Spreadsheets, presentations and resumes are part of the curriculum in one Hardin-Central classroom, but the teacher behind it hopes something far more important endures long after students leave.

Now in her third year at Hardin-Central, Business Education teacher and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) adviser Paige Brock works with students in grades seven through 12, combining classroom instruction with hands-on opportunities designed to put what they learn into practice.

Brock earned a degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Missouri–Columbia and later completed a master’s degree in School Administration at Lindenwood University. She also holds certification in Business Education, though teaching business was not originally part of her plan.

The two biggest business department projects are HC Today, a student-run news broadcast, and Top Dawg Tees, a student-operated apparel company.

Through HC Today, students write scripts, conduct interviews, film, edit, produce a…