Launch students flex entrepreneurial muscle
It’s no secret that Lakeland University students learn by doing. But some are also learning by teaching others.
A pair of Lakeland juniors – Lizzy Hockenhull and Heather Klepin – are assisting several businesses in their roles with Launch: Lakeland Student-Run Businesses.
Introduced in 2020, Launch provides students with the tools and support to create, develop and manage income-generating businesses. These experiences offer a paid opportunity for students and help them cultivate cooperative skills, develop strong leadership capabilities and instill an entrepreneurial mindset.
Hockenhull, who serves as Launch vice president after previously serving as its chief marketing officer, and Klepin, currently Launch CMO, are working with several external clients in a variety of roles, including:
Launch is also working to market Jake’s, A Lakeland Community, with Klepin taking the lead in her role as Jake’s marketing coordinator. She’s creating social media content to market Jake’s space for office and event rentals, share stories on the projects by Innovator Fellowship students (a joint partnership with Sheboygan North High School) and plan events to encourage Lakeland students to use the space for studying, meetings, etc.
Additionally, they’re doing marketing for Musko’s Campus Shop, a student-run business under the Launch umbrella.
The variety of experiences are helping fill the resumes for Klepin and Hockenhull to set them apart from their peers.
“I am happy I came to Lakeland,” said Klepin, a Sheboygan resident who is majoring in business administration with an emphasis in digital marketing. “I’ve gotten so much real-world experience the last 2.5 years that I could not have gotten anywhere else.”
Klepin has accepted a proprietary marketing internship at Bemis, which she said grew out of her Launch experience.
“Lakeland helps you connect with a network of successful business professionals and professors through the main campus and Jake’s,” she said. “It’s created so many opportunities for me to learn and to grow. No doubt, this will help me get me a career soon after college.”
Hockenhull, of Howards Grove, is earning academic credit for her Launch work through Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program. She’s also the marketing intern at Crossroads Community Church, where she assists the director of marketing with various projects including email campaign management and proposal preparation.
“Launch has given me the soft and hard skills to get these internships and have a successful career after college,” Hockenhull said. “I’ve learned everything from the proper way to use the Outlook calendar to responding professionally to emails to using Microsoft Suite and attending virtual meetings.
“Coming in my freshman year, I was so nervous. I was unsure what to say in meetings. Any student needs these experiences to get professional interactions outside the classroom.”
This summer, Hockenhull will serve as branding intern at Acuity, working heavily on the digital side of marketing including social media, email campaigns, etc.
“I am also blessed by how Launch has already set me up for success in the corporate world,” Hockenhull said. “I will honestly be learning from the best of the best and I am really excited to see how I can grow in my marketing skills and bring some of my preexisting digital skills to their team.”
Both students agreed that their Launch experiences have helped them build their networks and positively impacted their classroom work.
Hockenhull was part of the Launch team that went to Harvard University to join some of the top universities in the country for the Student Run Business Association’s national conference.
“I firmly believe my work for Launch has made me a better student,” Hockenhull said. “I get back to my professors quicker, I’ve learned time management skills. My to-do list helps me in every other aspect of my Lakeland experience. Lakeland set us up for the most success we could have ever dreamed of.”
Klepin recalled randomly meeting a marketing professional from Kohler Co. during a recent visit to the airport.
“I introduced myself and got so many great tips,” Klepin said. “People want to see eager students succeed and they are excited to give you tips. You’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there.
“Lakeland pushes so many opportunities in front of you. You just need to take advantage of them.”
