Along with more than 2,000 students and 250 business executives from across Pennsylvania, six Exeter students took a week out of their summer this past year to adopt an underperforming fictitious business, manage it through computer simulations and hands-on activities, and present their results to a panel of judges in an effort to beat out their competition and earn the title of “Top Company.” Working in teams with students across the state, Exeter’s Isaiah Choy, Owen Davis, Madison Monroe, Johnathan Newnham, Malayna Spiller and Sydney Steinmetz participated in the competition during various times in the summer and were placed on different teams. During their experience, they were mentored by business leaders and motivational speakers as they were immersed into the business world to handle finance, marketing, management, production and more. At the end of the competition, Sydney’s and Isaiah’s teams both won “Top Company” during their respective weeks of the competition. 

Sherri McGaffin, an Exeter business teacher who teaches courses on marketing, entrepreneurship and business law, encourages students (and their parents) to consider the week-long experience, which also gives students a taste of college life as they live in a dormitory at either Lycoming College or Pennsylvania College of Technology–both of whom offer scholarships up to $20,000 to camp graduates if they choose to attend that college after graduation. Explaining how the experience provides a real glimpse into the world of business and is a unique channel for resume building and networking, Mrs. McGaffin added, “Every student who’s attended says nothing but wonderful things about it.”

Students, who are a mix of juniors and seniors, also said that the experience really helped solidify their plans after high school. Malayna said she was initially interested in pursuing a career in graphic design or finance, but she said that experience changed her mind, “I just really fell in love with marketing during the week.” Isaiah had planned to go to college for accounting, and was glad he had the opportunity to act as CFO of his fictitious company. “It really amplified my passion for accounting,” he said. “It made me realize that this is what I really want to do.”