After 16 years of inspiring young entrepreneurs, the junior achievement program under the direction of social studies teacher Cummins McNitt is going out of business for good on May 31.
That’s when the Chairman of the Board, Mr. McNitt will officially hang up his teaching hat and embark on a well-earned retirement.
During his career at Tyrone Area High School, McNitt served as a guide to more than a thousand young entrepreneurs, leading them all through the exciting, and sometimes chaotic, world of owning a business.
While the program could continue under the direction of a new economics teacher, this year will nevertheless be the end of an era.
According to McNitt, students in his economics classes have collectively grossed over $292,000, with net earnings exceeding $74,000.
They’ve also donated over $10,000 to local charities, which makes McNitt particularly proud.
That’s pretty good profits, one t-shirt and hoodie at a time.
Students in the class are put into teams. The teams then elect leaders and choose roles. They then research products and determine what to sell. They can sell “shares” of their company to get their products manufactured. They deal with vendors, negotiate prices, create a marketing and advertising campaign, a sales strategy, and accurately account for all expenditures and profits.
McNitt’s first student-run businesses were in 2008. He still remembers what they sold: scarves, beanies, t-shirts, and hoodies.
Fortunately, all the businesses that year turned a profit, so he decided to do it again.
That class laid the foundation for a program that would navigate many students through the thrilling highs and inevitable learning curves of successfully operating a business.
“It has definitely been a process of trial and error over the years,” McNitt said, with a grin and a shake of the head.
Although a handful of the businesses did flop financially, they all succeeded in at least teaching the students important life lessons, even if they didn’t seem like it at the time.
“I will always remember selling those silly ‘Franco’s Famous Sayings’ t-shirts that just would not sell,” said former student and current TAHS substitute teacher Katrina Patton, a veteran of one of the “less successful” student businesses.
McNitt said he fondly remembers the satisfaction of seeing most of the businesses succeed, like the “Straight Outta Tyrone” hoodies, that sold out quickly, restocked, and made one of the best profits in the class’s history.
But to McNitt, it didn’t matter if the business made $1 or $1,000. It was all about learning how the system works.
“The bottom line is, they must earn enough to pay all of their debts to their vendors. Paying your debts before you pay yourself is a critical lesson in the US free enterprise system,” McNitt said.
McNitt’s dedication and enthusiasm also extended to the creative and humorous side of the program.
He remembers some “pretty funny commercials” students produced over the years, including this year’s ad campaign featuring stickers of Officer Bub, and himself.
Selling products like these is a true testament to the program’s ability to embrace a little lighthearted humor while taking the business end seriously.
But beyond the financials, McNitt said that the program’s impact on students’ personal and interpersonal growth is the most important lesson.
“The most important thing is learning how to work with people different from you and even with people you might not necessarily get along with. I have seen a lot of personal growth over the years,” said McNitt.
