2021 edition of the Prince Rupert Chamber's Rising Stars program opens the application period

The call for applicants has been issued as the Prince Rupert and District Chamber prepares for another year of mentoring under their highly successful Rising Stars program an initiative which has been in place for fifteen years, developing young adults into community leaders and entrepreneurs . 

The program matches students from Coast Mountain College and Charles Hays Secondary School with members of the Prince Rupert business community for a five-month long mentorship.

The 2021 program is being coordinated by Rising Stars alumnus, Aidan Murphy-Morven.

He previously participated as a student in the program that under the mentorship of Alexie Stephens of the North Coast Innovation Lab.

“I am excited to carry on the standard of leadership and innovation that were demonstrated by last year’s coordinator Scott Langille. We have already recruited outstanding mentors for this year, and I know that as they develop professional experience and skills they’ll come to appreciate the spirit of mutual support that characterizes Prince Rupert’s business community.” -- Aidan Murphy-Morven

Towards recruitment for the Class of 2021 which is now underway the process looks like this: Students will find application details online here.

Those with an interest in the program must have their submissions in by midnight on November 30. 

Candidates will be interviewed by Mr. Murphy-Morven and members of the program’s steering committee to select the six participants for this years intake.

As for the program, our times of COVID have required a bit of fine tuning from previous years, with a focus that will be primarily that of online collaboration. 

However, the 2021 program elements will also encompass public speaking training, development of post-secondary education strategies, guidance on professional business communication and branding, as well as the opportunity to collaborate on a major passion project. 

Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Bommars-MacNeil observed on the past success of the program and the opportunities it offers local youth in the community

“We are proud of Aidan and all of the Rising Stars graduates. The program he has designed this year in conjunction with our Chamber team will be both challenging and rewarding. There’s no better way for business-minded students in Northwest BC to gain real-world skills and insights.”

The Rising Stars of 2020 have made way for a new
group of participants in the Chambers popular youth program
(From 2020: Royce Sampson, Andy Chugh, Brendan Eshom,
Aidan-Murphy Morven and Carsen Vibert) 

The success of the Rising Stars project is through the partnerships that the Chamber has built in the community both with local educators and business leaders.

Something which they make note of early on in their information page that highlights the many elements of the successful program.

Rising Stars is a collaborative initiative from the ground up. The Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce works closely with Coast Mountain College and Charles Hays Secondary School to administer the program. 

Meanwhile, dozens of businesses in Prince Rupert have invested time and capital in the participants' experience — both as mentors and sponsors. Rising Stars is widely-recognized in the community as an effective way for students to build their professional network.

You can learn more about the program and how you could become a sponsor or a mentor from the rising stars home page.

For more notes on the Northwest business scene see our archive page here.