So you know how people always want to return to those halcyon days of college? Well I just got the chance to, and, to be honest, it is shaping up to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life to date.

The Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, Fullerton, is part of that institution’s award-winning Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, and I was fortunate to recently be given the opportunity to mentor six seniors with their semester projects. These students are Julie Woods, Jeff Abraham, Maria Lizarraga, Jacob Poth, Jenn Angel, and Shawn Mermilliod.

So you’re probably wondering how this all works. The program accepts applications from Orange County businesses that are looking for assistance with improving six areas of their operations. The applicants range from small companies with revenues in the low six figures, all the way up to multi-million dollar companies. The business on which my students are focused must remain nameless for confidentiality reasons, but I can tell you it’s a successful salon with major expansion plans. Over the course of the project, each one of my students takes a part of the salon’s business and analyzes it. Our focus is on marketing, accounting, public relations, team building, and website development and optimization.

I am truly having a blast and will admit I’m probably more enthusiastic than the students — I think they just want to graduate! My own excitement for this project is rooted in my experience as an entrepreneur. I’m proud of where PureFit is today, and I’m eager to give back to others who dare to dream as big as I have dreamed.

For more information on Cal State University’s unique program, contact Michael Ames, director of the Small Business Institute, Center for Entrepreneurship at sbiames at fullerton dot edu.