Business world is Ava's oyster following Derry awards success

A trailblazing Derry student is still on cloud nine almost two weeks after her triumph at the North West Business awards.

Ava McDowell (17) won 'Young Business Person of the Year' at the gala ceremony in the City Hotel earlier this month. She was recognised for her innovative 'Ava's Treats' business, which sells seasonally-themed gift baskets laden with chocolate and sweeties.

The delighted St Cecilia's Year 13 student said: “I was nominated at the Credit Union awards in March and didn't win, so I kinda said to myself, 'it's fine, you won't win this one either, but that's okay'.

“So I was completely shocked when my name was called out. The two boys I was shortlisted with were brilliant and I had no real hopes for myself; it took me a minute to realise what was happening.”

Ava, from Shantallow, started up her homegrown business in 2021 after her granny, Alice, suggested she might need an extra source of income when the time came to go to university.

Shrewd Ava identified a growing demand for bespoke gift baskets themed around festive holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween and, with the help of her grandparents, got to work perfecting her product for the market.

“Granny is very crafty and creative,” she said. “She was able to help advise me on how to make it, price it and generally take it from an idea right through to the finished product.

“My granda (Paul) is an engineer, so he helped me with the financial breakdown part of it – though I later learned to do that myself in my A-level business studies class. It was actually my business studies teacher, Ms McIntyre, who nominated me for the award. She has given me so much support and shared her expertise with me.”

Slowly but surely, Ava's business began to build up, with customers ranging from members of the Slimming World group run by her mammy, Shelly, to her followers on Instagram as well as the pupils and staff at St Cecilia's.

“We have a scheme at the school called 'Guardian Angels,” she said, “where sixth form students are paired with a first year as a sort of mentor. They would always buy to one another at Christmas and Easter, so I would have sold quite a few that way.

“The school has been so supportive. Ms O'Carolan (principal) came with me to the awards. Then she stood up in front of the whole school on the Monday and said how it was an unbelievable achievement.

“Teachers and classroom assistants who I wouldn't know all that well were coming up to me and saying 'well done' and 'it's great to see it'. “My technology teacher, Mr McClafferty, has been amazing. There's a strong business element to his class and he said to me, 'whatever help you need, I'll do my best'.”

Ava's experience in entrepreneurship, along with her participation in the school leadership programme SistersIN, has, she says, inspired her to consider forging a career in business consulting. It's something she hopes might encourage younger students at the school to one day do the same.

She said: “In terms of career opportunities, having STEM and business skills is so important. Two of my friends are also thinking of working in that area and I think it's great that female pupils can have those aspirations and that we are moving away from those subjects being typically associated with boys.

“We have a full class of business studies and a full class of technology and that is something you maybe wouldn't have seen ten or fifteen years ago.

“It just goes to show that things are changing, and I think it's brilliant that St Cecilia's encourages that.

“The staff here are unbelievable and so supportive; I honestly couldn't see myself anywhere else.”