On the first Spartan Day opportunity of the schoolyear, six Triumph seniors and their staff sponsors filled the last hour of the school day with beverages and ice cream.
“I didn’t know this place existed,” said Lorenzo Flores, enrolled in the English 12 class, “but you know I’ll be back, man!”
None of the students reported previously visiting The Boardroom before Friday, a combination coffee shop and ice cream bar in downtown Cheyenne that opened in 2022, which is one of the goals of these excursions.
“There are so many cool places we don’t know about, but it can be scary to go someplace new!” said teacher Sandra Bott. “If we can go out and experience something new, that’s a strong recommendation for an alternative school.”
The students were treated to a special treat, besides the sweets, when owner Jamie Horsburgh offered up her time to share the story of the establishment, as well as answer student questions about owning a small business.
“If you want to open your own business” (a professed goal of many of the students present), Horsburgh suggested: “you need to know that it is a lot of responsibility. You can’t just take a day off, or call in a sub”, referring to the two staff members present. “There’s always something that needs doing, and if you don’t do it, you don’t open that day.”
Horsburgh has plenty of experience, working in a corporate boardroom for many years before returning to Cheyenne, a resume which partly inspired the name of her sophisticated business.
“There really is nothing like the pride of opening your own business, and a commitment to quality is one of our most important goals. We want to be – I am – proud of this place and the welcome we’ve received in the community.”
The Boardroom’s unique flavors and specialty ice creams found a lot of fans among the students, but Horsburgh’s advice seemed to be the most resonant part of the trip. “This gives me so many ideas,” said senior Adrianna Fenton. “I love that this place is, like, a part of the community. That’s what I want my work to be.”
Indeed, the Leave to Learn ethos seeks to continue building partnerships with local businesses and nonprofits, seeking to center our community in Triumph’s focus on “Year 13”, Portrait of a Graduate mission.
As Bott closed the trip: “And if we can taste some amazing drinks while we do, why wouldn’t we?”