Effingham County High School’s business classes and Future Business Leaders of America chapter joined other students around the country in celebrating American Enterprise Day.

Mark Elliott spoke to Laura Griffin’s and Karen Waltz’s business classes. Elliott, owner of Southern Rental Systems and a member of the ECHS business department’s advisory committee, explained how he started his own business and became successful.

Along with the guest speaker, the business classes researched American entrepreneurs and created flyers to honor those who have started their own business through the years.

American Enterprise Day is celebrated to commemorate the American freedom for entrepreneurship, the right of Americans to pursue the career of their choice, and free enterprise itself. It was established by President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s.

Celebrations are organized by FBLA to educate students on the value of the American free enterprise system. The day teaches the function and history of the free enterprise system to help students understand the U.S. economy.