Center Gives Williamson County Students a Head Start on Future

Anthony Beckett

As with many entrepreneurial endeavors, Brentwood High School graduate Anthony Beckett’s business idea grew out of necessity. Beckett, who has been coding for years, came up with an idea in his sophomore math class. He was having trouble keeping up with the notes his instructor wrote on the smartboard, so he started thinking of a way to connect the notes on the board to the laptop computer he used in class. 

The result was Markify, a mobile application that helps students take better notes in school. His teachers encouraged him to pursue his idea through Williamson County Schools’ Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC), a creative hub equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and resources to help Williamson County students transform their ideas into real-world solutions. 

Harnessing the Hustle 

“Applying to the EIC was by far the best decision I made in my whole high school career. The number of opportunities I received, the amount of exposure I received and the knowledge I gained throughout were invaluable,” Beckett says. “But not just knowledge related to my business. I also gained those soft skills, like getting up and presenting and talking with people. 

That was a really important skill for what I was doing.” 

Jeremy Qualls, executive director of the EIC, says those soft skills proved vital for Beckett, who has demonstrated Markify at educational conferences, pitch contests, the South by Southwest conference, festivals and the 2024 INCubator National Pitch Competition, where he came in first and received $13,000. In fact, Markify is being beta tested in 50 classrooms across the state. 

“He’s learned new social skills and learned to handle constructive feedback, which many entrepreneurs struggle with,” Qualls says. “When he started here, he was not keen on speaking in public or networking, but now, he’s a real pro.” 

A Head Start to Startup

The center provides Williamson County students with hands-on learning opportunities, such as mini pitch contests as well as mentorship from industry professionals and access to a network of like-minded peers. 

“At the EIC, I was able to meet people who have 20 and 30-plus years of experience in business. I was able to network with people in the education sector since that’s the market my app is in, but I also met people in marketing and other areas,” Beckett says. “Our mentors would come and speak to us, and I would sit with them for hours after their presentation just asking questions. I just was so eager to interact with them and learn from them. The mentor program was by far the biggest surprise to me – how valuable that was and what a great opportunity it was.” 

One of Beckett’s mentors was Clay Banks, co-founder and CEO of GloriLight, a manufacturer of Bible verse nightlights. Banks is one of more than 100 EIC mentors who advises students, offers guidance and answers questions. Banks helped Beckett solidify his pitch decks for competition. 

“Anthony is a remarkable high school student entrepreneur. He epitomizes the essence of innovation and perseverance. His dedication to refining his product through rigorous testing and gathering feedback showcases his astute understanding of the entrepreneurial process,” Banks says. “His proactive approach to seeking and implementing feedback underscores his relentless pursuit of success.” 

No Place Like Home 

After graduating from Brentwood High School in 2024, Beckett made what he says was the difficult decision to develop his business rather than going straight to college. 

What hasn’t been difficult is his decision to stay in the region. 

“There are so many amazing people here – so many amazing educators and businesspeople. These days, 90% of the people I meet with are over Zoom, so I see no reason to leave to go to California or Texas or somewhere like that,” Beckett says. “Plus, we have such amazing talent here. If I’m looking for partners or someone to work with, I can just head down to Vanderbilt or one of the other universities. I’ve come so far here in Williamson County. Why would I leave?”

Career and Technical Education Programs

Williamson County Schools career and technical education programs play a major role in the region’s workforce development efforts, equipping Williamson County students with soft and technical skills required for successful employment. 

A prime example is the mechatronics program at Fairview High School. The program features a state-of-the-art laboratory space with advanced equipment and technology, such as robotics, automation systems and precision engineering tools, that gives students opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom. 

“What’s great about this program is that it fits all students. We have students who are going straight into the workforce after they graduate, and we have students who have been our valedictorians and going to UT Knoxville and studying engineering come through this program,” says Chris Butler, principal of Fairview High School. “This program gives students skills that can be marketable once they leave Fairview, no matter what path they choose.” 

Butler says some of those marketable skills include teamwork, time management and communication. 

“They’re having to problem solve with one another. They’re working together; they’re troubleshooting; they’re communicating with each other. These students develop that grit and perseverance needed to solve a problem, no matter if they’re working on pneumatics or if they’re working with our robot on the assembly line or trying to figure out where in the code something went wrong,” he says. 

The school also partners with Columbia State Community College for dual enrollment so students in the mechatronics program can earn credit toward an associate degree without leaving their campus. 

“What also makes this program unique is our partnership with Columbia State. They have been a great support in terms of helping us get the equipment that we need. We essentially have a college-level lab space here where our students can get hands-on learning five days a week,” Butler says. “Not only that, but our students will be able to graduate and go to work on day one either with a technical certificate or an associate degree through Columbia State.”