Alcorn Career and Technical Center Hosts Laubhan

A familiar face from Northeast Mississippi weather coverage brought a lesson in risk and resilience to students at the Alcorn Career and Technical Center. Meteorologist Matt Laubhan, the founder of Mississippi LIVE Weather, visited Skylar Mincey’s Business, Marketing & Finance class to talk about what it really takes to start a business, the Daily Corinthian reported.

Mincey invited Laubhan so students could hear firsthand what helped him succeed. His story turned out to be a lesson about how a setback can become a start.

From Layoff to Launch

Laubhan, who spent years forecasting for viewers across North Mississippi on Tupelo television, told the students that his department was laid off in January 2025 during a corporate restructuring. The layoff was later reversed, but the experience pushed him to build something of his own.

In July 2025 he launched Mississippi LIVE Weather. The company’s team includes meteorologists Maggie McCallie and Caleb Edelblute, and it has since grown to partner with local news providers, including the Daily Corinthian.

Entrepreneurship Lessons at the Alcorn Career and Technical Center

Laubhan didn’t sugarcoat it. “Owning a business is not for the faint of heart,” he told the class.

Some of the main points he shared with the students:

• Grades aren’t everything. He said report cards don’t always predict who will succeed as an adult.
• Failure is part of the process. He urged students to take chances instead of waiting for a perfect moment.
• Persistence matters. Starting a company means taking on work and risk that a regular job doesn’t carry.

His closing advice was simple: “Don’t be afraid of failing. Be afraid of never trying.”

Why It Matters for Local Students

The Alcorn Career and Technical Center serves high school students from the Alcorn School District with hands-on programs that prepare them for jobs, college and, for some, running their own businesses. Guest speakers like Laubhan give students in business and marketing courses a real-world look at how companies get started in a small market, and how a career can change direction.

Business, marketing and finance courses cover skills such as budgeting, advertising, customer service and basic accounting. Laubhan’s talk added the personal side that a textbook can’t: the uncertainty of losing a job, the decision to take a chance, and the long hours it takes to keep a young company going. His story showed students that a setback can open a door to something new.

For students in Corinth, Kossuth, Biggersville and the rest of Alcorn County, the visit was a reminder that a business idea can grow right here in Northeast Mississippi.

For more on career opportunities for local students, read about the MPOWER College and Career Expo in Corinth.

Source: Daily Corinthian