On Friday, our Union County CEO team had the opportunity to visit Rise Nutrition in Anna, where we were welcomed by one of our very own alumni, Makenzie Howell (UCCEO Class of 2022). 💚✨

What a full-circle moment it was to have a CEO alum presenting to our current students — and to prospective Class of 2027 students from Anna-Jonesboro Community High School, Shawnee High School, and Cobden High School who joined us for the day. 👏

Makenzie shared her journey since graduating from CEO in 2022. After beginning college, she faced an unexpected challenge when her school shut down — forcing her to pivot, regroup, and determine a new path forward. Today, she is a senior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale majoring in Nutrition & Dietetics, serves as President of the Student Nutrition Academic Council, and works full-time managing both Rise Nutrition locations in Anna and Carterville. 💪🎓

At Rise Nutrition, Makenzie and her team provide a wide variety of supplements and health-focused products, offer a body scan system, and provide nutrition counseling services — truly supporting wellness in our community. 🥤📊

More importantly, she shared powerful life lessons with our students:
• Plans don’t always unfold the way we expect — and that’s okay.
• When circumstances change beyond your control, you can pivot and find opportunity in the unexpected.
• Time management, motivation, responsibility, and networking matter.
• The professional skills developed through CEO carry forward into college, careers, and life.

Her story was a meaningful reminder that success is not always a straight line. It’s about resilience, adaptability, and staying open to new opportunities when the original plan shifts.

We are incredibly proud of Makenzie — for navigating some significant bumps in the road, for stepping confidently into leadership roles, and for building a life and career that feels fulfilling and purpose-driven. 🌟

Thank you, Makenzie, for investing in our current and future CEO students. Moments like these perfectly reflect the power of the CEO network — students learning from those who once stood exactly where they are now. 💼🤝

#UCCEO #CreatingEntrepreneurialOpportunities #CEOAlumni #FullCircleMoment #CommunitySupport