Midland’s Jamison Geisler returned to the summer program that helped shape his college decision — this time to guide a new generation of aspiring entrepreneurs.
When Jamison Geisler first attended Northwood University’s LAB Week, he was preparing to enter his sophomore year at Midland’s Dow High School and beginning to explore what his future might hold.
This summer, Geisler returned to LAB Week with a clearer sense of direction — and a new role. The former camper served as a counselor, helping high school students gain confidence, build friendships and discover their own potential as entrepreneurs and leaders.
“I learned a lot and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to be part of it every year after that,” Geisler said of his first LAB Week experience.
LAB Week is Northwood’s immersive free-enterprise summer camp for high school students. Participants live on Northwood’s campus in Midland, Michigan, collaborate with their peers, learn from professors and entrepreneurs, and apply business principles to a real-world challenge. The program introduces students to entrepreneurship the Northwood way: through hands-on learning grounded in creativity, teamwork, personal responsibility and free enterprise.
For Geisler, the camp also offered an early look at the people and culture that distinguish Northwood.
“LAB Week definitely played a role in my choosing to attend Northwood,” he said. “I got to see firsthand what the college experience was like. I met great people and saw what the community was about — not just the students, but also the amazing professors. I experienced the campus and saw the facilities. Overall, it really influenced me to start looking toward Northwood.”
Geisler, whose family owns Geisler Enterprises in Midland, said LAB Week helped nurture his interest in business while allowing him to grow as a student and young entrepreneur. Returning as a counselor gave him an opportunity to provide the same encouragement and sense of belonging that had made an impression on him as a camper.
“My experience as a counselor was fantastic,” he said. “Getting to have an influence on some of the campers and seeing how they evolved and grew throughout the week was really fulfilling.”
Helping campers find their place
Northwood Idea Center Director Patrick McElgunn, who leads LAB Week, was impressed by the natural way Geisler connected with this year’s campers.
“Jamison’s personable nature and willingness to approach others helped campers feel comfortable, connect with their peers and participate fully in the week’s activities.,” McElgunn said.
Geisler said he has always been relatively extroverted, but LAB Week strengthened the skills that allow him to make others feel welcome.
“The public speaking and networking aspects of LAB Week helped me become more confident in talking with people and treating them with the respect that makes them feel comfortable,” he said.
That confidence is one of the qualities LAB Week is designed to develop, McElgunn explained.
“Students do more than learn about entrepreneurship in a classroom,” McElgunn added. “They are asked to think critically, communicate their ideas, work as a team and apply what they learn to a business concept — much as entrepreneurs do in the marketplace.”
For high school students, Geisler believes the residential camp provides an especially valuable introduction to college life.
“You get the full college experience of sitting in a lecture, having discussions, living on campus and more,” he said. “It can even help you discover — or narrow down — what you want to pursue in college and in life.”
Leadership that benefits both counselor and camper
Geisler also sees value in Northwood students returning to LAB Week as counselors and mentors.
Serving in those roles gives college students an opportunity to support younger students, strengthen their university community and develop leadership abilities they can carry into their careers, he said.
“You have a unique opportunity to help support a younger generation of students, help your school grow and help shape what you want to see in your institution,” Geisler said. “It also helps you gain a sense of leadership that is attractive to employers.”
Mentorship is not a one-way experience, he added. Counselors can learn from the students they guide, gaining new perspectives while developing greater patience, responsibility and self-awareness.
“Jamison’s progression from camper to counselor illustrates the lasting value of the LAB Week experience,” McElgunn said. “A program that once introduced him to Northwood has now given him the opportunity to represent the university and help other students envision what they could accomplish.”
“Every year, I grow more as an individual, a student, a friend and a young entrepreneur,” Geisler said. “LAB Week has already set me up for so much success in my career and schooling. It is a great opportunity that every high school student should take advantage of.”
To learn more about LAB Week and future opportunities for high school students, visit the LAB Week webpage at northwood.edu/lab.
