Marion County’s first CEO class. Top row (left to right) Odin Senior Kaiden Roberts and Facilitator Emily Kracht. Bottom row Centralia High School Seniors Brendan Franklin and Cruz Uribe.
The three students who are part of the new Marion County CEO program show their talents in their first project Saturday night.
The students are hosting the drive-in moving showing of a Christmas Movie in the back parking lot of Centralia High School. Odin Senior Kaiden Roberts explains.
“We’re going to be showing Dr. Suess’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’. The food vendors we hope will attract people. We will also be raffling off baskets.”
Roberts has worked on technical parts of the project, while Centralia High Senior Cruz Uribe worked on marketing the show through social and other media. He notes this wasn’t the first idea for the class project.
“It was really kind of a bounceback. Our original plan it kinda went down the hole. We had a lot of problems with insurance and it wasn’t going to work. It took maybe two days to bounce back with this new idea of the drive-in theatre,” said Cruz. “It was something different and something we could all commit to and make happen.”
The third class member, Centralia High Senior Brendan Franklin, explained his role.
“I am the vendor person in this group. I take care of all things that have anything to do with the vendors that we are going to have there. I also tackle problems we might have on the location, like electricity use and space usage.”
Franklin also worked with Centralia High School Superintendent Chuck Lane on the use of the high school facilities and the school’s custodians on the actual setup.
The facilitator of the CEO program, Emily Kracht, says the students have done all the work to bring the project to reality.
“It is actually not a fundraiser. This is considered their class business. They wrote a business plan. They are working on getting event insurance. They have been speaking to a lawyer about legal concerns and if we need waivers and contracts and things like that,” said Kracht. “It is definitely not considered a fundraiser. It is a fullfledged class business. It is their very first attempt at writing a business plan and actually following through on the steps that it takes to carry out a business.”
The gates open at 4:30 Saturday afternoon, with the movie beginning at six. You should enter through the Airport Road entrance. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for 12 and under. Come hungry as the food vendors will be there to serve you. The students hope to provide a night of relaxation and entertainment for families.
