The LMC Coffee Shop has made a recent comeback since this school year started. Their new menu adds a variety of smoothies, healthy protein options, and snacks for students.
“We have local Hammerhand Hot Coffee, SToK cold brew that is so good, a chocolate smoothie, and a strawberry banana smoothie, which are new items,” career explorations teacher Ellen Tsikoyak said.
With more emphasis put on this shop at North, it’s no surprise many might wonder what exactly goes on to help run this business.
“It’s actually a class that runs the coffee shop. It’s called Career Explorations, and it focuses on employability skills. Initiative, communication, teamwork, work readiness, and more, so they are prepared to go into the work force,” Tsikoyak said.
Along with other students, student manager Hannah McCulloh helps set the narrative to make sure workers thrive and navigate what the job setting will be like.
“I assign tasks and jobs. I help make sure everyone does their job correctly and give them feedback too, in case they have things they need to improve on or need to do less of. There’s no right or wrong way, really,” senior Hannah McCulloh said.
The class, through the coffee shop, offers an immersive work experience for students.
“As we have gone through the semester, we have implemented a pay day and a job evaluation every Friday. We’re always
working to improve their job skills so that they are confident that they’re ready when they graduate from high school,” Tsikoyak said.
For Hannah, working the shop as a manager comes with a goal that she wants to achieve for herself and the others in the class.
“I want to provide workers with a ‘how you’re going to speak to a manager’ experience and how a manager will react to you if you act a certain way. I want to give them that practice beforehand,” McCulloh said.
Running the coffee shop and being in the class includes many benefits for students.
“All the students who work in the coffee shop and are in the Career Explorations class have their food handlers certificate given out by Clay County. That means that they can work in the Kansas City metro area as well as earning them their market value asset,” Tsikoyak said.
Teaching the class, Tsikoyak has watched her students grow, seeing how the class and coffee shop make the experience worthwhile.
“I really, firmly believe that students need these soft skills, like communication, teamwork, and work readiness, so that they are prepared for what comes after high school. I feel like a pretty important part of preparing students for life post-secondary.
As for Hannah, she has also grown through her experience working in the shop, especially with being a manager.
“It has really built my confidence and my role of taking a job seriously. Being a student manager, you’re not going to be taken seriously. You’re still a student. However, if you work hard enough, respect them, and show them ‘Hey, I am taking this job seriously and I want you to succeed but I also want you to learn’, I can make sure that when they go out into the real world, that they won’t have any struggles with that,” said McCulloh.
Being open before school, all of first hour, and fifth hour, the latter is a challenge getting business for.
“I’m not 100% sure yet, but we might cut down our prices during lunch time. We would really appreciate if people would come support during that time and help those students also gain some experience,” said McCulloh.
