NEW ORLEANS – On April 26, Financial Literacy students at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, 4521 St. Charles Ave., presented business plans for their own “dream coffee shop” during the first annual Sacred Heart “Shark Tank.”
Throughout the school year, students learned about all aspects of running a small business and becoming financially literate. The course, which is taught by PJ’s Coffee on Magazine owner Aubry Miller, also gave students the opportunity to run the small franchise of PJ’s that opened on Sacred Heart’s campus in 2015.
During the “Shark Tank,” three teams of two students presented their business plans, which utilized the tools they learned in and out of the classroom throughout the school year. Each business plan was evaluated by a panel of judges, which included PJ’s Roast Master Felton Jones and three representatives from Whitney Bank, who are also Sacred Heart alumnae, Markey Sarpy Aucoin ’89, Liz Baldwin Hefler ’99, and Hartley Meric Crunk ’03. After thoughtful deliberation, the judges announced the winning business plan—“Let’s Do Coffee,” which was presented by Madison Keller and Destiny Stafford.
Founded in 1867, the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for girls, offering 17 years of educational programs and services beginning with the Little Hearts Early Learning Program for ages 1-3 through twelfth grade. The Rosary, as Sacred Heart is affectionately called, is part of an international group of educational institutions sponsored by the Society of the Sacred Heart, an educational order founded in France in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat.
“Shark Tank” winners Madison Keller and Destiny Stafford with Financial Literacy teacher and PJ’s Coffee on Magazine owner Aubry Miller (center).
Isabel Yarborough and Sarah Schuler present their business plan “All Nighter.”
