OUR STORIES
Read testimonials from college students all across New England who have found success with Collegiate Entrepreneurs
University of Maine
Sydney
Revenue:
$111,949
Earnings:
$39,000
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Before working with Collegiate Entrepreneurs, I was very shy and felt directionless. I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with my life after college. When I started doing sales, I realized that if I wasn’t confident in myself and what I was selling, a customer could tell.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was to view the world with an internal locus of control. If you take personal responsibility for why things are happening, you can affect the outcome and grow from the experience instead of blaming everyone else. I’ve changed a lot as a person and grown as a businessperson - I'm looking forward to being able to take what I’ve learned and help other people do that to their own lives.
I realized doing this internship that I wasn’t as cool as I thought I was. I had excuses for everything in my life and it just didn’t feel right. Collegiate helped me realize that I can choose where I want to go and what I want to do and I can create the future I want for myself. Coming into this job forced me to admit that I was not great at everything. I had to come to terms with the fact that I had areas where I was severely lacking.
I learned how to take responsibility, not just for myself and my own schedule, but for my employees as well. I had to identify each of my employee’s needs and cater my management style to them. I stopped seeking perfection and just focused on trying my best. My time at Collegiate has helped me find out that I am capable of a lot more than I initially thought.
Riley
Revenue:
$130,050
Earnings:
$33,500
Video
interview
coming
soon!
quintin
Revenue:
$32,135
Earnings:
$7,700
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Before I came to CE, I was an aspiring entrepreneur with basically no idea about the ins and outs of running a business. I had a little management experience and two years of my degree, but that was nothing compared to the education I gained from Collegiate.
Initially, I struggled with discipline, which affected everything from marketing to job completion. The biggest lesson that I learned is the necessity of organization. It is so important in keeping yourself from getting overwhelmed and making sure that you remember why you started this experience. Once I was able to make a solid plan that took into account a number of different situations, I was able to finish strong. Despite all the struggles, my time as a branch manager was an experience that I don’t think I could get anywhere else and it’s something I’ll use for the rest of my life. I plan to apply the discipline I’ve gained to swim and school and finish those out strong too!
Freshman year of college I was fairly aimless. I was at school because that was what I was supposed to do. I took a certain number of classes because someone told me to do that. While I was falling asleep in a physics lecture, I heard someone talk about a business internship where you could make a bunch of money and have a great experience and that sounded like something for me. In my interview with them, I was able to solidify my future plans and ambitions - that company was Collegiate Entrepreneurs.
It’s hard to say whether I have one most valuable takeaway from my time with CE - not because I don’t have one but because there are a wide variety of things I’ve gained from my experience as a Branch Manager. I improved my ability to manage and found more direction in my career path. I learned there are things that you might think are impossible but if you actually try hard enough, you’ll get them done.
EThan
Revenue:
$59,915
Earnings:
$15,000
Video
interview
coming
soon!
I used to be a pretty timid, not very confident person. Working with Collegiate Entrepreneurs taught me a lot about myself and how to be a go-getter. I confronted my weaknesses head on all while getting hands-on experience in managing employees and effectively communicating with my team and my customers.
As if that wasn’t challenging enough, my car ended up breaking down mid-summer and I had learn not just how to manage a business, but how to manage a business without a car! I learned how to establish clear expectations with my employees and customers, which set me up for success. In the future, I want to run my own business again. Learning management has taught me how to present myself as a leader and puts me a step ahead of my peers. This program is the hardest thing you’ll ever do, but it’s the most you’ll ever learn in such a short period of time and you'll make a nice chunk of change doing it.
Before I started at Collegiate Entrepreneurs, I was a very typical college student. Just coming out of the pandemic, I didn’t really know my purpose. I was just kind of lazy. The summer before, I wasn’t really able to do anything so I felt like, coming into this year, I wanted to do something that gave me more of a purpose. That’s why I joined the team here at CE.
At first, I was intimidated by having to deal with customers; I just didn’t think it was something that I could do. As the summer went on, my ability to build rapport and answer customer questions and concerns became my biggest focal point and helped me make most of my sales. I came away with strong interpersonal skills that I plan to use in my interviews, no matter what business I go into after this.
Nathanial
Revenue:
$77,606
Earnings:
$23,200
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Suffolk University
Joe R.
Revenue:
$78,516
Earnings:
$19,000
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Throughout my experience at Collegiate Entrepreneurs I found that my biggest area of growth was my confidence, which proved to be a struggle when managing my crew. I came into Collegiate unmotivated, I was that kind of person that sat at the back of class and didn't pay attention. Now I feel motivated and capable everyday. This upcoming year, I will be an operations manager. I am excited to help other Branch Managers learn from my mistakes and help guide them through their own Branch Manager experiences.
During my own experience, I learned that things don't just happen or come your way. One lucky sale does not mean every estimate will be a winner. I needed to listen, understand their issues, and be assertive. It takes willpower and dedication to get through the many problems that are sure to come your way.
Before Collegiate Entrepreneurs, I definitely thought I was really good at a lot of things. Going through my year as a branch manager, I realized that was very very wrong. I faced plenty of obstacles - not getting people to sell to, having jobs blow up in my face, losing $1,000 in two days - all those things helped me to become a better manager.
I am incredibly grateful for the struggles I encountered because they made me grow and become the person I am today. There is nothing more satisfying than going through a month where everything is thrown at you and coming out at the other side with success. I realized that no matter what it is you’re doing - whether it's sales, production, marketing, or even learning how to ride a bike, if you persist and stick with it, eventually you will succeed.
