Student Enterprise Programme with support from their schools and local Enterprise Board.

The up and coming entrepreneurs were in Croke Park to showcase their products and services for the judging panel.

The teenage entrepreneurs were judged on areas such as market research, production, personal development, finances, business planning, interview techniques and risk management.

Chair of the Enterprise Education Committee with the County and City Enterprise Boards, Dave Cody, said around €600,000 had been spent on this year’s competition between the regional and national finals.

“Fostering entrepreneurship is critical to creating an enterprising culture in Ireland’s smart economy,” he stressed.

* www.studententerprise.ie