The school spirit witnessed at athletic events is often obnoxious heckling cloaked in body paint. At White House Heritage, school spirit is stirred up in third period—Nicole Stagg’s Business Practicum Class.

During their third block, students spend time running the screen-print shop. Plenty of red, white, and blue colors bounce around the space as the 10-student team creates designs, runs the heat press, sets pricing, and markets their fare.

Nicole assigns a team manager to each project and then supervises, checking on lead times and inventory. “I communicate with the manager by email, just as businesses do, so they get that experience,” she says. The students tackle projects of all sizes. At the start of the academic year, for instance, the Pro Shop handled an order of over 600 shirts.

This unique class came into existence through special funding. Last year Robertson County High Schools were given grants to open a school-based business. Each school decided what type of business to open. Heritage’s choice, the Pro Shop, generated a buzzing $6,000 during its opening week.

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The buzz reverberated all the way to Mandy Christenson at the White House Chamber of Commerce. “Mandy reached out and offered to see how the Chamber could partner with us,” says Nicole. “Community support has been great. Everyone loves it and the kids are excited.”

Proceeds are reinvested into the Pro Shop so that it becomes self-sustaining once the grant runs out. Profits also help fund the school’s participation in the Future Business Leaders of America organization. In years to come, Nicole hopes that the Pro Shop profits will be able to pay for competition fees as well.

This coveted class is open to juniors and seniors that have taken lower-level business classes in preparation. Interested students must fill out an application and the business teachers select the final team.

Aiden Clemons, a Heritage senior, gives his perspective on the class, “Even aside from the business aspect of the class, one key thing I’ve learned from the Patriot’s Pro Shop, that has led to our success, has been how to get along with my fellow classmates.” He goes on to reiterate the diversity represented on the team, “We are vastly different…our success has come from learning about each other and working together.”

That seems like a formula for limitless growth—a formula these students will carry with them for years to come. Now, that’s positive news worth sharing.

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