Annalise Leck ’25 Channels Entrepreneurship into Service Hours

Annalise Leck ’25 spent her summer doing what she loves most—igniting entrepreneurship in herself and others. She was one of 100 high school students selected from across the country to participate in the highly competitive Calvin Coolidge Foundation Senators Program. The Senators Program recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional academic accomplishments and show a special interest in Calvin Coolidge.

As a Coolidge Senator, Leck attended the Coolidge Senator Summit in Vermont, a multi-day, expenses-paid conference to discuss pressing issues in policy and business with renowned experts, and to get a glimpse into the world of Calvin Coolidge. President Coolidge understood that America’s free enterprise system was critical to sustaining our nation. Thus, the Senator Summit gives special emphasis to entrepreneurship and the private sector, bringing business leaders to meet with students.

Leck is no stranger to being an entrepreneur. As a freshman at Cannon, she founded the non-profit Cougar House, an online directory that connects high school students with community service opportunities. Since 2022, Cougar House has provided more than 8,000 service hours for students in the greater Charlotte area. But Leck has set her eyes on growing the organization’s scope to reach even more students.

Cougar House now has eight chapters across the globe, including India and Canada. Leck credits the organization’s user-friendliness to its rising popularity. When a student visits the site, they can search by location or areas of interest to find volunteer opportunities. “When you make something convenient for people, they will use it,” she emphasizes. Offering that convenience factor hasn’t come easy though. Leck admits that she faced a steep learning curve in building and running the website, which takes 5-10 hours of her week to update.

Leck hopes to channel her business skills into the nonprofit sector after college to help them make the most of their funds. She is looking at colleges with a commitment to service and a strong business program.