BOONE–Students at Appalachian State University will be able to learn firsthand about entrepreneurship from successful business owners in the region.

An inaugural group of 10 students will be selected as Dale Tweedy Mentoring Program for Entrepreneur Scholars, which begins this fall. The program is coordinated by the Center for Entrepreneurship in Appalachian’s Walker College of Business, but it is open to all students regardless of their major.

Dale Tweedy, a lifelong entrepreneur in the technology and business consulting world and current partner with Centdev Properties based in Cornelius, has pledged the financial support to create the program. Tweedy is a 1989 graduate of Appalachian.

The program is designed to provide students access to successful role models with whom they will have the opportunity to better understand and examine real-time business opportunities and problems that face everyday entrepreneurs, and develop valuable skills and attitudes to help them achieve success.

By mentoring with successful business people, students selected for the program will have the opportunity to broaden their opportunities for entrepreneurial success. Mentors will offer guidance regarding college, career and life choices, focusing on student development and attitudinal needs for today’s workplace.

Perseverance, focus, calculated risk assessment, business development, and ethics will be resounding themes in the program, said Bryan Toney, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship.

The center will recruit students and mentors, match them based on common interests, and provide opportunities throughout the school year for participants to interact.

From his experience, Tweedy has always felt the entrepreneurial mindset is a critical factor for success in business, both as an employee and as a business owner. “I want to share my intense desire and my experiences as a lifelong entrepreneur with the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. This program will provide students access to real world experiences, both in business and in life, through interactions with a select group of successful and proven mentors in this field.”

Toney believes the program will be a valuable addition to the center’s expanding array of co-curricular programs. “I am a firm believer that one of the best ways for students to learn about entrepreneurship is through successful role models,” he said. “This program will allow a very select group of Appalachian students to learn from some of the most successful entrepreneurs in our region.”

The deadline for student applications is March 28. For information about the Dale Tweedy Mentoring Program for Entrepreneur Scholars, contact Toney at (828) 262-6196, toneybc@appstate.edu or Julia Rowland at (828) 262-8325, rowlandja@appstate.edu or visit http://www.entrepreneurship.appstate.edu.

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