Taking Care of Business at Murry Bergtraum HS
by Rob Luchow
The business world is known for its fast-paced lifestyle and years of schooling and training. Located at 411 Pearl Street in the Finance District, Murry Bergtraum High School starts students in business careers by immersion in the world around them.
Bergtraum prides itself on being the foremost high school for students interested in the business field. Of the 42 credits needed to graduate from Bergtraum, students there must take ten to 12 business credits. However, not only does the school offer a variety of business classes ranging from accounting to information systems to business law, but Bergtraum also provides its students with real business experiences.
Junior and senior students are encouraged to intern at a company. While most students take internships over the summer and in their college years, Bergtraum students start early.
“The students gain a better sense of business by working in the business world,” said Maurice Collins, head of the Social Studies department.
For business experience within the school, Bergtraum offers two unique opportunities. The school store at Bergtraum is more than just a stand to purchase pens and paper. With a generous contribution from Estee Lauder, the school store sells cosmetic supplies to students and faculty. Students fully operate the business and the profits made from sales go to the student government.
One of the most popular classes at the school is “Virtual Enterprise,” where students play roles of CEOs, accountants and marketing teams and create a fictional company.
“The problems they encounter in class are problems they could encounter in real businesses,” said Collins. “It’s very hands-on.”
Like most esteemed schools, Bergtraum thrives harmony of what head of the ESL department Bibiana Ammatuna said are “dedicated students” and a staff that is “very competent and willing to work and help all the students.” Collins noted that Bergtraum students “want to learn and succeed.”
For Collins, the key to Bergtraum’s success rests in the ability to keep the curriculum updated and at the highest quality. With the business world so in tune with technology, Collins wants teachers to utilize modern techniques and develop more interesting lesson plans and provide “the most up-to-date business education.”
“We have a responsibility to always ensure that teachers improve their abilities,” said Collins. Ammatuna envisions a school where all the students come to learn more about the business world. She wants Bergtraum students to be dedicated to the industry and have a desire to distinguish themselves in the field.
“I would like Bergtraum to be the Stuyvesant for business,” she said.#
Murry Bergtraum High School is located at 411 Pearl Street. For more information, visit the school’s website at www.bergtraum.org.
