A room that once housed a school store had been locked and unused by the time Janeen Peretin attended Baldwin High in the 1990s.
“I remember wondering what it must have been like when students actually used that store and how great it would have been to have that opportunity as a student, myself,” she said. “For decades, it felt like that idea only existed in our history, until now.”
Peretin, now assistant to the superintendent for Baldwin-Whitehall School District, shared her perspective with the crowd gathered for the Jan. 22 opening of the Highlander Hub, the high school’s new store.
She credited a group of today’s students with making what once was her dream a reality.
“They took ownership of the work and they followed through,” Peretin said. “Along the way, they learned how to plan, how to collaborate, how to problem solve and adapt when things didn’t go as expected. This is what real-world experience looks like, and it’s the kind of learning that will help shape their futures long after today.”
In early-2025, then-sophomore Nate Malock approached school administrators with the idea, and he and other members of an executive team — Kelcy Bhandari, Gianna Harkins, Jewell Stevens, and store managers Emma Mainarich and Riya Timsina — worked diligently toward putting the store into operation a year later.
“There are two major benefits that we see the Highlander Hub bringing,” Mainarich said, citing business experience for students and promotion of school spirit. “We have upward of 40 kids who will be devoting their time to working inside the store. These students will learn how to interact with customers, sell items, keep track of inventory and many other responsibilities that come with being a good employee.”
For sale are plenty of items bearing the Fighting Highlanders logo and other Baldwin-related representations, and keeping shelves well-stocked is a primary consideration, according to Malock.
“We already have more merchandise on the way,” he said. “Our supplier was here. She noted what we needed, and she’s bought it already.”
The store will be open during some athletic events for the benefit of district residents.
“It really helps our community connect together as one because at the end of the day, the store is not only for the students of Baldwin High School,” Timsina said.
Harkins spoke about how the school’s student council — she serves as co-president with Malock — has grown in the past two years from a “small club with limited participation” to having more than 125 members.
“It is the result of commitment, teamwork and a shared goal of creating opportunities that benefit our entire school community,” she said. “The opening of our school store is a perfect example of that progress.
“This projects requires the creativity, the responsibility and leadership of our members, as well as the constant support of our incredible sponsors. Because of their efforts, student council is able to plan meaningful initiatives, support school spirit and give back to Baldwin High School in lasting ways.”
Denise Wells, high school assistant principal, attested to the executive team’s resolve in overcoming would-be hurdles and the students’ professionalism when giving presentations about the store to members of the Baldwin-Whitehall Educational Foundation and to Superintendent Randal Lutz.
“They had all their ducks in a row,” Wells said. “They had all the facts. They had everything we needed.”
She is among the project’s faculty sponsors, along with teachers Fran Cappetta, Rich Deemer and Chris Reilsono.
“They’ve really pushed this idea through and they’ve made it come to fruition,” Reilsono said. “We’ve been there to support, but honestly, it’s been them. I think that the best part is the fact that they’re setting these goals and accomplishing these goals, and it’s something they’re authentically proud about.
“And it’s going to be great in our school.”
