 | Hermiston CTE Gets Downs to Business |
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Business and Management Program Teaches Skills for Work and Life
Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of stories highlighting Hermiston School District’s career and technical education (CTE) programs. Read the previous installments here:
- How Hermiston’s CTE Programs Are Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce
- Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Systems
- Arts, Information, and Communications
As a student at Hermiston High School over a decade ago, Kim Rill said she began developing skills that laid the foundation for her career today — even if she didn’t fully realize it at the time. Rill was drawn to classes in Business and Management, one of six career and technical education (CTE) programs offered at HHS. Not only did she learn valuable business concepts, but she said her teachers also emphasized professional qualities like time management, meeting deadlines, problem-solving, and teamwork.
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"I learned many foundational skills from the business faculty at HHS that I really did
not appreciate as a high school student. Then, as I look back retrospectively, I see a
lot of the business principles and professionalism that I learned — I learned
from them." -Kim Rill, Content Creator, Umatilla Electric Cooperative and HHS alum
Rill graduated from HHS in 2014 and went on to earn her degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from Eastern Oregon University. About three years ago, she was hired by the local Umatilla Electric Cooperative as a content creator, working within the public relations department.
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Her duties include managing the co-op’s website, social media, advertising, and writing features for the Ruralite Magazine. Rill credits the Business and Management program for helping her succeed professionally. As the program continues to evolve, she said it will open even more doors for students in the future, especially as Hermiston keeps growing.
"I am so encouraged by the opportunities that today's students are getting,” she said. “I’m excited to see how the continued CTE developments change the workforce of Eastern Oregon.”
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| Business and Management is one of six CTE programs offered by the Hermiston School District. It is further divided into four tracks: |
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- Business Management & Administration.
- Finance.
- Hospitality & Tourism.
- Marketing. |
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For freshmen, the journey begins with a semester-long “Intro to Business” course. Teacher Tori Scott said they spend about a month on each track, along with the basics including typing, how to write a professional email, and even how to give a professional handshake. "We really do focus on a lot of those soft skills in all of our classes,” Scott said. “I tell my students all the time, you might not go into business, and that’s fine. But you are learning real- world skills in my class that are transferrable to any career.”
Practical Experience
After getting a taste of each track, students can then choose which one(s) they want to pursue further.
In Hospitality & Tourism, that includes the fundamentals of food and travel. Students learn food prep, nutrition, sanitation, and kitchen safety, before branching out to lodging, recreation, event planning, travel and tourism. Upper level students put their skills into practice as they cater and assist with school and community events.
Teacher Angie Treadwell said students must learn how to be flexible and think on their feet. “That’s one of the things I try to teach my students. If something doesn’t work out, don’t give up. Figure out what you can do,” Treadwell said. “In hospitality, things are constantly changing on the fly.”
Every class includes some hands-on practice. Ben Dagley, who teaches accounting, said his students complete a one-month simulation running their own business, from building the ledger to checking their work through a final audit. “The important thing I want my students to take away from my classes is they can do hard things,” Dagley said. “They can face a challenge head on and learn from it and can speak confidently about the world around them.”
Marketing teacher Denise Thornton said her students flex their creative muscles by coming up with their own business concept, designing their own company logos, and promoting their products by designing a magazine cover. “They think up some amazing things,” Thornton said. “I tell them, if it’s a legitimate business and you’re interested in it, we’ll make it work.”
Student-Run Business
Once they are juniors and seniors, HHS business students can put the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to the ultimate test, joining one of four completely student-run businesses.
These include:
-Java Dawg (coffee and smoothies).
-Dawg House (student store and apparel).
-Dawg Prints (print shop).
Each of three HHS athletics concession stands:
-Boomer's at the Stadium.
-Boomer's at the Kennel.
-Boomer's at the Dugout.
Each business is run with the intent to make a profit and uses state-of-the-art equipment.
Maureen Crossley, who co-teaches advanced business procedures, said students are responsible for all aspects of these businesses, from hiring and scheduling to inventory. “It’s thousands of dollars that goes through these kids’ hands,” Crossley said.
Crossley has been teaching in Hermiston for nearly 40 years. She has seen the program change over the decades to keep pace with industry standards, from typewriters to modern technology.
The challenge, Crossley said, is maintaining investment from funding sources such as Oregon’s Secondary Career Pathway Funding program. “If that were to go away, we would certainly feel it,” Crossley said. "However, our program is fortunate to have outstanding support from our district and community. They continue to help us provide opportunities for our students going forward."
Up next: Health Sciences
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Article Written By Pac/West Lobby Group |
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Hermiston School District
305 SW 11th Street, Hermiston, OR 97838
PH: 541-667-6000
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