Loretto High School Virtual Enterprise Experiences Success in The Big Apple

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Senior class members of the Loretto High School Virtual Enterprise firm, The Animal Kingdom, Inc. traveled to New York City recently to attend the Virtual Enterprise International Trade Fair. The event was held at Pier 92 on the Hudson River, and was attended by over 5000 students creating over 200 company booths representing schools from across the VE Network. Students in attendance had the priceless experience of meeting students from around the globe while networking and marketing their products and services, as well as competing in different areas of business.

LHS students were rewarded for the many hours of hard work and preparation for the international competitions by receiving the following awards: Silver Award – Booth Design, Silver Award – Sales Materials, and Silver Award – Sales Pitch. Congratulations to the entire class for all of their hard work in earning these awards!

After taking care of business, the group enjoyed the beautiful sites and cuisine of the city. The bright lights and excitement of Times Square, along with famous cheesecake from Juniors, New York style pizza from John’s Pizzeria, and the entertainment in Ellen’s Stardust Diner set the stage for a trip to remember. During the trip lots of ground was covered, and the group’s transportation varied from walking, to subways, to taxis, to even a limousine!

New to the itinerary this year was a subway trip to Yankee Stadium in The Bronx to watch the Yankees and the Florida Marlins. Seeing Yankee Stadium in person, along with the great players on the field, was an exciting experience for everyone. Also new this year was a ride on the tram to Roosevelt Island, where the group enjoyed spectacular views of the city landscape.

A visit to The Today Show gave the students the opportunity to be seen on television by the folks back home, as well as the chance to meet the hosts of the show. The group toured Radio City Music Hall and was able to get a first-hand look at the beautiful theater and learn the fascinating history behind the building. During the tour, the group was able to spend time with one of the members of the famous Rockettes.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan holds touching tributes throughout the building, as well as historical pieces from Ground Zero. This year’s group spent several hours learning about and remembering the events of that day. The One World Observatory houses breath-taking views of the city and surrounding states, and was enjoyed by all. A visit to the Financial District would not be complete without a picture with the “Wall Street Bull” and a stroll in front of the New York Stock Exchange.

Ian Hall, CEO, was honored during the trip by VE International as one of the Top 3 in the nation in the Venture Challenge competition. He was able to have a one-on-one lunch meeting with an executive from Sony Entertainment to discuss his business start-up idea. In addition, Ian was honored at the VE Gala Event at Chipriani 25 in the financial district on Thursday evening. The event housed some of the most influential entrepreneurs in NYC who support the VE program on the national level. To be recognized at this event for his accomplishments was a memorable experience for Ian, his mother, Gina Hall, and his teacher, Ms. Mary Pack.

On Broadway night part of the group enjoyed seeing Phantom of the Opera, which is one of the long-running musicals in New York. The beautiful set and outstanding musical numbers from the talented cast made this show one to remember. Other famous New York landmarks visited by the group this year include Central Park, Grand Central Station, Trump Tower, Tiffany’s, Columbus Circle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Macy’s, The Empire State Building, and the Plaza Hotel.

Traveling to New York this year were students Olivia Chadwell, Trinity Ezell, Rachel Gulley, Ian Hall, Carlie Hobbs, Cale Kress, Blair Shelton, Jordan Shelton, Jordan Shults, Savannah Springer, Joey Telker, Chase Weigart, and Alli White, along with the LHS Virtual Enterprise instructor, Ms. Mary Pack. Also attending were parents Jennifer Chadwell, Gina Hall, Pam King, Amber Kress, Lisa Shelton, Tammy Telker, and Brian and Alisha Hobbs.

The LHS Virtual Enterprise students and Ms. Pack would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank everyone in the community who supported us this year in order to make this trip possible. Whether it was participating in our fundraisers, giving a donation, or personally mentoring us, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for allowing us to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience!