By Emma Klinkhammer

Contrary to your common textbook education, business teacher Kevin Murray offers a hands-on learning experience to his Entrepreneurship class, allowing students to create a business selling Mount Vernon Mustang merchandise. Profits will circulate back to funding students and the school.

The students do certain tasks to maintain the business they created, called The Stable, while learning all the skills and tricks it takes to be an entrepreneur.
“We get to do a wide variety of things, one day we might be setting up the display case and the next creating advertisements. It has taught me that there is more to running a successful business than I had thought,” said freshman Tucker Dickson.

In order to get input from their prospective customers, the class sent out surveys to the students asking for name and merchandise suggestions, also giving students the opportunity to give feedback. The first semester Entrepreneurship class ran The Daily Grind, a coffee stand that sold hot chocolate and coffee to the students before school hours. “Sometimes we have entrepreneurs from around town come and talk to us in class” said freshman Blake Booth. “I think it’s more engaging than regular class, I know I can use this stuff later in life.”

In the past, Murray’s entrepreneurship classes have used proceeds to pay for furniture around the school, as well as water filling stations on the drinking fountains.

The Stable sells a variety of Mustang apparel, including Nike brand sweatshirts and sweatpants that are displayed near Mr.Thedes office. More information can be found on their twitter page @mv_thestable or you can find them on facebook.