ECIDC Current Newsletter
Published February 1, 2012
iEntrepreneur Challenge Winner Announced for Global Entrepreneur Week Competition
Article Submitted by Lake Land College
Lake Land College student Annette Lynch was awarded first place for her film short submitted to the iEntrepreneur Challenge sponsored by the Business Solutions Center at Eastern Illinois University and ECIDC. Lynch recently received her award at the East Central Illinois Development Corporation’s Board of Directors meeting. The iEntrepreneur Challenge was a YouTube video contest put on to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, which was held Nov. 14-20. The purpose of the contest was to promote entrepreneurship among junior high, high school and college students in the following Illinois counties: Coles, Clark, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Moultrie and Shelby.
Lynch, who retired from teaching after 35 years in 2001, returned to school enrolling at Lake Land College in order to keep herself up-to-date with the world around her. “I may have retired from education, but I never stopped learning,” said Lynch. “My mom always read and kept her mind sharp, even in her older years. I wanted to stay sharp, so I decided to come to Lake Land College.” Lynch earned an esthetics certificate in 2007 and started a small business where she gave facials. After many customer requests for massages, she went back to Lake Land and earned a massage therapy certificate.
Now, just a few years later, Lynch finds herself back on the Lake Land campus, working on a digital media specialist certificate. Her leap to film was inspired by her grandson who has a passion for the field. Lynch said she found a new challenge in working with film. “At first it was like my instructor was speaking a different language. I did not know the difference between digital video and high definition video, but I was determined to figure it out, said Lynch. “I worked every day in the lab and constantly read the text book. I love being around young people. Their energy is contagious.”
To see the winning iEntrepreneur Challenge video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS8OoEtEvqg.