Athena Society camp-goersFrom left: Vang Her, Bartlett High School; Rebeka Hatcher, Bartlett High School; Yajaira Rodriguez, East High School; and Arina Filippenko, West High School.

Anchorage, AK - Through its Anchorage Athena Society program, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and its Athena Scholarship Committee recently issued full-scholarships to Arina Filippenko and Vang Her to attend Camp $tart-Up, a week-long national entrepreneurship and business camp held from July 27 to Aug. 5 at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Mass. Filippenko will be a sophmore at West High School while Her will be entering Bartlett High School as a junior this fall.

Camp $tart-Up helps young women from across the nation learn leadership and business skills from successful women business owners. This is the 14th year the Anchorage Chamber has sent young women to the entrepreneurship camp.

In addition, the Anchorage ATHENA Society also provided scholarships to two more high school business-minded women to attend the Alaska State Chamber's Alaska Business Week, a summer program with "intensive discovery learning," teaching students about the challenges and opportunities of life after high school.

This summer, Rebeka Hatcher (Bartlett High) and Yajaira Rodriguez (East High) will be sent to ABW, held from July 14 to 21, 2012 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

"All of these young women have proven they have what it takes to become our future business leaders of Anchorage," said Sami Glascott, president of the Anchorage Chamber. "We are proud of their accomplishments and hope that the camps give them the skills and confidence they need to fuel their entrepreneurial spirits."

Funds raised from last fall's Kenai River Women's Classic helped provide for the scholarships. Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Railroad Corporation provided free transportation for the young women and the Anchorage Chamber's Anchorage ATHENA Society covered all other costs.

Soroptimist International of Anchorage provided a $250 cash stipend to each of the young women.

The Anchorage ATHENA Society is program of the Anchorage Chamber that works year-round to encourage the potential of all women as valued members and leaders of the business community. Members of the Society, both male and female, are nominated by the community and their peers, and are accepted into the Society based on their business accomplishment, community service, and dedication to promoting women in business.