There are few clubs as active on Wilcox’s sprawling campus as the Wilcox Business Experience. Founded by Ms. Armstrong in 2012 and now run by current advisor Mr. Raffetto, more than 500 students have since found unique opportunities and formed core memories through the club.
WBE’s main mission is to expose high school students to the world of business, entrepreneurship, and personal finance. It aims to facilitate career exploration, build an arsenal of business knowledge and prepare individuals for future financial success. Through competitions, community service and internships, WBE also offers the opportunity to strengthen one’s public-speaking, teamwork and leadership skills.
WBE participates in a wide variety of competitions. In early fall, there is FlexFactor, a Shark Tank style competition where students are tasked to create a unique business product and pitch their idea to a group of entrepreneurs. In late fall, there is Financial Advisor, a competition focused on mastering personal finance concepts. Competing teams are given a family’s financial situation and goals. Then, they have two weeks to put together a slide presentation, explaining their suggestions to a panel of professional financial advisors. Personal Finance Challenge—its sister competition—occurs in the spring. The prompt and task at hand is similar; however, instead of two weeks, students have ninety minutes to prepare everything.
Perhaps the most well-known competition WBE participates in is DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America). The grind season begins in October, in preparation for the February state-level competition known as SCDC. If one places within the top five in their category, they can qualify for internationals (ICDC) occurring in April. DECA has many different competition categories spanning across finance, hospitality, marketing, business management and personal financial literacy. In most categories, competitors take a 100-question exam on their chosen specialized event. This is followed by a roleplay where students are given a prompt or scenario, a few minutes to prep and a subsequent 10-minute oral presentation to a judge. Maya Reshef, current club president remarks, “Although it can be a nerve-wracking experience, this opportunity is one of the best I’ve been given in WBE.”
WBE also specializes in DECA’s stock market game. Students trade equities in a simulated stock market based on real life and attempt to make the most money possible. Recently, Mihir Vinnakota and Jonathan Herrick were very successful and will be heading to internationals in April.
While competitions are a huge focus of WBE, it is not everything they do. The club makes it a priority to give back to the community through volunteering. Michelle Wu, WBE’s current vice president comments: “It’s one thing to learn about business in a classroom, but actually working with the community makes everything feel way more impactful.”
One of WBE’s longtime partners is Santa Clara Parade of Champions. Every fall, Wilcox students help the nonprofit fundraise for their parade by serving dinner at the community auction event and running carnival games for little kids at the Art & Wine Festival. WBE officer Shaan Bose mentions, “Working with such large parts of our community as a club is a really rewarding process, but it also demonstrates how this club truly cares for what goes on in the community.”
In the spring, WBE officers run a Student Led Financial Initiative (SLFI). A small group of students travel to Laurelwood Elementary and teach fifth graders about financial literacy. This year, the kids embark on a four week series about all things stocks, where they also have the hands-on opportunity to invest their prize money in a simulated market.
The club is hosting Funding Your Futures in March. It simulates all the coercive marketing tactics screaming for people’s attention in the real world. Navigating through salespeople who do not have one’s best interest in mind, students are forced to make smart purchasing decisions at a rapid pace. The activity is designed to teach students who they can truly trust for financial help.
Overall, WBE stands out at Wilcox for all of the diverse opportunities it provides its members. Mihir Vinnakota, another WBE officer, says “In no other club can you travel 3-4 times a year, participate in nationally renowned competitions, and have the chance to get great internships.” Michelle Wu adds, “High school is the best time to try new things…Whether you’re interested in tech, medicine, education, or something completely different, the skills you learn [in WBE]—problem-solving, communication, leadership—will help you no matter what you end up doing.” Join WBE’s weekly Wednesday meetings at 3pm in N102 to discover more wonderful opportunities for you.
