Tamia Harvey-Martin, a Bensalem High School senior, earned a $4,000 scholarship for her idea to foster intercultural understanding through a social media or blog hotspot
The Times
Ten talented high school entrepreneurs with startup ideas or fledgling businesses, out of a field of nearly 250 applicants, faced off in a Shark Tank-style competition, the fourth annual High School Pirates Pitch, sponsored by the Stillman School of Business and its Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Seton Hall University on Nov. 16.
Tamia Harvey-Martin, a senior attending Bensalem High School who is currently studying at Changzhou High School in China on a prestigious NSLI-Y scholarship, was a finalist. Her idea to foster global and intercultural understanding through a social media or blog hotspot earned her a $4,000 scholarship to attend Seton Hall University.
The high school “sharks” presented five-minute pitches, followed by five minutes of questions to an independent judge panel comprised of alumni and entrepreneurs. The 10 student finalists submitted outstanding business ideas, or already have businesses, either for profit or in the social entrepreneurship area. All finalists received scholarships to attend Seton Hall.
The High School Pirates Pitch is based on the Center’s highly successful College Pirates Pitch Competition. The initiative is geared to teaching high school students entrepreneurship basics and idea generation as well as recognizing and rewarding students with outstanding entrepreneurial know-how. Bringing them to Seton Hall’s campus also exposes them to one of the nation’s top business leadership programs.
The event included a congratulatory reception on campus following the competition, where they met with corporate executives and successful entrepreneurs, having an opportunity to network and receive valuable advice for their startups.
“It was truly inspiring to see the talent and creativity of these young entrepreneurs who supported their business concepts with some solid analysis. I’m also so proud to see the growth in this annual competition, with each year bringing a greater number of applications from a wider geographic area,” said Joyce A. Strawser, Dean, Stillman School of Business.
