HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — Hudsonville High School students are learning business fundamentals by operating the Eagle Café, an on-campus coffee shop launched in 2024 that now doubles as a for-credit independent study.
The program, created through the school’s business department, gives upperclassmen hands-on experience with customer service, inventory, scheduling and marketing while they work regular café shifts during the school day.
“It was determined there was a need for real-life experience,” said Stacy Skerske, Manager Support of the Eagles Café. “Some students love the business side; others love the creative side of making coffee. So this lets them do both.”
Now in its second year, the course functions like a small business lab where students rotate roles and pitch ideas to grow the shop’s reach on campus.
“We get students that come up and ask how they can participate in it, because they’re all very interested in learning how it works," Skerske said.
Senior Presley Keas said the class is helping align schoolwork with future goals.
“I like advertising, and so I think that’s really cool, that I can incorporate what I want to do into the café and work on that now, because there aren’t typical classes for stuff like that,” Keas said.
Keas says the café has become a social hub.
“We’ve started to get regulars—just like you would at a normal coffee shop. And it’s people I wouldn’t always talk to. But it’s cool to start conversations, see friendly faces, and have those uplifting interactions every day.”
District officials say the independent study will be offered each semester.
