By Jessica Peterson
Senior Karli Waldrep glowed with excitement as she explained her business plan for Revolution Cycling, the first spin studio to ever open in Mahomet.
“If you don’t know what spin cycling is, you’re on a stationary bike following an instructor at the front of the class. There are different music playlists and lights, and it’s a fun atmosphere for spinning,” Waldrep said.
Thanks to the partnership of First State Bank of Forrest and Jennifer Wherley, the Ag teacher at Mahomet-Seymour high school, students have a platform for their business ideas to be heard and critiqued by Jill Hurd and Nick Schneider, two senior members at the Mahomet branch.
The assignment to come up with an original business plan and all the details that accompany it, from research on funding to location, is one that has been assigned for many years.
The competitive edge provided by the $250 prize for the best plan further incentives the students. This spring is only the second year the bank has worked with the Ag Business class.
Schneider said some of the things he looks for when considering who has the top plan are the origins of the idea, the research behind the cost of the business and the anticipated income as well as the passion a student has for the concept.
“It’s kind of fun to listen to…The (students) that have the goal (to create the business after high school or college) talk about it with just a little more excitement than the ones who are more just completing a classroom assignment,” Schneider said.
The students in Wherley’s class visited the bank to present their plans as if they were really applying for a loan. Although it is an Ag Business class the ideas students plan for don’t need to be limited to the agriculture field.
Waldrep plans to use the money she won to go towards her tuition at Northern Illinois University. She will be attending in the fall to study Physical Education.
“If you’re a physical education teacher…you’re more active in your job. Instead of sitting behind a desk all day you can participate with the kids in activities,” Waldrep said.
Waldrep does not come from a farming family but still sees the value of being a part of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and working with Wherley. The skills taught in the Ag business class are put to practice in the feed store and greenhouse students run from the high school.
“One of the greatest things about being an Ag teacher is to provide experiences and opportunities for these students to take their interests and grow them into some sort of setting that is productive and experiential,” Wherley said.
Waldrep moved to Mahomet in the fourth grade and described the town as “small but not too small,” and as a place that has a true “family feel,” to it. Since completing the work for her spin studio, Waldrep doesn’t see herself striving to be a business owner in the future but still notes the tools she gained in the Ag Business class to be valuable and applicable.
“I learned how to build my communication skills with people, (especially) through practice with mock interviews and sales calls,” Waldrep said.
Schneider said the bank plans to continue working with M-S students and Wherley for as long as possible. Instead of coming across as a self-described “scary banker man,” Schneider hopes the students feel like they gain something positive from the presentations.
He also said he is willing to work with any of them on their plans even after the contest and class have ended.
The high school greenhouse sale will be on April 23rd (5-7 p.m.), May 3rd (8 a.m.-7 p.m.) and May 4th (8 a.m.-noon).
