SUNY Canton Staff Member and Management Student Places in Enterprise Competition
A SUNY Canton staff member asserts free enterprise is the motivator for entrepreneurs to follow their dreams in an award-winning speech.
Sean M. Conklin, the college’s catering and concessions manager and a senior in the Management program recently placed second in SUNY Plattsburgh’s seventh annual Entrepreneurship Marathon with his speech “Free Enterprise: Why it is Essential for Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs.”
Free enterprise offers the ability for a private business to organize and operate in a competitive economy with minimal regulatory interference.
“Economic Freedoms, voluntary exchange, profits and competition do not accurately demonstrate the underlying incentive that motivates entrepreneurs,” Conklin said. “Their motivation is really hope. Their visions of success are what drives our economy toward the future. Those dreams do not exist without free enterprise.”
Students in the Management program are required to present at the Entrepreneurship Marathon event as part of their advanced studies. Conklin is the first SUNY Canton student to place in the competition.
“Through his professional career, Sean realizes that the key to entrepreneurship is treating the customer right,” said SUNY Canton Professor Charles R. Fenner, who is the curriculum coordinator for the Management program. “He applies academic theory to practice every day, which makes him a great manager.”
Conklin is enrolled part-time to advance his career with the SUNY Canton College Association. He plans to continue his education in the Master of Business Administration program at Clarkson University.
As Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs, SUNY Canton delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, management, and healthcare fields. It is home to the Center for Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Cybersecurity. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 23 online degree programs. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity esports and cheerleading.