Often Mattoon High School students want to gain careers in business. Yet, one can see there aren’t many business courses offered at the high school. At the start of the 2012-2013 school year, that will change with the new entrepreneurial class being offered, which will equip students with the necessary tools to create and operate their own business.
This is the first course of its kind at MHS, which have people speculating about the origination of the idea.
“[The community] came up with the idea of needing to improve the business side [of classes offered],” said Krista Jackley, MHS guidance counselor.
The course open is also open to Charleston High School and Oakland High School students as well. According to Jackley, so far there are 13 enrolled. Six kids are from both MHS and CHS and only one from Oakland. However, the class can have up to 20 kids. The class will go from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and students will meet at local businesses and change locations every nine weeks.
Even though the enrollment size appears small, students from MHS registered for the course for a specific reason.
“My dad and grandpa both own their own businesses. It looks like fun. Someday I’d like to own my own business,” said Jacob Miller, MHS junior.
While students have various motives for taking the class, they all hope to gain valuable insight into becoming an entrepreneur.
Dustin Ebbie, MHS junior, said he is after “experience and knowledge about how to deal with money and work with people.”
Ebbie isn’t the only MHS students who hopes to acquire vital knowledge needed to run a successful business.
According to Miller, he aspires to know how to run a business properly. From knowing how to pick a building site, hiring employees and delegating tasks, these are only a few of the characteristics he wants to learn about.
With this course starting next fall, Jackley anticipates that this class will make way for others down the line.
“As this course grows, [I hope we] will get more business classes at the high school,” Jackley added, which she said could open up other opportunities, creating excitement.
Though the identity of the instructor has not been revealed yet, students can expect to learn everything from business development, start to finish, and what they need to know in order to make the business prosper. They will also will be taught the thought process on how to make this dream a reality, according to Jackley.
Unlike some classes at MHS, this course is different due to how it is taught in the classroom.
“100 percent hands on,” said Jackley, which makes it real.
Once the student comes up with an idea, he or she will have an opportunity to showcase it at a trade show in the spring, which will feature his or her business.
Despite the class start being several months away, that hasn’t stopped students from thinking of their future business.
To Ebbie, that is a restaurant.
“Food is always in demand,” he said.