Jackie Molloy and Nicole Relias took a class in District 214’s Business Management pathway as freshmen. The Buffalo Grove High School seniors now co-run a startup that sells its product on Amazon and in stores across Chicago.

Jackie, Nicole and another classmate created Skunk Aid – a deskunking kit for dogs – in their entrepreneurship course, which is part of District 214’s Business Management pathway. In the course, they learned all aspects of building a business, from identifying and solving a problem to creating a business model and testing their product in the real world.

The Business Management pathway is one of 44 in District 214’s Career Pathways program, which provides students with rigorous academic courses, access to early college credits and industry certifications, and personalized and career-specific learning experiences.

In fact, District 214’s partnership with National Louis University means students like Jackie and Nicole can complete their first year requirements toward a bachelor’s in Business Administration while in high school, giving them the opportunity to graduate college within three years.

The goal is to help all District 214 students discover their futures so they can decide what they want – or do not want – to pursue after high school. Business management, IT, culinary arts, journalism, engineering, graphics arts and aviation are just some of the pathways to choose from.

Both Jackie and Nicole credit District 214’s entrepreneurship curriculum for helping them understand how to run a business, network with professionals and perfect their pitch for potential investors. Their innovative product has been featured on the Today Show, the Daily Herald and WGN Radio.

“The Career Pathways program helps you decide if you like a career or don’t like it so you can find something you love, continue on with it and become successful,” said Nicole, who plans to minor in entrepreneurship in college.

To learn more about District 214’s Career Pathways, speak to your student’s counselor and visit www.d214.org/discover214.