Only a few years out of high school, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's members of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization won't be much older than their audience Friday, Nov. 20. But the young CEOs at the St. Louis-area university have gained a wealth of business knows both inside and outside the classroom.

In an event with Global Entrepreneurship Week, the SIUE students will go to the Finance Park in Chesterfield, Mo., to educate high school students about entrepreneurship.The student-CEOs wants to increase awareness of entrepreneurship as a vital part of the economy, along with helping the younger generation realize their goals.

The SIUE student newspaper, The Alestle, profiled some of the young entrepreneurs who will be speaking to the high school students.

"Why would you work for someone other than yourself when you are the biggest asset that you have? If you go through life, and you put in 40 hours a week, but it's for somebody else, is that truly living? Is that truly the life you want to have," asked CEO co-founder and junior economics and finance major Drew Foster. "And if I could leave a lasting impression … it would be that [entrepreneurship] is the heartbeat of the economy and in the truest sense, entrepreneurship is leadership."

Foster will be joined by other members of SIUE Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization members like freshman business administration major and CEO Marketing Director Matthew McElwee, and CEO member and freshman psychology major Matt Murphy.

This is just one of many events taking place in the St. Louis area, including several hosted by the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Those events included a session on hip-hop and entreprneuership on November 14 and the 3rd annual Race to Entreprenuership, which took area students on a scavenger hunt of sorts, with prizes up for grabs. The annual Olin Cup Elevator Pitch competition is also taking place today, which awards up to $50,000 in startup funds.

tags: chesterfield, collegiate entrepreneurs organization, drew foster, edwardsville, finance park, illinois, matt murphy, matthew mcelwee, missouri, siue, southern illinois university edwardsville, st. louis, the alestle