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The Alf Method
Anatomy of an Unbounded Education
IN THE CLASSROOM The following pages provide an overview of how Webb delivers extraordinary learning experiences that foster unbounded thinking, take you into classrooms to see the Alf Method in action and demonstrate how the model is layered throughout a student’s school day.
On any given day, a casual observer peering into Webb classrooms will see a snapshot of activities much like the following: *Biology students probing the ethics of cell ownership *Humanities students drawing posters to portray the 1920s L.A. immigration push * Spanish language students exploring global environmental challenges *Ethics students debating European refugee needs *Art studio students converting an array of still-life images into collages *Biotechnology students cloning plasmids * Gothic fiction students filming scary movies * Gender studies students designing logos *Math students tackling a mix of geometry and algebra
Though brief, this list of classroom activities clearly illustrates the concepts that fuel the Alf Method, a teaching strategy that turns every Webb course into a learning experience that puts students at the center of an immersive, engaging and challenging journey of discovery.
“The Alf Method drives Webb’s ultimate academic goal – to create unbounded thinkers by inspiring passionate, curious students to pursue novel ways of learning,” Head of Schools Taylor B. Stockdale said. “These students become entrepreneurs and leaders who break through frontiers, who innovate and create opportunities without regard to traditional barriers.”
The Alf Method is named for biology teacher Raymond M. Alf, who launched Webb’s paleontology program nearly 90 years ago, when he began taking students on fossil-hunting trips into California deserts and across the nation’s badlands.
Their discoveries led to the creation of the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology on Webb’s campus and a remarkable research program in which students have coauthored more than 50 original papers for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
The Alf Method can be dramatic – like the fossil hunts that remain integral to Webb’s science program, Webb’s biennial Unbounded Days adventures or the generous support provided to a special project, like the student who designed, built and tested a go-kart.
The Alf Method can be the focus of an activity – like Webb’s after-school programs in science, museum operations, and debate and robotics teams.
Students in Webb’s American Society course take part in a masquerade ball featuring Progressive reformers from the Gilded Age. The assignment includes researching a historical figure, creating a social media profile and giving a presentation on Gilded Age social issues that references discussions held during the ball with other historical figures.
ALF METHOD CONCEPTS
Student-centered: Students are engaged in the design of their own education, asking questions and identifying problems with support from their teachers.
Learning experiences: Classes blend content, theory and activities to create a learning experience, not just a presentation of information.
Discovery: Students ask probing questions and lean into risk to develop skills and build and apply knowledge to new contexts.
Mapping multiple perspectives: Students deepen their understanding by exploring a range of perspectives on issues.
Multi-disciplinary: Classes incorporate a blend of complementary topics and disciplines.
Project-based: Concepts are often taught through activities that hold personal relevance for students.
Active learning: Students physically engage in their learning through hands-on activities and creative enterprises.
Field work: Students engage in activities with real-world impact and implications, including original research, creative activities and community service projects.
Collaborative learning: Students work in small groups, combining strengths, teaching each other and learning to collaborate.
Reflection: Classes aren’t just about finding the right answer, but about the paths taken and understanding the value of missteps.
But most of the time, the Alf Method is subtle – like the blend of topics, hands-on classroom activities and projectbased instruction that boost engagement and foster original acts of creativity across the Webb curriculum.
It’s hard to miss in some courses. Honors Studio Art, in which students pursue independent projects, is about as pure a project-based learning course as you can get. But the method is equally integral in foundational and advanced courses in math, science, humanities and world languages.
“Webb’s academic program doesn’t dismiss traditional thinking. In history, for example, it’s important to know the broad scope of what happened as well as the dates and key players in significant movements and conflicts,” said Dr. Theresa Smith, associate head of schools. “But the Alf Method goes beyond that, connecting what happens in the classroom to the world around us, delving into original perspectives about what we learn, and taking a hands-on role in exploring and expressing that understanding.”
Many schools provide hands-on programs, often summarized by the phrase “learning by doing.”
With the Alf Method, students do much more.
They become active participants in what they learn, benefiting from a robust struggle for discovery and the inevitable failures along the way, and they engage in critical reflection to make sense of the experience.
At its heart, this means students don’t just simulate the activities in which they may one day engage.
“In our classes, you are a mathematician, or a scientist, or a linguist or a humanities scholar,” Smith said.
Creating this kind of immersive experience requires planning, coordination and regular reflection on teaching strategies. This intense focus on academics drives the innovation that created Webb’s college-style humanities electives and an advanced studies program that spans multiple disciplines.
