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Franklin Center of Beaver County Spotlights Student Taja Finley

Taja Finley first enrolled in Franklin Center of Beaver County, Inc.  Biz Camp in 2009 when she was 12 years old. A request to take pictures during camp using one of the coordinator’s cameras led to an emerging photography business, Acute Angles by Taja Finley.

The now 18 year old graduate of Beaver High School has taken her business far. In October of 2013 Taja was one of two competitors to represent Western Pennsylvania as a quarter-finalist in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s (NFTE) National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, a national business plan competition for teens and young college students.

In 2014, Taja was selected as Western Pennsylvania’s Global Youth Entrepreneur of the Year. She joined 34 other honorees from around the world and was honored at NFTE’s Dare to Dream Gala in Washington, DC in April 2014. Taja was also selected as the Ron Morris E-Ward for Entrepreneurial Excellence winner. This award honors a youth entrepreneur in Western Pennsylvania who shows extraordinary dedication to both their entrepreneurial and personal development. As this year’s honoree, Taja received a $2500 scholarship to further her personal and business growth.

Taja will attend Penn State Beaver in the fall.

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