Student Spotlight: Meet Kaela Ariel Talsma

Kaela Ariel Talsma learned the value of a good day’s work early on in life.

Growing up on a farm as one of nine children, there were plenty of opportunities to help out. At eight, she began volunteering at Nelis’ Dutch Village in Holland, Michigan – where she now works as a café manager – during the summers.

And it wasn’t long before she began harboring the idea of owning a business herself one day.

“I really liked marketing, running the numbers and connecting with people,” said Talsma, known by her middle name, Ariel, to family and friends. “It also kind of runs in the family; my mom and brother both have business degrees.”

All this made Kuyper’s dual enrollment course, Introduction to Business Leadership, seem like a perfect fit. As a homeschooled high school student, she was able to take the class through a partnership with the Homeschool Building, an information and activity hub for families like hers, located in Wyoming, Michigan.

“I really enjoyed what Professor (Marc) Andreas had to say, and he was a great teacher. Plus, I liked the way the class focuses on entrepreneurship,” Talsma said.

She enjoyed the course so much that she enrolled in another, Business 311: Entrepreneurship, with Professor Attah Obande.

For students in this class, the highlight of the year is the opportunity to compete in the MWest Challenge, a regional business pitch competition that draws students from colleges across West Michigan.

The course guides students through the process of developing a business concept and pitching it to a panel of in-class judges. Select teams then move on to compete in MWest.

“My partner and I created a food cart selling poffertjes, a Dutch mini pancake dessert, and we ended up finishing in the top eight of all the schools that participated,” she recalled.

The experiences that began in that first class ultimately led Talsma to join Kuyper’s Business Leadership program full-time after finishing high school. And now, with her final year of college ahead, she is confident she made the right choice.

Citing the guidance and hands-on learning she received during her classes and through KuyperWorks, she says she feels well-prepared for her upcoming internship and life after graduation.

“I’ve worked in food service and as a KuyperWorks assistant, and I’ll be working in the Business Office this year. I feel like Kuyper has helped me take the baby steps so that, when I get to my internship and eventual career, it won’t be something new but something I have experience in,” Talsma said.