John Jay High School Senior Earns National Business Award

KATONAH-LEWISBORO, NY — A John Jay business student with a particular passion for accounting was recognized for her knack for keeping costs low and profits high.

One of Jessica Piechota’s bold moves to integrate her lawn care service with a catering business, opened up a whole new profit stream in the business simulation that won the senior national recognition. Making her virtual company completely mobile — operating with trucks only was a cost savings coup that allowed her to bring home second place in the Fall 2021 All-Access Virtual Business Scholarship Challenge, a national competition involving more than 3,500 students.

The budding entrepreneur is a senior in John Jay High School’s four-year business program. Although the South Salem student's company only exists in the cyber world, her two-year simulation generated enough profit to outearn thousands of other students across the U.S.

"Jessica has achieved enormous success in accounting, business law, finance and in marketing," said Business and Technology Department teacher Michael Cohen in a statement announcing the honor. "She displays the utmost academic integrity and respect and is always the consummate classmate to her peers. It is wonderful to see her skills being recognized nationally."

Piechota explained that she was comfortable using the Virtual Business simulation for the competition, in part because it’s also used in many of her classes at John Jay. She said aspects of the program like hiring employees, making marketing decisions and setting prices were her kind of fun.

In accepting the scholarship, Piechota said that while she’s loved all of her business classes at John Jay, accounting is among her favorites.

The soon-to-be titan of industry said she is looking forward to using what’s she’s learned at John Jay by studying business in college — and, of course, running her own business in the future.

"It was a pleasure to do," Jessica said of her award-winning performance in the nationwide competition. "It’s what I want to do."