OTC student applies knowledge to DJ business. He has plans to expand from Springfield into St. Louis and Kansas City
Brice Clark might not look it, but he's been in business almost half his life. Thanks to his classwork and his A+ scholarship at Ozark Technical Community College, he's been able to become an even better business operator.
Clark started his DJ music business — Spark Sound & Entertainment — when he was in the eighth grade and decided to put on a dance party at a neighborhood pool.
Summer rolled along and Clark didn’t get a job until the last week of summer when someone took him up on his offer, paid him $100 (as Clark can best remember) and his business was off and running.
After graduating high school, Clark enrolled at OTC last year and earned an A+ scholarship. He is studying business.
“The material I learn throughout my courses can be applied to my business and career directly,” he said. “My public speaking class teaches me about meeting with clients. In computer class, I was learning how to do spreadsheets for the company.”
The A+ scholarship has helped Clark in two ways: He can save money on tuition and fees since the scholarship covers those expenses, and he can take the money he saves and plow it into his business.
“I have benefited from the A+ program in many ways; however, the most important has been the ability to stay a full-time student while being able to maintain my full-time entertainment business,” he said.
Today, he operates the business from his downtown Springfield storefront and has dozens of bookings a month, which puts about 10 people to work each week.
“We are a full-blown entertainment company with disc jockey service, photo booth and videography services,” he said.
Eventually, Clark would like to open business offices in other cities including Kansas City and St. Louis. But that will come after he graduates from OTC in the spring of 2015.
“OTC has enabled many opportunities for me, and I am honored to be apart of the A+ program,” Clark said.
Story by Steve Koehler, OTC’s coordinator of media relations
http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/education/2014/06/08/otc-student-applies-knowledge-dj-business/10206799/
