Callan student is top Student Entrepreneur

A young entrepreneur at Coláiste Eamann Rís in Callan has been named as one of Ireland’s top young business minds.

Mark Srouji, a Third Year student at the school, represented Kilkenny at Intermediate level in the national Student Enterprise Awards finas, recently, and took away the top award in his category ‘My Entrepreneurial Journey.’

Earlier this year Mark set up a business called Mark’s Productions making themed table centrepieces.

He told the Kilkenny People that he got the idea for the venture when his aunt was looking for centrepieces for her wedding and realised he could make them cheaper than any they saw online.

He has made them for Christmas, Easter and Valentines Day, with the help of his brother and stepdad.

Mark took part in the programme last year, too, and says a career in business is something he is considering after school.

The national finals were live streamed from Croke Park on May 14, with An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar one of the special guests.

First year students at Coláiste Eamann Rís, Ian McDonald, Noah Cahill and Thomas Deegan also reached the final in the junior section of the competition. The business they set up is ‘Parcel Trust’ which manufactures secure, outdoor storage boxes designed for online deliveries.