In Notre Dame Academy’s business classes, it is not just about learning material and showing your knowledge of the information on a test. Instead, the classes invite speakers from the community that are leaders in their field of business.

So far, the list of this year’s speakers has been a wide range, including Wayne Resch of Johnson Bank, Mary DeChamps of US Bank, Harley Skidmore of Schreiber Foods and Barry Martzahl of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

“Bringing speakers into my business classes provides a real-world experience for the kids,” said Mrs. Eileen Montgomery, who teaches all business and economics courses at NDA. “The students can learn about the different career opportunities in business and ask the speakers specific questions about their profession.”

In our current economic times, it is expected that the field of business will have a great amount of growth in years to come. Even after a recession and a financial crisis, the U.S. Labor Department projects a 14 percent growth in the business field in the next ten years.

Mrs. Montgomery gave her opinion on the growth potential, saying “Personally, I think the business field will prove to be the strongest field in years to come. Salaries are usually very good, and the field provides many options for careers.”

With a degree in business, the job possibilities are endless. There are the generic jobs like being a salesman, manager, or marketing analyst, as well as the option of being a financial advisor, business owner, or even a teacher at a high school or college.

“My dad always tells me that a degree in business has many opportunities,” said Andrew Zimmerman, a student in two business classes. “I also really enjoy business, and it’s an exciting topic to study.”

At Notre Dame, the in-school business called Kwik Sip has shown many students that having a successful business is possible. The store, which sells coffee drinks, treats, and other beverages, was started earlier this school year, and the business has made over $2,000 so far.

“It’s actually really fun being able to run our own little business. We all work a couple shifts per week, and learn more and more about business every time,” said Tim Davison, a member of the class and worker at Kwik Sip.

 “In my opinion, everyone with a job is somehow involved in business. Whether you’re a doctor, engineer, or accountant, there is always at least some amount of business involved in your profession. That’s why it is so important to have at least some background knowledge in the topic,” said Mrs. Montgomery.