Jonathan Tameling is a CEO — and he’s only a senior in high school. 

Jonathan led Core, Inc., a virtual electric car company to a second-place finish at the state competition, and then on to the national competition in New York City. The virtual company employed twenty-eight other Timothy students as part of Virtual Enterprise International (VEI), a class where students run the daily operations of a company, mirroring real-world workplace dynamics.

While Timothy’s VEI team can go head-to-head with just about any team in the nation, they compete a little differently.

VEI offers high school students a hands-on experience of the professional world. VEI is a class that students register for and it meets once a day. But unlike any other class, it’s student-run and is an immersive simulation of a business. Just  as the real world, students interview for a position within the company with opportunities that range from entry-level jobs all the way to CEO.

Then the real work of launching a business begins. Students develop a business plan and are responsible for making daily decisions. They also develop a company description, a product decision rationale, a marketing plan, and an annual report.

Under the direction of Kendra Lee, who is also the 7th-12th grade Director of Teaching & Learning, the DECA advisor, and the VEI coordinator, the program has grown to be a contender on the national stage since it was first introduced in 2015. “VEI is a way to enhance our regular business curriculum,” Mrs. Lee said. “But it is also an opportunity to train students how to run a business as Christ-followers.”

VEI is an international program with over 3000 firms worldwide. Throughout the year, student employees from different VEI firms attend trade shows to promote and sell their virtual products and services, network with students from other firms, and compete in as many as eleven separate competitions, including Best Booth and Outstanding Salesmanship.

“VEI is so unique because you only have nine months to develop a business, start it, and make it profitable,” Jonathan said. “You have to think about doing research, what is relevant, who are your competitors, what is the problem, and attack it.”

Teamwork is key. But so is learning how to think under pressure, collaborate, and creatively problem-solve. “We had to present in front of over 700 people at the Midwest trade show,” Jonathan remembered. “It was a sink or swim moment. You never know if someone will blank and not remember part of the presentation. But there’s something about the pressure in that moment that just keeps pushing you forward. It’s all or nothing.”

Like any class, VEI has core content that students learn — leadership development, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and public speaking. While Timothy’s VEI team can go head to head with just about any team in the nation, they compete a little differently. “We approach everything — from conflict resolution to our business plan — through a Christ-centered lens,” Jonathan said. “We are Christians running a Christian business.”