An inside look at Black Hawk College’s Multicultural Entrepreneurship Center

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) – Located inside Building 1 on the campus of Black Hawk College, is the multicultural center for entrepreneurship.

“It’s growing [beautifully,]” said Loredana Cooper, entrepreneurship advisor at Black Hawk College. “I mean, every day you have different faces. Every day you have an amazing student.”

The center serves students from underrepresented groups, first-generation students, and entrepreneurial entrepreneurs by offering programs that pair professional mentors with mentees and events that celebrate diverse cultures.

Sophomore Valerie Holland said her career goal is to open a community center for people to come together, and the multicultural entrepreneurship center is one of the reasons she chose Black Hawk College.

“I didn’t feel like I was good enough to do something like that,” Holland said. “I didn’t really believe in myself that much, and coming here, we have different workshops for people who want to be entrepreneurs.”

One of the center’s goals is to create mentoring relationships and provide networking opportunities for students.

“The center means I have a sense of hope to get where I want to go in life,” said Leah Carter, a freshman at Black Hawk College. “This support and meeting people from outside through the entrepreneurship workshop helped me meet different people and broaden my horizons a bit.”

Black Hawk College freshman Michi Koo, who wants to become a family physician, said the center will help him continue to develop important life skills.

“The Multicultural Entrepreneurship Center really helped me develop my leadership skills. I know the medical field needs a lot of different things, so it really opened my eyes,” Ku said.

For Cooper, who is from Peru, helping underrepresented students hits home.

“When I came to the United States, it was difficult for me. [I needed] someone give me advice, someone help me. When I see students, I want to help them. I want to give my best to every student and to the community,” Cooper said.

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