Mercer Island students to represent state in SAGE competition | Business

Students in Mercer Island High School’s  Advanced Marketing class will join 4000 other students from around the world in the SAGE (Students Advancing Global Entrepreneurship)  competition, an “international network dedicated to creating the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.”

Mercer Island students will showcase their unique skills and business strategies to “address our world’s major unmet needs.”

Last year the Advanced Marketing students formed Mercer Trade, Inc. an on-line global trading company dedicated to “connecting the world, one school at a time.” They wrote a business plan, formed a corporation, sold stock and created a venture to trade goods with a school in Ghana. This year they added Malaysia as a trading partner to expand their relationships with international students. But Mercer Trade has become even more than an international trading company. When the students and their teacher Carol Wiseley travel to San Francisco next week to participate in the regional SAGE competition, they will present their Annual Report of ventures including:

Commercial: A new product line within the MIHS market called “Mercer Fan Gear”

Environmental: Support for Harry Bolson’s solar panel project to power the entire Marketing Department at MIHS. Mercer Trade students did all of the marketing and assisted with the plan for the unveiling event.

Social: Development of a new logo, slogan, brochure and website for the Mercer Island Community Fund, a non-profit organization.

Civic Engagement: Lobbying in Olympia for “Core 24” and educating state government about how students view this decision that will affect their education and future. The students were also invited to serve as student judges for the University of Washington’s Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition.

These students are not only forming relationships with students worldwide, they are enriching their own state and community as well. In San Francisco, they will speak in front of over 40 judges representing business and industry up and down the west coast. Being the only representative school from Washington State, they will continue on to the national competition in Buffalo, NY. They are confident they will qualify for July’s world competition in South Africa. “We are really excited,” said Codi Frickey, a senior and officer of Mercer Trade, Inc. “I have learned so much about business, marketing, writing an Annual Report – and this course counts as credit towards my college degree.” Andrew Rawson, a junior, said, “I have really learned a lot about working as a team. We all have very different working styles, but we have figured out how to work together on a common goal. If we make it to the finals, we will all cancel our summer plans to go!”