This year, both SJHHS Virtual Enterprise classes succeeded in several competitions, making it all the way to the state competition held in Bakersfield. On Jan. 28, both teams placed in the top 8 of the state competition, qualifying for the national competition held in New York this spring.

Virtual Enterprise is a hands-on class in the San Juan Hills Business Program where students come together to create a business and develop a product. Within the class, students have different roles and work together in several departments, simulating the environment of a real business.

“Students come together to create a business and they have to do everything, from coming up with a business idea to developing a product and a website. Then, they go compete with other high schools and different competitions while they try to sell their product,” said Virtual Enterprise director, Jeremy Wooten.

“My favorite part of Virtual Enterprise is the practical knowledge I have gained by participating in the program. We pitch business ideas, create a virtual company, draft our business plan, marketing plan, present elevator pitches, and compete against other virtual companies through trade shows,” said “Everlasting” CEO, senior Sam Gugliuzza.

The two Virtual Enterprise classes this year created the firms Everlasting and Tronic Bikes. The products designed by each business typically center around modern dilemmas such as environmental issues. “Everlasting” is a company that aims to eliminate food waste and maximize sustainability with smart fridges. The fridges are designed to track your food and send you new recipes or notifications when your food is going to expire. “Tronic Bikes” sells electric bikes, encouraging the use of cost efficient and environmentally friendly transportation.

Although the program has only been running for five years, winning big is nothing unfamiliar to the Virtual Enterprise stallions. In fact, in the past several years, they have had exceptional success.

“The year before last year, they won the state championships. They didn’t have a national competition due to Covid that year, but they ended up winning the Social Venture Challenge which they got a $10,000 scholarship from to share with four students. We’ve qualified for nationals the past three years,” said Mr. Wooten.

At the moment, San Juan Hills is the only school in CAPOUSD that has a Virtual Enterprise program. Without a doubt, the class provides a unique opportunity for students to discover or pursue their interests in the realm of business while learning a lot and making meaningful memories.

“My favorite memories stem from the competitions and trade shows we have attended. Traveling to trade shows in Bakersfield and New York to compete against other high schools is an experience I will never forget,” said Gugliuzza.

The students are looking forward to their new competition in New York where they hope to have hard earned success and make more memories in the program.  

“It’s a mixture of excitement, stress, and pride. There’s nothing I would trade for the experiences and opportunities I have been given in this program. Starting our own business has taught me to appreciate all the details and hard work that is often overseen in the development of a company. In Virtual Enterprise, I have seen first-hand the work that goes into everything from picking fonts and designing logos to filing corporate documents and finance balance sheets, and I have loved learning it all,” said “Everlasting” Chief Marketing Officer, senior Bailey Van Blarcom.

Visit the San Juan Hills Virtual Enterprise site or @sjh_business_program on Instagram for updates on how they score in their national competition this spring break.