Mr. Dura’s third period Entrepreneurship class went on two field trips last week. They attended the USC Entrepreneurship seminar on Tuesday, December 8th and visited the Garment District in Downtown LA on Wednesday, December 9th.

At the USC Entrepreneurship seminar, students from several high schools (including those from HMSA) attended three seminars. Before each seminar, all of the students engaged in an icebreaker. They played a game where they each had to guess the names of famous entrepreneurs written on strips of papers attached to their backs (Monique E.).

The first seminar consisted of a panel of entrepreneurs discussing the importance of brands. One of the guest speakers was Jonathan Ward, the CEO of ICON. After the first seminar, all of the students were broken up into groups. The groups then attended two smaller seminars, each organized and presented by a successful entrepreneur. The entrepreneurs talked about their backgrounds, their businesses, and tips on how to become a successful entrepreneur. They also encouraged the students to “take risks and believe in [themselves]” (Gerardo S.).

At the Garment District in Downtown LA, the students began their preparations for the upcoming Holiday Mall. Each student was given a budget of $25 ($50 if working with a partner) to purchase items for their Holiday Mall booths. They all “looked through several stores to see which ones offered items for the best prices” (Kamera F.). They bargained with the store owners to get the lowest and most reasonable deals. They were successful in purchasing a variety of items.

Senior Gerardo O. believed these field trips contributed to “a real entrepreneurship experience.”

Senior Kamera F.  stated that “the trip was one of the best field trips [she has] ever gone on.”