Severna Park High School Field Experiences Prove To Make Real Connections

May was quite a month for Severna Park High School’s Business, Innovation & Leadership program. The month was chock full of opportunities for all students at the high school to participate in Signature-sponsored field experiences, and they accepted the challenge. The Signature program sponsored five field experiences for students to enjoy.

May 1 – South Mountain Creamery (Middletown, Maryland)

Students from Elizabeth Colon’s Business, Innovation and Leadership (BIL 1B) classes and Heather Barnstead’s Entrepreneurship classes, as well as members of the National Business Honors Society and Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, enjoyed beautiful weather while learning about sustainable and humane farming practices. Students got to see what it takes to run seven farms with more than 70 employees and make it a worthwhile business.

“I thought it was fascinating that within 12 hours of milking their cows, the milk was processed and bottled and ready to be delivered to customers' doorsteps,” said junior Isabella Opladen. “I think it’s cool that they still do home deliveries with glass bottles.”

Senior Joseph Pineda-Vasquez said, “The innovative robotic system they used to milk cows was interesting.  It reduced the need for manual labor and collected valuable data on each cow’s milk production, health and well-being.”

May 1 – International SPY Museum (Washington, D.C.)

STEM and Innovation connections were made with students as they had the chance to become secret agents and use their problem-solving skills while immersed in the secret world of espionage.

Barnstead loved the “hands-on activities and demonstrations that the museum had to offer,” while social studies teacher Ellen Kletter “thought that the activities reinforced concepts that (her) students were learning in her Criminal Justice classes.” She added, “It was a great experience to visit such an interactive museum in our nation's capital.”

May 7 – Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Annapolis)

Students from Laura Greenlee’s Marie Biology classes got a chance to get into the environment and see what is going on in their world, learning about the impact of their choices on the water of the bay and its tributaries. The adventure began with taking out canoes in Meredith Creek to sample various water quality indicators. Then, students hopped aboard the Marguerite and cruised out into the Chesapeake Bay to check on the fish and oyster population.  Students learned just how deep the fish like to stay and where the oyster colonies have been taking hold.

May 24 - Severna Park Business Park

The Business Innovation and Leadership (BIL 1B) class visited local businesses including BD Provisions, StellaLuna Raine and The Sudsy Puppy to learn about small business, sustainability, day-to-day operations, marketing and more.

“My favorite thing about (The) Sudsy Puppy was the monthly membership option,” junior Jake Sobocinski said. “It is a win-win because they get a long-term customer, and the customer gets a discount.”

Juniors Brandon Thomas and Aiden Wauters spoke to The Sudsy Puppy owner Michelle Cohn.  She told students how great it feels to employ other people and “to know that you are building something and doing things that you believe in.” She also said that there is “high support in this county for small business and the chamber is great. And she is so proud of those who think about entrepreneurship early.

BD Provisions Debra Saltz told students that “one of our goals is to remove as much plastic and processing that we can so it's as low waste as possible. We roast coffee fresh every week, 15 different kinds, on Saturdays from 10:00am-2:00pm. We are the only store in Anne Arundel County that actually roasts fresh, in-house, where you can buy the beans from, and if you don’t have a grinder, we can grind them for you.”

Sophomore Jackson DuPee was impressed that the staff constantly moves the food so it doesn’t go stale.

“They have a pet section, oils and balsamics, honeys and maple syrups as well as pre-made products with QR codes showing you how to make it (soups, brownie and cookie mixes as well as bread mixes). There is something for everyone!”

Junior Grace Curtin on BD Provisions said, “Once you buy a jar from them, you can bring it back and put it in the dirty jar pile and grab another to use while you shop. It is great for the environment and cost effective.”

Jantra Silbert, founder of Stellaluna Raine, talked about being part of one of the only boutiques in Severna Park.

“They took affordability into consideration,” said sophomore Spencer Mann. “Everything costs $50 or less. I also like how they use Shopify and Wix for ordering and checkout.”

After visiting BD Provisions, StellaLuna Raine and The Sudsy Puppy, students dined together, enjoying a farm-to-table meal with Cafe Mezzanotte owner Kosmas “Tommie” Koukoulis, who helped them understand his journey and why buying local sets him apart from the competition.

Koukoulis told students that once they learn a trade in the restaurant industry, they can have a part-time or full-time job anywhere in the world. During their lunchtime presentation, students learned about sourcing ingredients needed for dishes and the importance of relationship building, within a staff and with suppliers.  Students also learned that leadership is essential in anything they do. Being authentic and active in the community is important when growing and maintaining a business. Leaning into community efforts such as food pantries, homeless shelters and being there to teach people how to make food and train for front and back of the house jobs is a win-win for everyone, they learned.

Along with that wisdom, Koukoulis shared that sales jobs have the highest opportunity for income growth and employees get paid more for working harder.

“A tip: you are going to be more courageous in the next five to 10 years of your life,” he said. “It's a good time to take risks.”

Having a thorough business plan is crucial and so is leadership.

“Be a leader, not a boss,” he told students. “Don’t stand there and bark orders. You want to lead so you can help pull from the front and make them feel valued and that you are in it with them.”

The experience at Cafe Mezzanotte was memorable for junior Kathryn Behe.

“It was neat to hear about the close relationships they have with local farmers and producers, which allow them to use the freshest ingredients available in the region,” Kathryn said. “I now know how the ‘90-mile meatball’ got its name. Every ingredient used is from a 90-mile radius of the restaurant.”

May 30 - Terrapin Adventures (Savage, Maryland)

With their senior capstone project planned, the Leadership 2 students got to let loose on the zip line, swing and high ropes course at Terrapin Adventures. Students learned problem-solving techniques and how to “lock in” when the job needs to get done.  Some even said it was “unlimited fun.”

Annie Houghton, Signature Program facilitator thanked business partners for allowing students to benefit from all of these trips.

“Students get to interact with their peers and teachers in a different environment, fostering bonds and teamwork,” Houghton said. “I love to see how the field experiences that we plan in our program spark curiosity and encourage students to ask questions and explore topics further. It’s a great way to expose them to new opportunities and to spark curiosity to future career paths and industries. Field experiences are invaluable and help students explore the world around them in meaningful and memorable ways.”