Idea Napkin No. 2

1. My name is Juan Muñoz and I am a third year economics major. I have a background in art and design and I am currently working on a minor in studio art. I have worked for several small private businesses including hotels, county clubs and dental practices. I see my idea as more of a non-profit organization rather than a business. My hopes are that this idea grows enough to be able to help many kids nationwide and that I am there to help it grow and succeed until it reaches a point where it is making a big difference. I think this idea could potentially be a major part of my life and possibly a lifelong career or a major stepping stone to a lifelong career.

2. What I am offering to students k-12 is the opportunity expand their knowledge and understanding of different careers and occupations. I believe that there is a major flaw with our education system because there is very little if any career guidance for students throughout their years in elementary, middle and high school. My organization would help guide them to the career that is right for them by exposing them to different career paths through a shadowing program. The organization would work along with their education institution to come up with possible careers that would be right for the student according to their academic strengths, their preferences and their interests. The program would allow the kids enrolled to shadow professionals along with other kids and trained personnel every couple years as their preferences, interests, and academic strengths change. My organization would try to eliminate or reduce the amount of high school graduates that start college without an idea of what they want to major in.

3. My program would be aimed towards students k-12 of all different types of backgrounds that display good behavior and a promising academic future. Ideally my program would eventually be available to all students k-12 but at least in the beginning the program would have to start small until gathers more resources and support. My program would be offered to private as well as public schools although I imagine that it would be very difficult to gain approval by a public education board because of the long, complex process of approval.

4. I think that many organizations, educational institutions, families and even the government would be interested in financially supporting my idea because it would improve the education system and the economy in the long run if it is utilized nationwide. By having students start college with a good understanding of what they want to do and what they are good at, students will graduate faster and will enter fields and industries which are better suited for them. This would help improve the workforce and bring a new generation of professionals with more competence and potential in their fields. The students would be interested in participating in the program because it would help them explore different professions, expand their perspective, and alleviate the anxiety of not knowing what they want to study as college approaches.

5. I don’t think that I necessarily have any special competencies or experience that would set me apart from anyone else. However, this is an issue that I am passionate about and that has been troubling me since my senior year of high school. This issue has also been brought to my attention over and over during my college years as I talk to students who never received the professional guidance that they needed during their k-12 years. I firmly believe that my idea could make a big difference for many students and could help people live happier, more fulfilling lives. This belief and this passion for my idea sets me apart from other people that could start an organization like this.

I think all of the elements described in my napkin idea fit together. The only element that perhaps stands out is the fact that I don’t have any special competencies or experience that would make me a unique or vital part of this idea. However, I don’t think that this idea necessarily needs any special skills or experience. It would be great to have experience managing a program, however I don’t it is necessary if you have a clear idea and an organized plan.

The feedback that I received did not have any suggestions or criticisms. Everyone who commented on it thought it was a good idea and explained how from their personal experience how they would have benefited from this program. I did not have to change anything since no one gave me any suggestions. The five points that were highlighted and praised by my peers were:

1.       Enrollment at an early age.

2.       Variety in career exploration

3.       Give kids a good idea of their future career

4.       Decrease the number of times students switch majors in college

5.       Career support throughout high school.