Devan Divenuti, Matthew Meier, Mary Elizabeth Bone, Julian Kappler, JulieAnn Bever, Ramona Harper, Todd Williams and Creighton Bryan cut the ceremonial ribbon.
The Wildcat Corner Store at Lake Highlands High School has officially been open less than 24 hours, but student preferences are already clear. Blue slushies and chocolate chip cookies are most popular so far, with whole dill pickles and iced coffee also ranking as big sellers.
The store, which opened with fanfare Monday on the upstairs landing just above the ticket booth inside the HUB, will be open during all four lunches each day. Headphones, notebooks, deodorant, lip balm, Chromebook chargers and other items useful for high school students will be available behind the counter. Managers and clerks are students enrolled in entrepreneurship and career prep classes, and many of them participate in DECA, a club which prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.
“This store is more than just a place to shop. It’s a place where students are gaining hands-on experience in running a real business,” said JulieAnn Bever, entrepreneurship teacher and DECA sponsor. “Here, they get to apply concepts like marketing, budgeting, inventory and customer engagement in real time — gaining the kind of experience that can’t be taught in a Chromebook alone. This store is a true example of what happens when education steps beyond the classroom walls.”
Bever thanked LHHS’ Education Foundation, sometimes called Wild for Cats, which provided a sophisticated point of sale system which students will use at check out. Data collected there will help students determine which items were popular with customers and which inventory items need reordering.
“Many of our students already have jobs,” explained Ramona Harper, who co-sponsors DECA and teaches business management and career prep. “They kind of know how the system works, but with our curriculum, they get a deeper understanding of what really happens in a store. Here, they’re learning soft skills, like how to greet customers and how to create relationships.”
Store Manager Mary Elizabeth Bone, a Wildcat senior involved in DECA since she was a sophomore, said the project began simply with a few snacks for sale on a small table.
“Over time we could see this could really grow and become a great opportunity for us to learn some customer service skills,” she said. The students expanded the project, teaming up with RISD’s CTE (career in technology) team, which built out the space using the students’ design and lent them the seed money to purchase their initial inventory. Funds earned will be plowed back into the shop.
The project has qualified LHHS’ DECA team for national competition, and Bone, Julian Kapler and Matthew Meier will head to Orlando for the DECA International Career Development Conference April 26-29.
