Capstone kids

continued from page 10 package, the staff members scan it and print out a label that verifies that the item arrived and provides its storing location. The final step is taking pictures which ensures proof of delivery.

Though he intends to major in history after high school, Trost is considering supply chain management if history does not work out.

Nevertheless, Trost encourages high school seniors to consider working in departments other than those most visible to outsiders. It will “teach you a lot of things and you can use that to excel in whatever career you want,” he said.

‘We are Learning from Each Other’

Interested in a more cuddly experience, six capstone students opted to complete their project at the Catty Corner Café in Leesburg. Owner Heather Donahue gladly welcomed the girls, who had different hopes and intentions of joining the business.

Though the concept of cat cafés have been around since the late ‘90s in Asian countries, it is a relatively novel concept in America. Donahue partners with Last Chance Animal Rescue. The nonprofit, based in Waldorf, MD, is a no-kill shelter and brings Donahue cats whenever she needs them.

“They take from 50 different kill shelters in 13 states, so sometimes, they will get hundreds of cats in one day. They save 10,000 animals a year from being euthanized,” Donahue said. “They send me the best ones. They hand pick the best ones that are super social and friendly.”

Donahue finds that if the cats are shy when they arrive, by the end of the first week of interacting with customers at the café, they are “pretty friendly by being exposed to all the people and discover that people can be trusted.”

Stone Bridge High School senior Alison Cohen hopes to pursue marketing in college and working at the Catty Corner Café has allowed for her to learn better customer service skills.

Similarly, Stone Bridge High School senior Reda Jaffri is fond of cats and found this to be the perfect opportunity to cuddle with cats and learn more about small business operations as she hopes to enter the business field.

“Since we could either choose a career development [opportunity] or volunteering, I wanted to do something that kind of incorporated both,” fellow capstone stu- dent Stella Calabrese said, who hopes to be a small business owner.

Calabrese, Cohen, and Jaffri are involved in DECA, an international high school and college organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. They have been able to channel these skills into their capstone projects, and also gained more along the way.

Cohen learned how to better interact with customers and improve her communication skills. “[By] telling people about the cats, you get to have those good customer relations,” Cohen said.

Other than petting cats, the students cite the favorite part of their experience as making TikToks for the business @catty.corner.cafe. Using their knowledge of the platform, they have recorded multiple TikToks to connect with younger customers and attract a broader audience.

“I do social media, but I‘m not a TikTok person, and I now have teenagers who are really good at it, so they’ve come in and done a lot of content for me that I can post for the next month and taught me how to do it,” Donahue said. “So, we are learning from each other; they’ve made some really creative ones that are funny.”

Apart from tangible skills, the girls have also loved witnessing an example of a onewoman-run small business.

“I did it on my own, I’m the sole owner of it; if you work hard and learn from every job whether it be in fast food, you will take that to your end mission of being your own entrepreneur,” Donahue said.

Donahue advises students to embrace their job even if it is not their end goal, and know that it is a “stepping stone to help you create your own business.”

The goal of the café is to find new homes for the cats, with adoptions processed through Last Chance. Though Donahue and her staff have a hard time saying goodbye to their animals, there is a silver lining.

“[It’s] so bittersweet. I fall in love with them and when they go to their forever homes, I make sure they are going to be spoiled with love. It’s sad I won’t see them anymore, but I’m happy for the cat that has come on a long journey to get here that will now be loved for their entire life—and that means when they go, I get to bring in more cats,” Donahue said.

A visit to the lounge at Catty Corner Café is $22 per person, which includes a hot or cold drink and a cookie. The lounge is located on the second floor and does not have wheelchair accessibility. The café is open from 12-6 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 12-7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Wednesdays.

Cars for a Cause

Loudoun County High School senior Alexander Seymour decided to pilot “Cars for a Cause,” a charity event, for his Capstone experience. The event was founded by Seymour and his friend Bren-