By Allen Zhang

A man in a sharp, black tuxedo lifts the microphone as the audience inches closer to the edge of their seats, titling forward as they anticipate the handsome man's following few words. One moment all that can be heard is the faint buzzing of the mic, and the next moment thunderous applause ensues from the crowd in response to the man's announcement. For the entirety of the year, five dedicated groups have arduously prepared for this day. Even though this was only the second year of the YES launch competition, members' hard work and guidance from their mentors made the business pitches a highlight during the recent 2023 end-of-year party. YES had the honor to host their end-of-year party at Verona Villa in Frisco. Members and parents recognized graduating members, Youth Leadership Academy members, and award winners. In addition, they enjoyed live and silent auctions and the YES Launch program and gave and received awards.

The theme of the 2023 YES EOY party was Paris, evident through the countless amenities provided by both YES members and the exclusive venue. As attendees checked in, YES musicians performed various tunes.

Contributing to the theme of Paris, Verona Villa not only provided a distinct atmosphere and abundant amounts of delicious delicacies ranging from macrons to gummy worms. Furthermore, attendees prepared items for the live and silent auction.

A nostalgic video commemorating the successful meetings of YES through the 2022-2023 year played overhead, giving members a trip down memory lane. YES then recognized and thanked several graduating members for their contribution as they got on stage. YES had the privilege to grow through those members and now wishes them the best of luck in their future.

As future entrepreneurs, leadership is a fundamental skill. Many YES members are alumni of the Youth leadership academy or will be future members. They spoke on stage about the enriching experiences of the program or what they looked forward to.

An exciting part of the venue was its silent and live auctions, where diverse items and many individual coaching sessions were sold, not excluding a spectacular bumblebee helmet.

YES, members have devoted their time and effort to the organization in various ways. Awards were handed out on stage to recognize contributing members for YES during the 2022-2023 year. Although not every member received an award, YES believes every member is critical to its community.

YES stands for “Youth Entrepreneur Society,” a meaning that the organization exemplifies through its YES Launch program. YES nurtures members to become future entrepreneurs, and members gain the opportunity to act as one through the program truly. Members organize business teams throughout the year, formulating a business pitch with their team and mentor to be presented at the respective EOY party. This year, the prize pool amounted to $1,000 thanks to many donations. Likewise, the competition was fierce, and each of the five groups toiled as they walked in the path of future entrepreneurs. Before the groups presented, YES recognized the judges and mentors. While five unique, innovative ideas were proposed to the judges, only one idea achieved first place, the legendary group named Keytainer.

Before concluding the great event, multiple live auctions took the stage as members and parents bid on unique items and personal coaching lessons. It's wild how fast the year has gone by and how quickly things have changed, especially knowing how Kevin Su, the 2022-2023 president in the sharp, black tuxedo, will just be a member next year. So, YES hopes to cherish every moment with its members and looks forward to what the organization can accomplish in 2023-2024. Like Dr. Seuss once said, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."