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<\/a><\/p>\nAt Kempsville, Botel was greeted with a full on business pitching session. Fresh off the academy\u2019s national win at the World Championship of Entrepreneurship<\/a>, EBA students showcased their ability to frame the need and demand for new products\/services and then identify the key markets in their pitch. Botel also was able to meet some of the academy\u2019s staff members and observe as students worked in small groups working on various researching and brainstorming activities.<\/p>\n Next up, Botel traveled to the Advanced Technology Center, where he met with students there as part of a discussion panel and heard about the opportunities they are receiving now to learn the skills necessary to be competitive in high-demand career fields, including engineering, design and cybersecurity.<\/p>\n Following the panel, Botel toured the classrooms where he could see exactly what the students were learning: including creating from scratch a new drone, working on construction plans for a medical facility and tackling computer security challenges and tests.<\/p>\n Joined by Cashwell and VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence, Botel saw firsthand how students were experiencing and learning the curriculum while pursuing their career interest and passions.<\/p>\n “The work that I saw students doing both at the academy and at the Advanced Technology Center was just amazing,\u201d Botel said. \u201cStudents doing really impressive work, really owning what they were doing: Real-world applications, clearly tied to specific career opportunities. But, meeting students who plan to pursue those careers, students who learned a lot, but are going to do something different, that was all amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n