Amanda Harburn Named
2004 Student Entrepreneur of the Year

AMANDA HUNSLEY - PRESTIGE DANCE ACADEMY
Amanda Harburn has been dancing since the age of three, taking classes in tap, jazz, ballet and musical theatre. She has danced competitively and began student teaching at the age of fourteen. By the age of seventeen Amanda was testing out her business skills by operating a week long summer dance camp program that ran successfully for three years In 2002, and at the age of nineteen, Amanda opened a full time dance school – Prestige Dance Academy Inc. The Academy provides dance lessons in tap, jazz, ballet, musical theatre and hip hop to children and adults. Amanda now operates the business while studying full-time at Mount Royal College in Calgary Alberta where she is working towards an Applied Small Business and Entrepreneurship degree.

Amanda works full time teaching 20 hours a week and doing all other administrative work as well as marketing, advertising, and human resources. She has hired 6 part time dance teachers and 3 part time office employees.

Amanda is involved in the community at a number of levels:
Community volunteer for programs such as Inn From the Cold, which provides shelter and hope for Calgary's homeless families and others in need.• Volunteers her time to many schools in the community and offers a dance class for the kids as well as lessons on being a Young Entrepreneur.• Offers dancers over the age of 14 the opportunity to be a part of our Student Teacher Education Program (STEP) Team.  Prestige has had 7 Student teachers start the program in 2004 and the program is growing.• Has become an ambassador for lululemon athletic yoga and dancewear store in Calgary.• Offers children a safe and fun and active place to spend their time doing extracurricular activities.

Through winning this award the Prestige Dance Academy was recognized in the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Globe and Mail, Business Edge, Calgary Inc., A-Channel News and CFCN (Calgary) News.

 “I share my story of being a young entrepreneur with everyone who walks through my door. I have a wall that is covered in all of the articles from newspapers that covered my story as I competed in the ACE Student Entrepreneur of the Year competition. I try to inspire every child who dances into my life that they have the ability to achieve their dreams to be anything they want to be.”  
www.acecanada.ca