HHS Business Club Tours NYC Finance District

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The Harrison High School Business Club ventured into one of the world’s largest financial districts to gain inner knowledge of the workings of corporate America.

Exploring the Museum of American Finance, Federal Hall, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York were only a few of the many real world experiences for the 70-member club this year.

Under the guidance of teachers Joe Santos and Claudia Gray, the HHS Business Club engages in all aspects of business such as financial, marketing, sales, accounting, and management. Whether it be selling baked goods and singing telegrams, exploring the stock and bond markets with virtual trading contests, or movie marathon fundraising, the club is a purely student driven entity.

“We love watching the direction the club takes every year,” said Santos. “If our members want to enter into competitions, we charter that course. If they are more passionate about entrepreneurship opportunities, we test those waters. It is an extremely diverse group of kids whose interests, backgrounds and GPA’s are a wonderful mix.”

The Business Club has also engaged outside business leaders to share their experiences. Joe Depippo, president of Hain Pure Protein, and Ted Maguire, the VP of sales and Harrison High School graduate, spoke about the healthy products their company produces and markets. Members of the Goldman Sachs Investment Banking team, resident and father of a HHS junior Bruce Mendelsohn and HHS graduate Cory Passarella, spoke to the members of their company’s successes and difficulties.

On the guest speaker horizon are local business owners and an individual well-versed in the highly anticipated Facebook IPO.

Harrison High School is building the foundations for a top-notch business school. One of every four college students major in business and HHS offers a multitude of coursework for students preparing to pursue a college degree, a vocational trade or transitioning directly into the workforce.

“All of our business offerings are aligned with the Common Core Standards,” said Jen Laden, Supervisor of Secondary Social Studies. “It incorporates skills such as reading, writing and research and allows students exposure to real world activities.”

In their freshman and sophomore years, students may enroll in elective courses such as Money Management, Foundations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, College Marketing, or Accounting for Investing and Managing.

From these paths, students can select classes such as IB Business and Management, IB economics, IB Psychology or a duel credit opportunity with Westchester Community College for College Entrepreneurship, College Financial Accounting or College Marketing.

“Whether your long term plans are to enter Wall Street, Madison Avenue or run a family business, these courses are designed to challenge students by giving them a flavor of what to expect in college and the real world,” said Laden.