Coker University has many opportunities for students to explore the world of business. Business professor Dr. Andy Burkemper has had many students participate in Leadership and Entrepreneurship conventions and presentations that give students expansive knowledge.
Senior and physical education student Julie Hilliard participated in the College Ethics Symposium on Hilton Head Island.
The College Ethics Symposium on Hilton Head Island is a three-day event where students worldwide come and discuss present-day ethical issues. Coker University was one of the ten participating schools at this event.
Sophomore Madeline Fontana and Hilliard participated in round table discussions on the different topics and networked with many of the facilitators at the symposium.
“It was an eye-opening experience to be at a conference unrelated to athletics. I loved how I could relate to students who were not athletes, and we could converse about real world issues and find solutions together,” Hilliard said. “We got to dive into issues on each of our campuses. That dialogue was very beneficial for me to bring back certain ideas to Coker.”
Hilliard is also taking Dr. Burkemper's BUS-300 Leadership and Entrepreneurship Executive Roundtable course, which directly engages with successful community leaders for students of all academic majors. Class sessions are featured by numerous guest speakers who have excelled in their personal lives and careers.
Coker students Jack Valentine, sophomore, and junior Christopher Carino recently finished 3rd place out of 100+ entries in the 2023 SC Innovates statewide student pitch competition in Columbia, South Carolina.
Coker's BUS 150 course, Intro to Entrepreneurship, helped prepare the students with their entrepreneurship and innovation skills for the statewide competition.
Valentine and Carino's idea for the competition was The FairWay Finder, a golf ball with a tracking chip and a reading in the chip that will give the swing metrics, such as velocity off the club, launch angle, slice or hook, and many more metrics.
"Being able to make it to the top four and being able to bring our idea into a real pitch was an amazing experience in my eyes, seeing myself being able to talk in front of that many people," Carino said.
