Catherine Doherty, a Chelsea High School (CHS) teacher, and Jennifer LaSala, a former CHS student, have been recognized by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) as the New England teacher and student of the year.
When Doherty introduced an entrepreneurship class at CHS a few years ago, students responded with tremendous interest, many eager to explore the possibility of launching their own ventures.
LaSala, who graduated from CHS in 2011, was among the first to enroll in Doherty’s class. She successfully transformed a concept developed during the course into the foundation of her current business.
As founder and CEO of Sugar Coated Heaven, LaSala earned recognition as the 2013 Young Entrepreneur of the Year for New England, placing her among dozens of national recipients of this honor. Over the past two years, she has grown her initial NFTE business concept from a high school project into a thriving enterprise, with plans to open a bakery location this summer in Providence, where she is a student at Johnson & Wales University.
Doherty’s contributions have also earned significant recognition from NFTE New England. For three consecutive years as an NFTE educator at Chelsea High, she received the 2013 NFTE Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year award for the New England Region. Her efforts include establishing a Level 2 class at her school and creating curriculum resources that are now utilized across the NFTE network.
At a special ceremony held on April 23rd at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City during NFTE’s 25th Anniversary Gala, both LaSala and Doherty were celebrated alongside young entrepreneurs and educators from around the world.
Steve Mariotti, founder of NFTE and a social entrepreneur and educator, was also honored at the event. Supported by MasterCard Worldwide and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, the gala recognized 37 exceptional young entrepreneurs from 10 nations and 25 entrepreneurial educators. As an international non-profit, NFTE works to engage and inspire youth in low-income communities globally, helping them pursue education, establish businesses, and achieve success.