Stanley Black and Decker is sponsoring the Junior Achievement Entrepreneurial Academy for students who show an interest in business. Seniors Meghan Rigney, Juan Russo and Dylan Papaleo take part in because they hope to pursue business as a career path.

   Russo described the academy as a simulation of a real corporation that has stock and profit.  Students create and run their mock-business for four months until it has to be liquidated.

   The business runs like a real business, the students elected members into different departments in the beginning. Positions were available in marketing, managing and supply chain. The main goal of the simulation is to have the students create and sell a product to intake profit.

   “The group this year is selling BraceLIT, and it is an actual bracelet that also doubles as an iPhone or Android charger. It has a USB port and it has the little lightning connector that stick together and it’s a stylish bracelet that you can wear and pop it open and you can plug your phone into a USB or a computer to charge it. It is a wearable charger,” business teacher Jeff Daddio said.

   According to Russo, this academy is a prime way to obtain insight into how working in an actual business might run.

   “It will teach me cooperation and teamwork skills. It’s also teaching me that you don’t always get what you want,” Russo said.

   Rigney also learned leadership qualities and collaboration skills through the academy that she will use later in her career.

   “Being in this program really shows us the steps you have to take when creating a business and how much work you have to go through to succeed,” Rigney said.

   The only way to enter the academy is through teacher recommendation. Daddio chose Rigney, Russo, and Papaleo after witnessing their passion for business.

   “The three students we recommended this year are obviously bright and promising business students, but they’re also brave students because they’re willing to take risks, willing to speak up in class, and that’s really essential for this project,” Daddio said.

   Russo admitted he has always had a devotion to pursuing a business career because his dad started one after moving here from Uruguay. He was inspired by his dad’s enthusiasm, effort, and dedication.

   Papaleo is also dedicated to business because of his family.

   “I want to take up a path of business because I live in a line of businessmen in my family that have always been willing to work hard to bring home the paycheck each week. I feel it is my obligation to uphold this for me, and my family,” Papaleo said.

   This academy teaches students not only the basics of running business, but also life skills that help with collaboration and teamwork.

   “For me, the end goal is to come out of this with something I didn’t have before; some kind of learning, some kind of experience that will give me a cutting edge advantage once I actually go into the business world,” Russo said.

   The academy has been running for two months, and in May the students will have to liquidate their company and donate a portion of the profit to an organization of their choice.