Florine Burning Breast wants her business to recreate one of her favorite childhood memories.

"By the Way was a small store," in Soldier Creek, S.D., she said. "It was something to me to go with my father. I remember a good feeling."

It's one she wants to replicate in her own store in Soldier Creek, where she is from.

She's learned some of the essential skills to do that in the small business management program at United Tribes Technical College. She graduates from the program Friday.

Graduation is 1 p.m. Friday at the Lone Star Arena.

The small business development program helps students with an entrepreneurial spirit learn the basics of business and what it takes to start one.

The program has been in place since 1995, when it started with four students. It now has more than 60 students, 13 of whom are graduating this year.

Many of the program director Carol Anderson's students have a desire to have a business on their reservation.

"They see such a need to go back and make it easier to live in," Anderson said.

Sylvester Thomas, of Wanblee, S.D., who also is graduating, wants to provide economic development on his reservation, while Autumn Elm, of Green Bay, Wis., wants to create an embroidery business similar to one her mother started.

Thomas wants to go back to his reservation and help his people through economic development. He wants to open several types of businesses.

"It's not one single business, but diverse businesses to keep revenue in the community," he said.

Through providing a variety of business, he hopes prices for goods and services will decrease on the reservation and that money spent stays local.

Burning Breast has dreamed of starting her own business since she was in high school. What she wants to do now looks very different from the business she wanted then.

"In high school I dreamed of opening a bed and breakfast," she said. "I worked on it in some college classes, and training from the opening of the Rosebud casino."

Now she wants to open a convenience store and fitness center with a pool. It comes from a concern for her people's health and a desire for a central meeting place in her community.

Her ideal location in Soldier Creek would attract folks on the Rosebud Reservation and people traveling along Highway 10. It would give them a place to grab something to eat in a restaurant, something quick in the convenience store or a gathering place in the fitness area or pool.

United Tribes was the place for these students to work on their dreams for many reasons.

Burning Breast chose UTTC for the convenience. It has housing and an elementary school for her children. She has seven children between 10 and 22. During her time at UTTC, she had up to three of her children living with her.

Her adult children are on their own, including two who live in Bismarck, and some of her school-age children are at boarding schools, she said.

Thomas chose UTTC because of the quality of its program and how it treats its students.

Elm started out at Haskell Indian Nations University but left after her first year. She came to UTTC in January 2005, when her daughter was 3 months old.

"Having my daughter inspired me to keep going," she said.

Her daughter will be 3 this year. She's amazed how quickly time went by, she said.

She choose UTTC because it offered transportation and day care to help her out while she attended school.

"They made sure they had a place for her, too," she said.

Thomas also wanted to set an example for his children, two daughters, 6 and 7.

"I want them to see that to get what I wanted takes hard work," he said. He stresses to them the importance of education.

They will take off school Friday to see their father graduate. He is the first person in his family to graduate from college.

In the meantime, the students will continue working on their business plans and continuing their education.

Burning Breast figures she is about five years away from making her new dream a reality.

She will eventually get her bachelor's degree at Haskell Indian Nations University.

She will continue to improve her business plan as well.

It received feedback as part of the Great Plains Economic Development and Exposition in Rapid City in April. She and Elm each presented their business plans there.

"It shared a lot of legal aspects of starting your business," Burning Breast said.

Other entrepreneurs shared tips on how to pitch their business and improve their plans. Elm placed first in the competition.

Thomas and Elm have plans for earning bachelor's degrees as well. Thomas plans to stay in Bismarck and attend Dickinson State University through Bismarck State College to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration. Elm will attend the University of Green Bay in Wisconsin to earn her degree.

Elm will go back home after graduation and help in the family business, but also wants to start her own. She wants to make a niche in embroidery for children's clothing and other items.

She also will attend University of Green Bay to complete her bachelor's degree, then she hopes to have the opportunity to apply for a business loan through her tribe.

"I feel real close, because if I meet with the tribe, they give money for good business plans," she said. She is a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)