Mundelein High FBLA thanks local businesses

Members of the Mundelein High School Future Business Leaders of America local chapter took to the streets of downtown Mundelein Jan. 15 to deliver "thank you" letters to local businesses.

It was all part of the American Enterprise Project, a competitive event that is led by a couple of FBLA members, but is supported by the involvement of the whole chapter.

Jillian Hoffstadt and MacKenzie Stewart of Mundelein High School led the project with a goal of "increasing the understanding of and support for the American enterprise system," as the FBLA website explains.

Hoffstadt came up with the idea during a workshop while attending the National Fall Leadership Conference in Chicago last fall. An important part of the American enterprise system is private enterprise - the ability to own your own business.

This is exactly why seven students braved the chilly January air to deliver letters hand-signed by the members of the Mundelein chapter of FBLA and a decorative pennant for business owners to hang in their store.

The sacrifices that local business owners put into growing a passion into something they can make money doing is something that members of the Mundelein chapter of FBLA appreciate and can learn from, as many students join FBLA because they want to be entrepreneurs and one day own their own business.

"Visiting small businesses here in Mundelein showed me how unique and vibrant the community really is," sophomore Ilya Vynnyk said. "Businesses of all types aren't just here to make a profit; they want to build a bigger and brighter community."

Members of the American Enterprise Project Committee hope that their visit to each business made the business owners feel appreciated by younger generations.

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