Virtual Enterprise (VE) is a 2-year course offered here at Whitman designed to shape aspiring business students (or just interested students) into young professionals. The course provides them with endless teamwork experiences along with giving each and every student the opportunity to take leadership initiatives in some manner.
In the class, each individual class develops and grows their own company completely from scratch. Those who make the decision to take the class will be graced with the unmatched enthusiasm and dedication of Mrs. Steuber, the teacher and overseer of the VE companies.
I was given the opportunity to have an interview with Mrs. Steuber and ask some questions about the structure of the class, along with any other general inquiries I felt would be beneficial to know the answer to.
One of the main points that Mrs. Steuber emphasized during the interview is that the course isn’t just for business students. She raises the reality that some of her most dedicated students don’t originally aspire to enter the field of business, and many of them “developed a love for [business] as they’ve been in VE.” Along with this, Mrs. Steuber asserts that although the class is an enjoyable experience, anyone who is deciding whether or not to take the leap into VE needs to understand that Virtual Enterprise is a capstone level class. She draws attention to the need for each and every student to take initiative in their own ways, and not wait for “somebody to hand you everything that you need.”
In terms of the progression in the class, Mrs. Steuber explains that each class period first develops an idea that is satisfactory to each individual. In the weeks following, the class splits up into different departments, such as the “C-Suite, HR Operations, Digital Marketing, or Accounting.” After this, they begin building and running their makeshift business. Following this, once their business is properly developed, the students begin shifting their focus into preparing for their 22 competitions that they compete in each year. They construct elevator pitches, presentations, and more. After the competitions, each of the students begin developing professional portfolios, doing case studies, and learning more personal finance, along with preparing for their next year of VE.
Overall, although Virtual Enterprise is one of the most enjoyable courses at Whitman, with opportunities galore, it’s a demanding, yet rewarding experience to every student that decides to enroll.
