There’s nothing more inspiring than seeing someone take that leap of faith and follow their dreams. The Mercedes College MC8 Entrepreneur Programme shows students how to do it.
Why would anyone choose to work in a job they didn’t like? Think about it: a 40-hour week amounts to approximately 2,000 hours a year of not being passionate about what you do for a living. That’s 2,000 hours. Every. Single. Year! Throughout life, we’ll often hear people — parents, teachers and global influencers like Gary Vaynerchuck — say, “Follow your dreams”. But then what? They don’t tell us where to start or how to know if our ideas will work. When you see someone taking control and building a life from something they’re truly passionate about, you feel inspired by the belief they had in their idea.
Getting started is one of the hardest parts, so Mercedes College created the MC8 Entrepreneurship Programme to teach students how to take an idea to market with confidence. This extra- curricular programme is an extension of the thinking and problem-solving skills already delivered through the International Baccalaureate, and SACE Middle and Senior School Programmes. Students learn what makes a successful start-up, evolving initial thoughts, customer testing, sharing more developed ideas and working through the pains and gains along the way.
And the best part: students learn from entrepreneurs in the real world — people who walk their talk. Michael Francis, M8 Programme Teacher says, “This course is bespoke, developed with industry partners. It’s unique to Mercedes College and not something you’ll find anywhere else.” The course was designed to make these classroom ideas, which solve real customer problems, needs or wants, a tangible reality.
It also gives students an opportunity to be surrounded by other creative, innovative and highly motivated people. They’ll become sounding boards for their peers, just like we have out in the real world. It’s far from just theory in a classroom. Michael says, “We’re preparing students for that style of learning they’ll see in the workplace.”
Mercedes College has seen many former students take on global markets with incredible stories of start-up success. Former student and local entrepreneur, Jono Kaitatzis, says, “Since finishing at Mercedes College in 2007, I leapt at the opportunity to follow my passions and work alongside my brother, Christopher. I’m grateful to be in a position to love what I do!” He went on to establish The Market Shed on Holland in 2013; then Plant 4, Bowden in 2016 and Plant 3, Bowden in 2021.
The college invites old scholars, along with families of current students, to get involved in the MC8 Programme and help fast-track ideas that will help our community for years to come.
Head to the website for more information.
