Walt Whitman HS Virtual Enterprise Teams Excel At Youth Business Summit In NYC

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Students from Walt Whitman High School captured gold and silver medals, plus first place, in the annual Virtual Enterprises International Youth Business Summit held at the Javits Center and other New York locations between April 17 and 19, the South Huntington School District announced.

The Whitman students competed against more than 250 student teams from across the country and around the world.

The two Virtual Enterprise courses offered at the high school involve a simulated business that the students create, set up and run all school year with the help of their teacher.

The company replicates all the functions and demands of a real business. It is run by a student CEO, and students work in different departments including operations, accounting, finance, sales, marketing, human resources, design and IT. Each business competes in regional, national and international business plan competitions and trade shows throughout the school year. The students are often mentored by big names in the business world. In addition to high school credit, Walt Whitman VE students can also earn six college credits for the course.

The VerbalEyez marketing team of Lauren Kispert, Gabriel Beickert, and Sienna Guerrero placed No. 1 nationally in the Marketing Top 30 competition. Their product, VerbalEyez, is eye tracking technology glasses, paired with an app, that is geared toward anyone with reading challenges, including dyslexia or eye diseases like macular degeneration. The glasses enable a person to read anything they want and have the words spoken to them through a Bluetooth speaker, either in their ear or through the glasses.

Teacher Sandy Steuber said she has guided lots of student firms in the last eight years, but this is the first time Whitman came in first. Steuber recommends VE courses to empower students no matter what career path they choose.

"They are empowered to follow their own ideas," she said. "They learn through failure. Sometimes their ideas work or sometimes they don't work, but they learn different communication skills, different communication styles, leadership styles. They understand the concept of teamwork where your team is only as strong as the weakest link."

VerbalEyez, as well as another Whitman team, Artemis, both won gold in the Sales Pitch competition and silver in the Trade Show Booth competition.

Students Will Schrama, Derek Bonilla, Liam Donnelly, John Lineen, Morgan Fulcher, and Kaylee Vera of Artemis created and marketed a healthier energy drink featuring apple fiber. There were two different formulas, Rush and Smooth. Rush was geared toward athletes or those who need a pre-workout boost. Smooth was for everyone else looking for a little extra energy.

On April 26, VE students topped off a successful year of winning regional, national and international competitions by celebrating those wins in the Forum at Walt Whitman High School and inducting 43 new members into the National Business Honor Society.