On April 30, dozens of Middle Schoolers gathered in the dining commons for an exciting activity: the second annual Middle School Market Day! Organized by Middle School Entrepreneurship Club members under the guidance of club sponsor Alyssa Kovach, the pop-up shop showcased our young entrepreneurs’ ingenuity and business savvy.
Market Day offered sellers a venue to put what they’ve learned during the past school year into practice. Buyers (Middle School students and faculty) were dazzled when they saw the variety of handmade products available for purchase: baked goods, locker accessories, personalized tote bags, and scented candles.
Claire Sandine ’29 and Mila Hirsch ’29 teamed up to create Skibidi Scents: scented candles, each branded with what Claire described as “gen alpha brain rot” names [slang popular with teens].
“We first thought about which candle names would match with each scent and color,” explained Claire of the process she and Mila used to manufacture and sell their product. “We also produced a video commercial to show to our classmates the day before Market Day. That helped us spread the word about our products!” Claire and Mila were thrilled that their candles sold out quickly on Market Day.
Entrepreneurship is one of the hallmarks of the Steward experience and embodies the school’s core values of academic achievement, individuality, innovation, and inspiration. In addition to the Entrepreneurship Club, Steward offers an Entrepreneurship Studies program.
“Each week during this school year, Entrepreneurship Club members met to learn about product demand, pricing, and marketing,” said Ms. Kovach. “Watching their hard work culminate in Market Day was so gratifying. I hope this event serves as a launch pad for their future entrepreneurial endeavors.”