DECA Hospitality and Entrepreneurship’s fourth year class project has hit the market this year, and its students have been working to create, market and sell a new product called Pure Serenity. Pure Serenity is a company that sells a blend of essential oils on a beaded bracelet to carry its calming scent anywhere.
“We were actually able to go to a supplier and negotiate a unique blend that no one else in the world has. It was an amazing opportunity,” DECA teacher and supervisor of the Pure Serenity project Mitchell Albert said.
Pure Serenity was conceived in light of the lasting anxieties plaguing students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In order to provide a sense of relief, the DECA project has created an accessible and simple way to calm the nerves of consumers.
The blend of essential oils is half eucalyptus and lavender, and was chosen by students who researched and discovered how these certain scents create a calm state of mind.
After creating Pure Serenity, students were in charge of naming their company, developing their own logo, marketing the finished product and designing the packaging.
Pure serenity is also donating 10% of their proceeds back to Parkland Cares, a local organization that provides funding and awareness for mental health counseling for the MSD shooting survivors, their families and the Parkland community.
“Parkland cares is an incredible organization, and we were happy to support them because they understand the importance of helping with anxieties involving our situation at MSD,” Albert said.
The bracelets are currently being sold on Amazon and at MSD. Students are also spreading the word of their business at public events such as sports games. Recently, students went to a Panthers game to advertise and sell Pure Serenity, which gave them the educational opportunity of providing a sales pitch and communicating with customers.
The company itself is close to 16,000 dollars in sales. Whatever profits students earn through the company are theirs to keep, making Pure Serenity a valuable investment for these students.
Pure Serenity is also being submitted in a statewide competition called the JA Fellows Company of the Year, where they are one of the top ten finalists. Students involved had to write a ten page paper about the entire experience and what they learned, and had to keep track of the company’s finances to send in.
At the competition the students will be setting up a trade booth and will also be giving a presentation about the product and the company’s successes.
“Pure serenity has been a huge hit, and the students have gotten a lot of experience.I’m very proud of all the hard work they’ve done to create this successful company,” Albert said.
