Imagine a student who has been pushed by parents and teachers to be a surgeon his/her whole life. Then, he or she goes to a summer camp thinking nothing would change, but a whole new career plan takes shape in just six days because of one business camp. 

Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW) is a business summer camp current sophomores and juniors can attend in the summer. 

PFEW has four different weeks at two different colleges students can attend. The first week is July 2-7 at Lycoming College. The second week is July 9-14 at Lycoming College. The third week is July 23-28 at Lycoming College, and the final week is July 30- Aug. 4 at either Lycoming College or Pennsylvania College of Technology. 

“We work closely with our two host campuses, Lycoming College and Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, to determine each summer’s schedule. Because this is a residential program, we must hold the program when their students are not on campus attending class. We also do not want to compete with high school fall sports and band activities, so we have found that the perfect time to hold the program is from the beginning of July through the first week of August,” PFEW creator Michelle Warofka said. 

Students at PFEW will be randomly split up into groups. These groups will create their own fake business. The success of all the businesses will be tracked, and the winner will be announced at the end of the camp. The winners gain stock in a real company for their success. Junior Alexis Finnegan attended PFEW last summer. 

“My company was in the transportation industry. We created a security system for cars. It was pretty much like a ring doorbell but made for a car. I really loved PFEW. It was the highlight of my summer because I met so many great people, and it was overall a really beneficial experience,” Finnegan said. 

Students in the groups will choose one peer to be the CFO of their fake company. The business will also have many aspects of marketing and advertising. Gracie Gioiosa will be attending PFEW this summer. 

 “I love my family and summer job, but I can not wait to go away for a week, hopefully make some new friends and gain knowledge. I was nervous at first because I thought I wouldn’t get in. However, when I knew I was accepted I could not wait for the camp,” Gioiosa said. 

However, PFEW will not just be all work. There is a dance at PFEW, and past students said there were many fun activities to do at night, like sports and swimming. 

“I feel that there was a perfect balance of work and free time. There was obviously more time working than hanging out, but we still had a good amount of free time to relax and get to know the people there,” Finnegan said. 

Counselor Tracey Biesecker’s daughter attended PFEW in the past. Biesecker said  her daughter was very nervous before leaving the car, but soon called her mother to say she was having the time of her life. 

“Everyone was really friendly and all of that anxiety and worry and stress she was having at the last minute that day just was gone. Said she just sort of had to face her fears. And so that’s another reason why I like my students to go. To get away from the parents and get away from the family. Get that experience of being on a college campus by yourself navigating a week by yourself. They are becoming young adults, and it’s just so important. It’s a great experience. She learned so much and made so many connections, as all of my students said they did when they went,” Biesecker said. 

The application for PFEW can be found at www.pfew.org. The application requires written responses, but it is free. The registration for the camp is $295. However, the rest of the funds needed for camp, including room and board, are covered by the organization. 

“It is definitely a good amount of money. Overall though for a week of room, board and learning the fee isn’t too awful considering per person it costs over $1000, not to mention you can get college scholarships for going,” Gioiosa said. 

PFEW graduates can even earn up to $20,000 in scholarships. Warofka strongly believes that PFEW is a very safe place. Students are always on campus for the six days they are there. 

“PFEW is not about business. No matter what career you choose, PFEW will help you. PFEW is about your life. It’s a place where dreams are born, futures are forged, lifelong friendships are made, and you’ll leave better, smarter and way more prepared for your future. You’ll see, hear and do things very few people in the world will ever get the chance to experience. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and more fun than you’ve ever had in your life so far. I’ve seen miracles happen. I’ve seen lives changed, ” Warofka said.