By Adriana Moreno, staff writer
The Business Academy at Indian Trail High School and Academy offers students the chance to take the first step towards a professional future in business. Students will learn to manage personal finances, challenges, advertising and sponsorships work in Marketing and Business classes.
The popular school store, “The Hawk Shop,” offers students the opportunity to manage and operate an actual retail store. Students order merchandise, assist in the distribution process, work as security, handle cash transactions on a register, and even manage the staff. The Hawk Shop is an excellent way for students to gain practical, hands-on experience, said Business teacher Heather Belke.
Belke outlined the skills and strengths that the Hawk Shop helps students gain.
“The purpose of the Hawk Shop is to have the students take the business classes and put them into play, taking the knowledge they have gained and putting it into real life,” Belke said.
Ailyn Castro and Aylin Villarreal, IT seniors, explained how The Hawk Shop has helped and what they have learned from it.
“The purpose of the Hawk Shop is to give a real life experience because it gives an opportunity to be more responsible. We have to actually make the orders instead of the teacher making them, and we have to figure out how to make profit out of the things we buy,” Castro said.
“The Hawk Shop provides students, staff and parents with apparel to buy for children or for themselves to just wear some school spirit gear,” Villarreal said. “I believe that there are many benefits to having the Hawk Shop, providing students with essential things that they need throughout the day.”
Every student has been able to learn how to manage the Hawk Shop and it has been a nice experience for students.