Virtual business students from Dos Palos High School received a $10,000 grant for their program after a challenging year. Photo contributed

Virtual Enterprise (VE) students at Dos Palos High School were surprised with a $10,000 grant presented to the program at the VE’s California State Conferences and Exhibitions in Bakersfield on Friday.

The sponsor of the grant, Virtual Enterprises International, (VEI) is a global educational nonprofit that provides authentic business experiences through a “business simulator” program, which allows students to receive educational experiences through practical application.

The award presented Friday is in recognition of the students’ creation of Praesidium, a simulated business run from their classroom that manufactures safety and security devices. It has been operating since the class’ project was approved in September 2022.

The surprise funding comes midway through a very challenging year for VE students at Dos Palos, who earlier this year lost their business classroom to a fire. The classroom also served as a workspace for local students as well as a printing shop.

“It wasn’t just a typical classroom,” said VE and business instructor Jennifer Hunger. “I ran some work-based learning programs out of the classroom because Dos Palos is such a small community, there’s not a lot of resources for students to go out and get job experience.”

In 2019, Hunger applied for and won the grant. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, funding was rescinded by that March.

This year, Hunger’s video application highlighted both the work the class had done leading up to the 2019 application and the challenges faced by the VE class this year. It also highlights the students’ accomplishments even after being faced with the hurdle of having their class relocated to the school’s ag-science building — a kind gesture, despite a notoriously loud environment.

The VE students will represent Dos Palos High School and the Central Valley at the Youth Business Summit in New York City this April, providing an opportunity to interact with other young professionals, entrepreneurs, educators and business leaders from around the world.

“Virtual Enterprises made me realize the opportunities that were available to me beyond college,” said VE student John Ramirez. “It opened my eyes to a better future than what I had previously envisioned.”

Fourteen students are involved in the program this year, representing the highest level of Dos Palos’ business classes.

“This is my capstone-level class,” Hunger said. “From there, the students are supposed to be able to go out and find entry-level jobs and be fully prepared in that area.”

Hunger said that several of her students have gone on to start their own businesses, attributing the students’ positive growth and confidence to the programs through VE classes.

“I didn’t know anything about business until VE,” said VE student Rachel Ceccarelli. “Learning the ins and outs of the business world, with hands-on experience, makes it way more accessible, especially when you have a knowledgeable teacher like Mrs. Hunger.”

Hunger, however, redirects the praise and credit to the students, explaining that the VE classes provide a “business simulation” where her students “punch in” rather than take attendance and split into HR, sales and marketing groups. There’s also a “CEO” who makes company decisions and assigns tasks to the different departments.

Dos Palos is one of many Valley schools supporting a VE program, with Roosevelt and McLane High Schools in Fresno, as well as Golden West in Tulare and Delano also hosting their own VE classes.

Dos Palos is the only West Coast school named as a grant recipient in this year’s global competition.