Gaetano
Revenue:
$101,167
Earnings:
$26,600
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Stepping into the position of Branch Manager, the greatest struggle I faced was self-doubt. With only one business class under my belt, I was afraid I wouldn’t be capable of anything this job required. But then? I went and did it! Collegiate Entrepreneurs completely transformed my perspective and gave me a more structural business sense of the world.
Collegiate taught me how to isolate my problems and then solve them in a business sense - which can be applied to really anything that you do. Going into my junior year, I plan to get and internship and maybe even start my own business after I graduate. Wherever I go with my life, Collegiate has given me enough self confidence to know that I can do it!
Before starting at CE, I was very closed off and shy. I wanted to get out of my shell and be more personable. What better way to do that than to go into sales and run a business? So that’s what I did. Over the years, I’ve faced many challenges but the biggest struggle I had was communicating effectively with my team and with customers. I was able to overcome that by being more exposed to it and having the opportunity to practice.
My biggest development was learning how to manage effectively. I learned to manage my employees, my customers, and even myself. After all, if you’re not managing yourself appropriately then you really can’t manage anybody else. I’m planning to take the skills I’ve learned into the finance world. I found through my years with Collegiate that running a business is something that I am passionate about and I'm excited to see what the future holds.
Aiman
Revenue:
$81,078
Earnings:
$25,000
Video
interview
coming
soon!
University of Vermont
Joe C.
Revenue:
$100,233
Earnings:
$20,300
Video
interview
coming
soon!
I’ve always been very interested in business and known that I wanted to do my own thing but I wasn’t sure exactly what avenue to go down. Collegiate helped me find that avenue! Starting out, I was not a very strong communicator and I was very hard headed. I thought very highly of myself and in my first couple weeks with Collegiate I was (rightfully) humbled.
After my time at Collegiate, I’m planning to enter the world of finance and eventually work in upper level management. The skills I’ve gained at CE - being able to lead a team, being able to effectively accomplish tasks - will help me do that and hopefully start my own firm one day!
I always knew I wanted to do big things in college but I wasn’t really sure what. I didn’t have much direction. I chose a Philosophy major because I liked it but I didn’t know what I was planning to do with that degree. Collegiate gave me the opportunity to learn a lot, grow a lot, and do something that was really challenging.
Initially, I faced several obstacles. I struggled to find a production manager that was a good fit for my team. Once I did find a production manager who worked well with my employees, I ended up running out of work for them to do. By the time I got to the middle of the summer, I was stuck. With help from my executive, I learned to hold myself accountable for my actions and focus on what I could control and what I could improve. After I graduate, I plan to go to law school and I feel the skills I’ve gained at Collegiate Entrepreneurs are going to be very helpful there. I’ve learned how to speak more confidently, how to reach out for help when I need it, and, most importantly, how to take personal responsibility and improve my performance in areas where I struggle.
Carleton
Revenue:
$144,975
Earnings:
$24,500
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Joki
Revenue:
$163,533
Earnings:
$35,000
Video
interview
coming
soon!
I didn’t understand failure and perseverance until my summer with Collegiate Entrepreneurs. I used to wander aimlessly, thinking I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship without really knowing what that meant.
Like a lot of other people this summer, I struggled to find and retain employees to produce the work that I sold. Through support from the company and my executive and just a lot of perseverance, I was able to produce all of my work and really learn how significant it is to have good people under you. I know a lot more about leadership now and what it actually means to lead a team. After a lot of failure, a lot of hard work, and eventually a lot of success, I feel like I have a much better grasp on what it is to be an entrepreneur.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
As a computer science major, I would consider myself an introvert. I definitely don’t embody the typical salesman persona - eccentric and outgoing. When I heard that there was an opportunity to develop that entrepreneurial skillset, I jumped on it.
I struggled a lot with sales. In the beginning, I went by the script and focused on details. I was lucky enough to have customers within my network early on that were patient with me and gave me a chance to nail down my presentation. After a while, I developed my own way of tackling sales and became more confident in my ability to relay information about the service we could offer. I found that I was more outgoing and could articulate my thoughts and ideas more clearly. Initially, I didn’t see myself as someone who would excel in sales or business so I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I had it in me.
Michael
Revenue:
$66,977
Earnings:
$16,100
Video
interview
coming
soon!
Eastern Maine Community College
Kyle
Revenue:
$58,865
Earnings:
$9,000
Video
interview
coming
soon!
I used to struggle with asserting myself - I couldn’t tell people "no" or express what I was really thinking. I didn’t have confidence in myself or what I wanted to do. After a summer with CE, I feel a lot more comfortable with myself and confident in my abilities.
Now this is not to say that this was an easy summer for me. At the start of the season, I totaled my car and shortly after that my entire crew left. I rallied together and, after several hard months, I was able to get a new, more efficient crew and a new car. I worked hard to assert myself and ensure that my customers were receiving service that was up to their standards. I learned to have faith in myself and my abilities. I emerged from a challenging situation with valuable set of skills and a story that has changed my life forever.
University of Rhode Island
I am the type of person who has very high expectations for themselves. I came into Collegiate Entrepreneurs confident that I could take on the responsibilities and handle the position easily but that changed shortly after I started. I struggled in pretty much every area - sales, job completion, hiring, customer satisfaction.
With training from Collegiate, I greatly improved my sales skills and learned a lot about the process of generating leads and converting those leads into sales. I learned to have an internal locus of control, to take responsibility and do what I could to improve situations. I did everything in my power to ensure things went right and I found that if you go all in, everything will work out. It was a lot of hard work but it was all worth it in the end. Next summer, I plan to study abroad and I know that I’ll be able to take the lessons I learned here and apply them, both in my studies and in my future career in the sales world.
Andrew
Revenue:
$104,459
Earnings:
$23,500
Video
interview
coming
soon!
