Students at North Forsyth Starting Greeting Card Business



Jasimen Crockett & Erika Wilson

Two seniors at North Forsyth High School - Erika Wilson and Jasimen Crockett – are participating in the start-up of the new business enterprise for the Occupational Course of Study Pathway – selling greeting cards. On Wednesday morning, they dropped by the school system’s administrative offices to see whether anyone wanted to buy some cards.

Boy, did they! Their first customer - Connie Adams, the receptionist at the administrative offices – bought 10 cards. When Wilson and Crockett moved on to Human Resources, people bought many more. The original plan had called for visiting all three floors in the building but, after their second stop on the first floor -  Financial Services - they were sold out.

Connie Adams with the cards she bought

“Within the Occupational Course of Study, each high school is required to come up with a business enterprise that offers OCS students ‘hands on experience,’” said Johnnie Lovell, the Occupational Course of Study teacher at North.

Lovell said that with the North Forsyth Greeting Cards Enterprise, she and Debbie Doub, a School Transition Job Coach, are working to find partnerships with such corporations as American Greeting Cards and Hallmark.  “In addition, Mrs. Doub helps and supervises the two students while selling the cards at the Central Office,” Lovell said. “In this way, North Forsyth OCS teachers and staff have been instrumental in the success of the business enterprise. Next year, there are plans to collaborate with North Forsyth’s Art Department - Mrs. Barbara Steele - to create ‘Thank You Cards.’”

The purpose of the school business is not only to provide school-based training hours that students need to graduation but also to pay for clothing, such as pants, shoes, and shirts, that OCS students need for job interviews and special events and to work off-campus to obtain their Community Based Vocational Training hours.

“North Forsyth OCS wants to help make the students’ school experience a positive one and make graduation a reality. The North Forsyth OCS Greeting Cards Enterprise will return to Central Office May 8, 2013,” Lovell said. “We sincerely appreciate all the support and positive response to our school’s enterprise.”  

Crockett and Wilson visit Human Resources