Applying Business Concepts in the Real World

This summer, two students transformed what they learned through the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) to create opportunities for themselves and others. Callan Curry (pictured, left) applied her skills across the globe, while Isha Ahya (pictured, right) transformed a local Philadelphia garden and community.

Callan Curry: The Steele Fund Takes Learning Abroad 

With support from the annual Franklin and Margaret Steele Fund grant, Curry spent part of her summer studying business and entrepreneurship in Turin, Italy. Working alongside an international team, Callan developed and pitched a mental health journaling app while honing her communication and problem-solving skills. Out of nearly 70 participants, she was also one of just three students chosen to serve as a social media intern for the program.

"Being immersed in an international environment pushed me outside of my comfort zone and made me more independent and open-minded," Callan shared. Her journey highlights how the Steele Fund, an annual scholarship awarded to students in grades 9–11 to offset program costs or fund unpaid internships, helps students pursue their passion and apply real-world business concepts.

Isha Ahya: Bringing Sustainable Gardening to Philadelphia 

While Curry explored global markets, Ahya pursued a unique project close to her heart and closer to home. Driven by her interest in environmental sustainability and community engagement, she launched an interactive gardening camp at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center.

She secured corporate donations, raised funds, and worked directly with the City of Philadelphia to install new garden plots. Partnering with local organizations like Bennett Compost and the Carversville Farm Foundation—and using church-sponsored city plots in Grays Ferry—Isha cultivated a multi-location growing initiative. Throughout the summer, she hosted weekly hands-on gardening sessions with local youth, teaching them about sustainable agriculture and nutrition while distributing the fresh produce back to rec center families and staff.

“Creating the garden at the rec center taught me countless lessons and showed me how fulfilling it is to turn my ideas into something that benefits my community,“ said Ahya.