We talk a lot in CEO about the importance of relationships.

Our guest speakers talk about it. Business owners talk about it. And sometimes that means stepping outside of your comfort zone, meeting someone new, asking questions and taking the time to get to know them.

Then I get to see little moments that make me realize the students are actually doing it.

This week, Kyle (Lebanon) and Teagan (Mascoutah) faced off against each other on the soccer field. I couldn’t make it to the game, but they both came into class the next morning talking about it.

My immediate reaction was, “Dang it! I wish I had a picture!”

They both looked at me and said, “Don’t worry, Laurie. We took one after the game.”

And I loved that.

Not just because they took the picture, but because they thought about it. They knew it was something worth capturing, and they remembered to share it with me the next morning.

Our students came into CEO from four different high schools. Some knew each other before August, but many didn’t. Now they spend their mornings together, learning, challenging each other, helping each other and building relationships.

And then I get to see those relationships show up outside of CEO.

On a soccer field. At a restaurant. At the mall. They are genuinely excited when their lives happen to cross outside of our 90 minutes each morning.

That’s one of the coolest parts of this program for me. We’re teaching them about business, but we’re also giving them a chance to build a network of people they might never have met otherwise.

And apparently, they’re paying attention.

Those are the moments that make me smile.