From the Classroom to the Marketplace

Jaltepec Students Showcase Innovation and Entrepreneurship

At Centro Educativo Jaltepec in Jocotepec, education is designed to prepare young women not only for successful careers in hospitality, but also to become leaders, entrepreneurs, and agents of change within their communities.

One of the institution’s most anticipated events took place on April 25th, when second-year students presented their business projects as part of Jaltepec’s annual Entrepreneurial Program. The event welcomed families, sponsors, members of the community, and business professionals who had the opportunity to experience firsthand the results of months of planning, creativity, and hard work.

Rather than simply displaying products, students presented complete business proposals. They explained production costs, financial planning, marketing strategies, target markets, and value propositions while confidently answering questions from a panel of judges with remarkable professionalism.

This year’s judging panel included two successful Jaltepec graduates who returned to the institution where their entrepreneurial journeys first began. Ana Paula Medeles, owner of Hotel Restaurante Casa Barragán in Chapala and a graduate of the Class of 2004–2006, and Mariana Lisbet Venegas Muñoz, owner of Marianela Artisan Pastry in Ajijic and a graduate of the Class of 1996–1998, evaluated the projects alongside Chef Marco Antonio Aceves Lule, owner of Casa Lule in Ajijic and a valued collaborator in Jaltepec’s dual education program.

Their participation offered students something especially meaningful: the opportunity to receive guidance from professionals who once stood exactly where they are today. It also demonstrated that the entrepreneurial skills developed at Jaltepec can lead to successful businesses that continue contributing to the local economy years after graduation.

Professional development at Jaltepec extends well beyond entrepreneurship. This spring, all first- and second-year students also completed an intensive educational program focused on tequila appreciation and service. The course was led by Montserrat González, certified tequila taster and third-generation member of a tequila-producing family.

Students explored tequila’s history, production process, tasting techniques, and food pairing principles while learning to identify aromas, flavors, textures, and the characteristics of different styles of tequila. As one of Mexico’s most representative spirits and a product protected by Denomination of Origin, tequila knowledge has become an increasingly valuable skill for future hospitality professionals.

This educational initiative also inspired another community event. On May 15th, Jaltepec hosted Catas con Causa at Chatterley’s Restaurant & Bar in Chapala, an exclusive tequila pairing experience featuring Leyenda 1925 Tequila. The evening combined education, gastronomy, and philanthropy, with proceeds supporting Jaltepec’s Entrepreneurial Program and helping provide students with practical business experience beyond the classroom.

For more than 50 years, Jaltepec has remained committed to creating educational opportunities for young women from underserved communities across Mexico. The continued support of the Lakeside community has played an important role in making this mission possible. Every scholarship, every partnership, and every educational experience helps prepare confident professionals who will go on to make a lasting difference in their families, workplaces, and communities.