Entrepreneurial Leadership Program

Ellen Thomasson Malecek Entrepreneurial Leadership Program

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and flourishing at Viz thanks to the Ellen Thomasson Malecek Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (ETMELP). This program, introduced in 2015, provides Viz students the opportunity to develop the critical skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur.

Project-based, experiential learning opportunities, integrated throughout the curriculum, are designed with the goal of inspiring and encouraging students possessing the same entrepreneurial spirit and sense of creativity as Ellen Thomasson Malecek, Viz graduate and program namesake.

Room 125 is the home of the ETMELP, having been completely renovated in 2015 and outfitted with the technology needed to support entrepreneurial studies at Viz. Students can choose from eight different threads of entrepreneurial activity including business, engineering, graphic arts, innovative design, literary arts, performance arts, philanthropy, and science.

Mrs. Sue Andrews, Instructional Technology, took over as head of the program in 2019. Exciting changes have included the creation of two separate classes: entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial leadership. Having two courses allows Viz students to grow their initiatives over the course of two years, developing innovative programs that will thrive at Visitation and in the community in future years.

The Entrepreneurial Leadership Program is primarily funded through the Ellen Thomasson Malecek Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Endowment Fund. If you would like to make a gift to the endowment fund, please click below. Viz appreciates your generosity!

Ellen's Story

Ellen was a proud 1989 graduate of Visitation Academy and always cherished the wonderful and transformative experience she had at Viz.

When she passed away in 2012, her family and classmates wanted to honor her entrepreneurial drive and love for Visitation Academy, and the Ellen Thomasson Malecek Entrepreneurial Leadership Program was born.

Viz will forever be grateful to Ellen’s friends and family whose financial contributions enabled Viz to launch the ETMELP here at our school. It is an invaluable educational asset and provides our students hands-on exposure to the field of business.

Crescent Coffee

The idea for Crescent Coffee came from two enterprising students, Elizabeth Isaak and Bailey McGartland, who are both part of Visitation’s Ellen Thomasson Malecek Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, a program of study that combines a project-based, experiential learning curriculum with professional mentorship to help students develop the critical skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur.

Follow Crescent Coffee on Instagram @vizcrescentcoffee

Hours: Mondays, 7:15-8:55 a.m.

Visitation Academy is an independent, private Catholic school offering a coeducational Montessori preschool and Kindergarten program, the area's only all-girl elementary program for Grades 1-5, and an all-girl middle school and all-girl high school.