Hasta la Vista, Hillsdale!

In honor of our students from Mexico, I'll leave you with an "hasta la vista!"

I sure wish we could take this beautiful weather back with us to North Carolina! I'm going to miss it dearly when we return to the upper 90s down south. The good news is that the students will stop looking at me like crazy when I say the word "y'all!"

The FELC students at Hillsdale
became fast friends!

First thing this morning, we presented each company's virtual trade mission. The company's chose a country and a product to trade with that location. Then, they calculated purchasing costs, travel expenses, storage costs, etc. to get their final profit amount. Team Liberty sent Nike running shoes to Luxembourg, Team Honor sent sticky notes to Ontario in Canada, Team Freedom sent solar panels to Hong Kong, and Team Justice sent Mike and Ike's candy to Mexico! I can't believe the creativity from these students! Team Justice got their idea of Mike and Ike's because one of our students from Mexico described his first taste of the candy this week as "glorious" and would love to buy some in his home country! All it takes is an idea! Then, you fill in all the financial details and BOOM! You've got a business!

Following the Virtual Trade Mission presentations, the student's presented their Founding Fathers Principles projects. Each company was assigned a founding principle including constitutionalism (or limited government), the right to bear arms, equality of opportunity, and free trade. The Founding Fathers Principles project were designed to allow the students to teach their peers about that founding principle and why it is important to the free enterprise system. The students could act out a skit, sing a song (or a rap like we witnessed last week), write a poem, or create a video in order to get their message across! There were no boundaries on creativity! Most students enjoy performing in a good old fashioned skit but some take it a step further and record it. Team Justice chose to create a video this week on constitutionalism/limited government. Take a look at their video to the below!

Finally, it was time for "Company Close Out."

The president, vice president, and chief financial officer of each company will meet with the company store manager (AKA Brian, our program director) for "Company Close Out." During close out, each team will count out their profits and analyze their earnings. The company's will have THREE options for what to do with their profits:

1. Keep it. It's a free enterprise system, after all! These students worked HARD for this money! The students have the absolute freedom to distribute their profits equally between their teammates or in any way they choose. However, if the company does decide to keep it, their will be a tax imposed by the government on the businesses income. The FELC government will impose a 20% income tax on the gross earnings - not the profit!
2. Donate it to Kiva.org. Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through
   
   lending to alleviate poverty. Kiva works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. Since 2008, FELC students have been contributing their profits to the online micro-finance lender Kiva.org. Through FELC staff, money is loaned to entrepreneurs in developing countries, and when loans are repaid the funds are reinvested in different entrepreneurs. This allows the network of giving to continue years after students complete FELC and helps reinforce the positive message of personal responsibility and hard work.Watch the short video below to see exactly how Kiva works!
   
   
   
3. Last but certainly not least, there has been a new addition to our FELC close-out options this year. Companies have the option to donate their money to the Reagan Hartley Memorial Scholarship fund. Let me begin with talking a little bit about Miss Reagan.
   
   Many of our graduates of the FELC program knew Reagan. She was a senior college student,

   

   Reagan loved President
   Ronald Reagan!

   age 22, studying elementary education at Western Carolina University, excited to graduate in May 2014. She had been a counselor with FELC since 2011 and was very well-known for her beautiful and hilarious quirks. She had an unwavering love for Taylor Swift and she could talk all day about her cats like they were a person. She believed every lady should own a good set of pearls and wear them for every occasion possible.
   
   On April 3, 2014, Reagan Hartley was killed by a drunk driver who was in a high-speed police chase over 90 mph. She was such a special girl who loved the students of FELC and she was supposed to be here with us this week. At the family's request, memorials may be made to our program's scholarship fund in her name. We are touched to be able to honor her legacy with pride. The funds donated in her name will be directly deposited in our FELC scholarship fund that helps students, just like the students we have this week, be able to afford and attend the FELC program. Though it may be hard to believe, there are several eager and talented students who want to come and learn from our program, but do not have the funds. The Reagan Hartley Memorial fund makes it possible for those students. You can click here to view Reagan Hartley's obituary and view her tribute video.

NOW IT'S THE TIME WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...The Closing Awards ceremony!

CONGRATULATIONS TEAM JUSTICE! This week, Team Justice takes home the honor of the number one overall company for FELC at Hillsdale. Ironically, Team Justice happened to make the least money of the week - but won first place in nearly EVERY competition they faced. This system makes it to where the company with all the money isn't always necessarily the best. It takes strong leaders, talented skills, moral values, and responsible teammates to make a team successful. Additionally, congratulations to Ross Hatley for winning (unanimously) first place in the speech competition and second place in the Laws of Life essay contest! And a big congratulations to Kirby Miller who won first in the Laws of Life essay!

Thanks FELC Hillsdale for all of the wonderful students you brought us this week! The FELC staff loved getting to know you all and loved lending a hand to our future political leaders, business entrepreneurs and productive members of society. 

My weekly inspiration: I asked one of my students this week, "Do you have an e-mail? How will I get in touch with you in 10 years to see where you end up?" He quickly, without a though responded, "Just turn on your national news. You'll see me." I'm going to take his word for it and hope to see his talented leadership ability put to use where we need it most! The White House!

Next stop...see you in Buies Creek, North Carolina! Until next time!