09/04/2026
💚 LANTERN SPOTLIGHT — ELIJAH NEELEY 💡
Next up, we celebrate Elijah Neeley!
One of the things The Lantern Corp. Project demanded from our young people was the willingness to move beyond simply hearing about opportunity and begin learning what it takes to actually prepare for it.
Over six weeks, Elijah was exposed to entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership, workforce development, civic engagement, investing, community service, and professionals from across our region who shared their experiences directly with our Lanterns.
But eventually, the conversations had to turn into action.
Elijah had to take what he was learning, develop his own business idea, think through how it could work, prepare his presentation, and get ready to stand behind something he created.
That is an important experience for a young person.
Because confidence doesn’t always come from somebody telling you that you’re capable.
Sometimes confidence comes from doing something difficult and realizing:
“I actually did that.”
At our Entrepreneur Fair and Shark Tank Event at Proctors, Elijah joined his fellow Lanterns in completing a journey that began six weeks earlier with a group of young people who had no idea exactly where this program would take them.
Now he leaves with experiences, relationships, knowledge, and another example of what can happen when he is willing to step into an opportunity.
Elijah, keep adding experiences to your story.
Keep asking questions. Keep learning from the people around you. Keep challenging yourself to enter rooms that require a bigger version of you.
You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going yet. Just keep becoming more prepared for wherever you decide to go. 💚
Congratulations, Elijah Neeley.
Protect the Light. 💡
YouthEntrepreneurship WorkforceDevelopment Schenectady