In the humanities, students study a mix of literature and history through topics that often incorporate current issues and events. Courses in 2021-22 ranged from Literature & Leadership in the Wilderness to Global Societies & Sustainability, from Culture & Politics of the Border to The Long Novel.
Advanced studies courses provide a deep exploration of college-level topics in the humanities, science and math. Courses typically feature in-depth exploration of multiple issues and student-directed projects.
Another aspect of Webb’s program allows teachers to propose courses that may align with their personal interests.
Webb’s Unbounded Days program, held every two years, doubles down on both experiential learning and teacher input by asking Webb faculty and staff to plan three- to fiveday adventures that blend academics and activities.
This year’s event, held in March, featured 25 such adventures, including canoeing the Colorado River, photography in the desert, climbing at Joshua Tree National Park, marine biology and explorations of Native American history and Los Angeles culture.
“Unbounded Days is a great opportunity for our students and teachers to step beyond the planned curriculum and dig into a passion project or explore an interest,” said Director of Experiential Learning Dr. Susanna Linsley, who oversees the program. “Because there are no boundaries, it’s an exploration of ideas and activities at its most pure. Students and faculty alike return invigorated and with new perspectives.”
Webb’s curriculum, museum, afternoon activities and Unbounded Days are intentionally layered to foster unbounded thinking across all aspects of the Webb experience, Smith said.
This inspires students to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to every challenge or opportunity, shaping unique, individual educational journeys through Webb’s expansive curriculum, no matter where a student’s passions lie.
“Because we do away with the traditional restrictions of secondary school academics, our students aren’t passive receivers of information. They become creators of knowledge who drive our academic processes through a spirit of inquiry that expands every course into a dynamic learning experience,” Smith said.
Students perform interpretive moves on One Thousand Steps Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif., during an Unbounded Days course titled Ir Más Allá. The term is Spanish, meaning to go further or to go beyond. In this course, students looked below the surface to understand the relationship between Santa Barbara’s native tribes and its landscape as well as the region’s colonization by the Spanish and the Ranchero era.
Unbounded Classrooms
Webb’s teachers act as learning coaches, applying the tenets of the Alf Method to everyday elements of their courses as they guide students through dynamic learning experiences. Students engage in collaborative activities, push themselves to explore multiple perspectives and learn the value of failure.
HONORS ETHICS & MODERN GLOBAL AFFAIRS:
Honors Ethics & Modern Global Affairs students huddled on two sides of their classroom, gathering data, sketching out arguments, coordinating presentations and preparing challenges.
Welcome to debate day. The issue: whether European countries should be required to accept quotas of refugees.
Each side presented three arguments, offered an introduction and conclusion, rebutted the other team’s three arguments and interrupted arguments with challenges. Each speaker received just 90 seconds – less for challenges – and the teams set their own plans of attack.
The action was tense, the arguments filled with data, the challenges sardonic, biting.
“As others bounce their ideas around the room and challenge the stability of your opinion, I feel that it really tests my own understanding of my opinion and my character,” said Maksym Graham ’23, a member of the Webb debate team who leapt into the fray. “This allows me to strengthen my own opinions and use others’ perspectives to make me more understanding and more knowledgeable as a whole.”
Teacher Ken Rosenfeld said this kind of deep thinking is his goal.
“Learning and growth occur outside of our comfort zones,” Rosenfeld said. “Being forced to challenge the way they think, the way they work, the way they interact, the way they approach an assignment and even the way they speak will lead to growth and understanding in areas they otherwise would never explore.
At the debate’s conclusion, students organized themselves in a circle, no longer representing two teams, to share personal perspectives that at times differed from their required debate stance.
“I think the most engaging element of class is the in-class discussions,” Wura Ogunnaike ’23 said. “Everyone has their own idea of what is ethical or unethical, and we all bring
different perspectives to the discussions. The environment in the class is great, and everyone’s ideas can be heard and challenged in a respectful manner. Hearing from others gives me new ideas that aid in my comprehension.”
Rosenfeld said he encourages students to focus on the power of the activities, assignments and discussions to inspire thinking beyond the moment.
“We have a better chance of ensuring they leave class inspired and encouraged to take ownership over their education,” he said. “Too often, students forget that they have a say in their present. Reminding them of their power and control over the moment encourages them to think about how they wish to take advantage of the now in a way that will shape their tomorrow.”
ADVANCED STUDIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY:
Biotechnology student groups used gene cloning techniques to insert a gene that conferred antibiotic resistance into a plasmid – a bit of DNA that can be used to add traits to host cells. In this case, the altered plasmid was used to transform bacteria cells, allowing them to grow even in the presence of the antibiotic.
