A central Illinois entrepreneurship program is getting ready for next year, and applicant numbers are making the process rather competitive. 

Lisa Sheppard is the facilitator of the Sangamon Valley CEO Program and indicates the latest recruitment cycle recently wrapped up, and they had a record-number of applicants apply, making this upcoming selection process the most competitive they've had.

According to Sheppard, students are keeping journals throughout the year, and those offer insight into the growth the students experience in their time in the CEO program.

Sheppard indicates later this month, the Sangamon Valley CEO Board will meet to review the applications, and then the students who applied will hear shortly thereafter whether they were selected for the program. She reminds, the application process is a blind application process.

The Sangamon Valley CEO Program has students from Argenta-Oreana, Bement, Cerro Gordo, DeLand-Weldon, and Monticello. Learn more by visiting sangamonvalleyceo.com or find the chapter on Facebook and Instagram.