The Undergraduate Student Assembly, in conjunction with the School of Business and the Entrepreneurial Society, presented the first episode of UGSA Week on Monday.
The forum, entitled "How to Become An Entrepreneur," featured Howard's own Augustus Ford, a senior marketing major. The event was UGSA's first attempt towards creating a student business directory encompassing all student-run businesses on campus.
"The UGSA Week is a week that UGSA has designated to highlighting each of the schools," said Rory Scott, a senior computer information systems major and UGSA representative for the School of Business. "I hope that this will [impart] students with pertinent information from a very successful business man, like Augustus Ford."
He added, "UGSA, along with the Entrepreneurial Society, are hoping that this will lead to the establishment of a directory of student businesses on campus."
In competition with the Haunted Hilltop and other campus happenings, the event was considered a success by many.
Augustus Ford, the guest speaker of the evening, remained interactive and enthusiastic as he discussed what he considered the basic tools every student needs to start their own company: exploring banking options, spiritual grounding, planning.
"You have be strong, work through all the no's until you find a yes," Ford said. "You need to have faith and you need to know where you are going, 'If you fail to plan; you plan to fail."
Humorously reflecting upon his days as a security guard and as a gas attendant in Maryland, Ford illustrated the importance of entrepreneurship.
"I did everything that you could, legally, to make money," Ford said. "The way that people are getting hired and fired today is ridiculous and it makes you decide whether you want to control your own destiny. The workforce has its own forces existing within it; [the] boss' private issues, and prejudices, that you have to encounter."
He also illustrated a picture of what is requested of those who enter corporate America under the umbrella of conglomerates.
"Companies take ownership of you and nobody owns me but God," he said.
Ford's anecdotal approach was considered compelling and informative. He provided the attending students with motivation and the knowledge of existing free resources offered both on and off campus.
"I came out to see what was going on in other sectors of Howard University," said Hillary Paterson, a junior political science major. "It was very informative. It was interesting to see all the different ways that you can make money and that there were so many resources on Howard's campus alone that I was unaware of."
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Tuesday, November 1st 2005 at 11:41AM
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