Whiteside CEO program schools students in creating, cashing in on business ideas

STERLING — Students from high schools across the Sauk Valley presented their businesses to dozens of shoppers Wednesday and Thursday at Sterling’s Northland Mall.

The annual student trade show was part of the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program at the Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling.

Now in its 12th year, the CEO program is a year-long high school course that teaches students the basics of starting and running a business. Students earn two credits while gaining real-world experience, taking risks, learning from results and working closely with local business leaders and other area high school students.

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Rock Falls High School senior Carolyn Masini greets customers at her business, Bee-utiful Scents, in Sterling's Northland Mall at the Whiteside Area Career Center's CEO program student trade show on April 23, 2025. (Brandon Clark)

WACC CEO board member Julie Jacobs said the program is funded through the generosity of local business owners and organizations, which help pay facilitators to teach the students.

“The facilitators are like teachers, but we don’t call them teachers because they don’t sit there and lecture the students,” Jacobs said. “They teach the students by taking them on community tours, bringing in guest speakers, and so they’re learning from current leaders in our community by listening to them speak on how they became who they are.”

Students work together as a team throughout the school year, creating a single business, which helps fund their individual business projects. Each student then creates their own business from scratch – designing a logo, devising marketing plans and presenting their idea, which is showcased at the trade show event.

Jacobs said the program is open to students from about 17 area high schools, allowing them to collaborate and build connections across schools. The trade show featured 34 student-owned businesses.

Eastland High School senior Adam Awender is the owner of Adam’s Coaster Creations, which makes 3D-printed coasters.

“I was always a big fan of watching 3D printing when I was young,” Awender said. “So when we had this class business, I decided to do what I love. I borrowed a 3D printer from my coach, and started printing out a bunch of these coasters, and that was my idea from the start. So, I just ran with it.”

Snippet of Green owner and Sterling High School junior Charles Johnson sells terrariums and terrarium kits.

“Terrariums are miniature ecosystems with plants in them,” Johnson said. “I got a fish tank for Christmas seven years ago. Now, you can only have so many fish tanks before the mom says, ‘Stop.’ But you can make as many terrariums as you want and put them on your window sill. You can have 20 of them and mom won’t blink an eye because they look good.”

“Terrariums are miniature ecosystems with plants in them. I got a fish tank for Christmas seven years ago. Now, you can only have so many fish tanks before the mom says, ‘Stop.’ But you can make as many terrariums as you want and put them on your window sill. You can have 20 of them and mom won’t blink an eye because they look good.”

—  Sterling High School junior Charles Johnson, owner of Snippet of Green

Brooklyn Thoms is a Fulton High School junior and the owner of B. Positive. This designer shirt business donates 5% of its profits to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“I’m just really passionate about mental health,” Thoms said. “So, I decided to start B. Positive so that I could make my own shirts and designs.”

Shelby Groezinger is a junior at Eastland High School. She also owns Sincerely, Shelby – a handmade greeting card company.

“Our world is kind of getting de-sentimentalized,” Groezinger said. “I wanted people to be able to buy a card that’s handmade by somebody, and then people can write in it and have that special moment where they read something written by somebody they love.”

Rock Falls High School senior Carolyn Masini owns Bee-Utiful Scents, a homemade car freshener business.

“I wanted to do something that I could myself,” Masini said. “These car fresheners will make your car smell and look good. My mom is a second-grade teacher, and her classroom is bee-themed. I’ve grown up around bees and learning the importance of bees. So, I decided to frame my business around that.”

After the trade show, students reflect on what they have learned, discuss how the event went and how they can apply those lessons moving forward.

“I’ve been involved with this program since the beginning,” Jacobs said. “And each year, I don’t think it can get any better because it’s always been great, but it seems like it gets better as we go on.”