Throughout the past few years, Vernon Hills High School has added many new clubs to its long list of extracurricular activities. With the addition of recent medical and education clubs, students are given many opportunities to explore their interests, especially when it comes to career options. A brand new business club has just been added to the mix. Created by Will Lucas (12), Martin Bolotin (11), and Hirsch Nangia (11), the club’s goal is to educate and engage students across the world of economics and finance.

“I’ve noticed a growing interest in finance and career networking throughout the school,” said Lucas. “So, I wanted to create a club for just that.”

Fortunately, our school is very open to students starting new clubs; just this past year, students have started Future Medical Professionals of America and the Sign Language Club. Nangia and Lucas wanted to add to the list and presented their pitch for a new finance club to Mrs. Beagle a few months ago. Bolotin joined the team a month later, eager to add his ideas. Since its approval, they had been planning and preparing for the club’s first meeting, which was held February 24th after school in Mr. Crevier’s room.

“Clubs like these are very cool because they provide an environment for students to discover a possible career path or hobby without any pressure,” said Sean Crevier, the accounting and finance teacher.  

The leaders originally named their club the Investing Club. However, the leaders are waiting to gain some feedback from members as to what the official title should be. Possible contenders include Cougars in Business or the Vernon Hills Stock Exchange. While the club heavily focuses on stocks, it still encompasses many aspects of the business world.

“I think the club is important because a lot kids want to learn about the economic and financial world, but don’t know how to,” said Lucas.

Most high schoolers don’t have experience handling money larger than a teenage paycheck, which is why this club will work to help prepare students for the frenzied world of finance and economics.

The club plans to provide opportunities for summer internships, industry-related guest speakers, and mock stock market competitions. With an app called Stockfuse, students can test trading strategies through investing fake money into the current market. This risk-free environment allows users to experiment with the realistic world of stocks.

“The app lets students practice trading without risking real capital,” said Bolotin. “It’s a great way to learn about the stock market.”

Each meeting will consist of discussions about member’s trades and “profits,” in addition to discussing current events in the global economy. However, the leaders of the club want to cater to their members’ interests, so every meeting may be a little different.

The club is taking a very hands-off approach as to how the club is being run. It is simply serving as an outlet for students to explore their business-related interests along with other like-minded people. It’s up to the members how involved they want to be.

Even though Lucas admitted the leaders don’t know too much themselves, they are excited to explore and learn more alongside the club’s members. It is estimated that around fifteen people have already joined. The leaders are excited to see how that number changes within the next few weeks following its first meeting.

The club is expected to meet twice a month after school on Wednesdays in Crevier’s room. Yet, this is subject to change.

All in all, whether business may be your future career path or even just a newfound hobby, it appears this club is well equipped to provide all the tools necessary to satisfy any student’s interest.