Simply put, if the gene cloning succeeded, the bacterial colonies would turn white. If it didn’t, they would turn blue.
“This is not always about getting the result that you want; it’s about what you learn during the process. You should be able to analyze everything that you have,” teacher Lisa Nacionales told the students.
For some students, parts of the experiment worked perfectly. For others, small errors led to mixed results. But in every case, students were able to detect why they got the results and what corrective steps would be needed.
Bradyn Wishek ’22 said he learned to accept that a failed experiment is part of the process.
“Our experiment was successful, though I don’t think it turned out as expected,” Wishek said.
He said the class format pushes students to dig deeply into the material.
Nacionales, who chairs Webb’s Science Department, said she learned the value of hands-on experiments the hard way – in grad school.
“I had a lot of book knowledge by the time I entered my graduate program in biochemistry and molecular biology, but when I got into the lab, I was lost. I had no idea how to apply that knowledge to actual problems,” she said.
She got help from lab mentors and things started to click.
“I learned by doing and by being motivated to solve problems and design experiments to solve those problems. I learned that my results had no meaning without the appropriate controls and then having to repeat experiments with a better design. I learned to record everything meticulously and I developed the habits of mind of a scientist. These are the skills I want to impart to my students,” she said.
Savanna Cespedes ’22 said the experiments are demanding but effective.
“Learning from a lecture and studying someone else’s methodology is not as engaging. It can be challenging to understand and follow a complex procedure that someone else is trying to describe to you,” she said. “When you conduct an experiment that is just as complex, you have to understand not only the process that is occurring but also the steps of each process and what they do.”
ADVANCED STUDIES GOTHIC & HORROR LITERATURE & CULTURE:
Students studying Gothic literature explore the psychological roots that spark elemental fears, reading not only novels that span a range of literary styles, but deep analysis of the human psyche, critical essays and academic works as well. They also study how those tools are used in film-making to create disorienting and disturbing imagery that in turn creates tension and drama.
As a capstone project, students demonstrate their practical understanding of class concepts by working in groups to create short movies that employ these techniques.
Students write scripts, design costumes, select locations, direct and act to bring their understanding of the works to life.
Jolina Zhao ’23 said the film project pushed her into a new role and a deeper understanding.
“I never would have pictured myself directing a horror movie,” she said. “Instead of having us write essays to summarize our understanding of the psychology of fear, my peers and I teamed up to express our knowledge more creatively … We dove deeper into psychological horror and the effectiveness of little tweaks, such as camera angles and perspective. This approach, in contrast to an essay, made the material resonate a lot better.”
Students also bring unexpected talents to the productions, like those who pull off amazing feats of acting, or write original music or design costumes – all elements needed to generate the sense of horror.
“I had a lot of fun writing the script and putting in details of psychological horror and character development, and we found a really uncanny warehouse to shoot it,” Shuci Zhang ’23 said. “We got to be both creative and analytical – all the artistic choices we made echoed the techniques and horror formulas we discussed in class.”
Teacher Elizabeth Cantwell said the class also features small-group activities and visual practices. In one, students drew haunted houses and analyzed them to see what elements (like bats and attics) seemed to emit a sense of the eerie. For a creative writing exercise, students crafted a piece in the style of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
But the highlight of the class is the movies.
“They’re great at writing essays and, of course, we write essays in class, but this allows students to show what they know in a different way. I really want to see them take theoretical and abstract concepts of horror and run with them in their own way,” Cantwell said.
SPANISH 4:
After a round of greetings, Spanish 4 students ditched their desks to circle up on the floor for a discussion of environmental issues involving orangutans – using a collection of images as a springboard for a Q&A.
Catherine Chen ’23 said the hands-on activities make the class more engaging.
“Instead of memorizing vocabulary from a textbook or drilling grammar rules into your head, we are able to learn the language through conversation, activities and other interactive ways,” Chen said. “You need to actually think about how to respond in Spanish instead of simply repeating a phrase you’ve seen in a textbook.”
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During a floor discussion, students discuss environmental issues prompted by images and share personal thoughts – all in Spanish.
During the floor session, questions addressed the topic, but they also sought personal perspectives – all in Spanish.
“Why the floor? It makes for such a great conversation space. I think students feel more engaged, it’s a change of scenery, and they can see and grab the images spread out on the floor. I also feel like it is fun and playful, so they are more drawn to speaking and really playing with the language,” teacher Morgan Kapp said. “We were celebrating everyone who wanted to share and ask questions. Some of the questions got goofy, but they were cracking each other up in Spanish and weren’t totally off-topic.”
