With every design and calculation in mind, students in entrepreneurship class are building more than just a store; they’re creating a hub of school spirit. “The Nest,” the school’s first student-run store for Griffin pride wear will open next semester in room 330.
Students and visiting fans will be able to browse The Nest before and after school or during select sporting events. The store will also be open during fifth hour, overlapping with the lunch period, to make it accessible to students and teachers.
“It [opening The Nest fifth period] would be easier, a lot easier, to make sales,” senior Emily Woods said. “Students could take time out of eating to go shopping rather than take time out of a class period and lose work time.”
With 14 students enrolled in the entrepreneurship class this semester and an expected 25 next semester, the class is working hard to make the store a reality.
“In class, we talk about what we are currently doing with the shop,” entrepreneurship teacher Matthew Renshaw said. “Recently we have been talking about opening day and what it is going to look like.”
Along with discussing opening day, the class has calculated production costs and learned about the economics of a real business. For the store, each item will be priced based on their calculations considering the wholesale cost for the clothing, the cost for the design materials and the cost of shipping and taxes.
“It’s not just about selling things,” senior Nolan Green said. “It has helped me learn a little bit about the real world by setting up a business from scratch and learning the steps to make solid products to sell to consumers.”
Last year, senior Karli Williams set the foundation of The Nest when she and business teacher Matthew Renshaw made game-day shirts for each grade level, but she is not in the class this semester. They did not have a physical space last year and only took Google Form orders.
“I was really glad to get the entrepreneurship class last year,” Williams said. “We saw a lot of popularity in the game-day shirts.”
However, this year, the store has transformed into a physical store The profit they make from sales will be used for future the class’s future endeavors and materials to keep the business afloat.
“We’re hoping to raise enough funds to keep reinvesting in the students’ ideas and business concepts,” Renshaw said. “Seeing the success of stores like the one at Westside High, where students received starting money for their businesses, we want to build something similar here at Gretna East.”
The team at The Nest believes that with each item sold, they’re not just funding ideas but strengthening Griffin spirit. With the store thriving under the leadership and creativity of Gretna East’s students, the future looks bright.
“I believe that our merchandise will become very popular among the student body,” senior Drew Vetter said. “Everything is handled and designed by the students themselves, and soon our products will become a necessity for any Gretna East fan.”
