It is no question that many college students, regardless of what their courses may be, aspire to establish a business of their own. Students from the Ateneo de Manila University are no exception to this. Along the university’s well-known Red Brick Road, an annual competition focused on student-entrepreneurship awaits the whole Loyola Schools community. This highly anticipated event is known as the JSEC Challenge, which brings the entire Ateneo community together through a wide range of food choices.
After all, who doesn’t love food?
JSEC Challenge, hosted by the Ateneo Management Association, is a three-phase, week-long project. It serves as an avenue for aspiring entrepreneurs in the Ateneo to engage in business activities by participating in a food stall competition.
This event was introduced to the Ateneo in 2007. Students who wish to participate must form groups and submit their proposals, wherein the best are selected to take part in the actual competition. With the goal of introducing interesting meal concepts at student-friendly prices, around 20-25 stalls compete to secure a slot in JSEC for each phase.
Phase One features rice meal stalls, Phase Two features snacks and finger food stalls, and Phase Three features a mix of rice and to-go meal stalls.
For every phase, the five best stalls win and get to have their business fully running in the next school year at the JGSOM Student Enterprise Center (JSEC), the cafeteria that holds the student-owned food stalls.
That’s not all! An exciting twist awaits the students at the end of all phases, wherein 3-4 stalls are selected as wildcard winners of the challenge. These lucky students also get the chance to be JSEC stall owners for the upcoming school year.
Now on its 12th year, JSEC Challenge is back with a compelling initiative: the inclusion of social entrepreneurship in the project. With this, empty plastic bottles coming from the various food stalls are to be recycled and donated to a non-profit organization. Doing such enables the Ateneo Management Association to uphold its vision of creating conscious and socially aware entrepreneurs.
What’s great about the JSEC Challenge is that it brings the Ateneo community together in a gastronomic arena. From the jam-packed Red Brick Road, to the long queues of people waiting to get their hands on the tastiest meal, the JSEC Challenge never fails to capture the attention of individuals in the Ateneo every time.
As in the previous years, and in the years to come, this event is held with the goal of giving aspiring entrepreneurs a window of opportunity to bring their great ideas to life, encounter the ropes of putting up a venture, and ignite a sense of passion and determination. This event shows just that — highlighting the students’ collaborative effort in pursuing their entrepreneurial goals.
Everyone is invited to drop by Red Brick Road this November 11-15, 2019 to try out the rice meals to be served during Phase One of JSEC Challenge 2019-2020. Some cuisines to be expected include Filipino, Thai, Chinese, American, Indian, Mexican dishes and more—there’s sure to be something for everybody.
Who knows, your favorite stall just might secure a slot at JSEC next year!
Written and submitted by: Cheska Galang, Patricia Hari-Ong, and Denise Sze
