Working at the store is one of the requirements for the yearlong marketing course. The students, who receive credit rather than pay for their work, do everything from designing displays to ordering stock, said Mischell Fryar, a student teacher from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Pierschalla's course. With those responsibilities, students learn there is more than one level of marketing, Pierschalla said. The profits are used to purchase items for the store, such as display racks. The school store provides valuable training experience, but students who take the course also can learn more about marketing through a co-op program.
Students also can earn college credit for their marketing coursework.
Pierschalla was hired three years ago to start the program. The course, which began as a one-semester offering, was expanded last year. Students must take an introductory business course before taking marketing, Pierschalla said. Marketing, which has students from sophomores to seniors, draws youths with all sorts of plans for their futures. Termaat isn't planning to study marketing right away.