The accounting class opened a school store February 1st in hopes of learning practical business experience to enhance learning while also providing a service to the school.

“When students can apply what they’re are learning in the classroom to real life experiences. Viking
Corner has supplies and school merchandise available for purchase before school, and is located in the bookroom across from the attendance office. It gives them context,” accounting teacher, Mrs. Kerr said. “learning and that way things start to fall into place.”

Many students have been involved with the creation of the school store but only the accounting II class is responsible for it. These students advocated to groups around the community to help gather items for the store. Their future plans are to start a Business Professionals of America chapter and make the store a club project.

“Our seed capital came from a grant from the Bryan ISD Education Foundation, Mrs. Kerr said. “Future product purchases will come from store profits.”

The accounting II students believe it will be a success because the store is different and something that Bryan High has never seen before.

“It’s a fast and easy way to purchase needed supplies during the day such as pencils and erasers and even ear buds.” accounting II student Kayle Solis said. “There are a lot of school supplies ranging from mechanical pens, paper, erasers, post it notes and notecards available in the store. We are also selling forms of electronics such as chargers, earbuds and portable chargers.”

Since the store opened, Kerr has already seen the impact it is having on a school as a whole.

“I see BHS coming together as a community,” Mrs. Kerr said. “Other classes have come forward and offered to create items to sell in the store. A math teacher has offered to design and 3D print items to sell.

With multiple groups coming together to help the Viking Corner become successful, people are able to notice what it means to be a Viking.

“The life skills classes have offered their services wherever we may need them to help. This is what amazes me about Bryan High School,” Kerr said. “It’s the school store, not just the business class store. People want to be involved and are taking pride in the fact that we have a student-run business.”

The sense of school pride is prevalent in the school store as teachers and students alike see it as a great way to provide a service to the school while also providing a place to get hands-on experience in a real life situation.

“In addition to offering a ‘place to buy things’,” Kerr said. “I feel that the sense of school pride and school community is the biggest thing to come from this new endeavor.”