Kapp said the class intentionally blends topics – like the environmental issues and a section on the Argentinian Dirty War – along with discussions about students’ day-to-day lives to drive an engaging mix of language and writing skills.
“There is some explicit Spanish language instruction, but students’ language development is driven primarily by what they hear and read in class. My goal is that there is something for everyone to take away from the class – and that students are able to get what they need,” she said.
ADVANCED STUDIES GLOBAL GENDER STUDIES:
Students in Global Gender Studies started class by sharing reflections about novels that explore gendered identities – a companion effort to their research of the topic through personal narratives, historical accounts and journalism.
Then, in short increments, the class transitioned to a freewriting exercise, a group discussion and designing logos for themes in the novels.
Jonathan Yu ’22 said the mix of activities keeps him engaged.
Dr. Susanna Linsley, Webb’s director of experiential learning, teaches the course.
As a capstone to the class, students created visual essays.
“It’s about picking a different mode of communication,” Linsley said. “I think you have to be really deliberate about the choices you make to deliver an argument, and you have to be very intentional and beautiful. Creating an effect or feeling is what you do when you communicate. It’s harder to show students that’s what you do through writing. But when you do it visually, you can show them that’s what you do.”
ART STUDIO:
Art Studio students dedicated two months to crafting 15 to 20 versions of a still life – using acrylics, drawing implements, in black and white, as negative images, as positive images and so many more. With each class, students changed their scale, focus, materials and speed.
Then, one day, they had to tear every piece apart to create two collages.
“You have to let go. I want to hear some ripping, I want to hear some cutting,” teacher Jackie Leishman told students. “It takes a little bit of bravery to say, ‘I’m willing to cut into this and I don’t know what’s going to happen yet. I might ruin something that I love to get something else that I love.’ ”
Kate Donez ’24 tore through her works with gusto.
Webb celebrated the success of Victor Zhang ’22 with a victory lap party, in which he zipped around campus to the cheers of classmates and teachers.
“Collage is the art medium that I love the most,” Donez said. “I’ve learned how to look at things in a different way, to get perspective. Even if it’s not very clear to everyone else, if it gives meaning to you, then that’s the most important thing.”
At first, some struggled with the act of destruction.
The assignment is designed to prompt just this kind of shift in perspective.
“The visual is its own language. How we translate back and forth as we try to articulate what we are doing visually through words can be tricky. It can be extremely frustrating, so I want to give them the tools to build upon and gain confidence,” Leishman said.
“It’s important for them to feel completely safe if their project does not go well, to dance with failure and see it as a step along the path to growth and becoming an artist,” she said.
AP STATISTICS:
AP Statistics students tackled a classic challenge known as the German tank problem – based on a World War II effort to calculate German tank production using engine part serial numbers from captured vehicles.
To figure out their version of the problem, students were asked to determine how many slips of paper were in a bag based only on a sample of seven numbered slips.
Dillon Anabi ’22 said he learns best with a problem-based class structure, because it allows him to apply concepts to real-world scenarios. “It forces me to rely on myself and encourages me to take risks in class,” he said.
The task was to learn about sampling distributions – the basis for inferential statistics.
“Rather than simply giving the students formulas, I wanted to have them create their own methods for an easy-tounderstand situation – even if it’s quite difficult to solve,” said teacher Andrew Neyer, chair of the Math Department. “More importantly, I wanted them to decide how to evaluate one method over another. In other words, I wanted to start from a place of exploration and discovery.”
As students tackled the challenge, Neyer praised the ingenuity on display.
“I’ve never seen that before – I like it,” Neyer told one student group.
Eventually, students generated 10 possible ways to solve the problem. Neyer chose the four most promising techniques and asked each group to focus on one. In the end, students plotted many of the same options as the allies’ scientists.
“This is problem solving at its core,” Neyer said. “The role of the teacher is to guide students along the way and to help them synthesize the material. Our goal is much more than the specific formula or algorithm – rather, it’s about the process of getting there. Making conjectures, testing those conjectures, communicating your thinking to others both in writing and in speaking and learning how to collaborate with others is what we strive to do in the classroom every day.”
GO-KART SPECIAL PROJECT:
Victor Zhang ’22 is passionate about mechanical engineering. So, in summer 2021, Webb set him up with an internship at an auto dealership’s service center. Then, in fall, he asked for the opportunity to design and build a gokart during a free block.
Webb’s answer: The school provided Zhang with mentorship from science teacher Brian Kays and access to tools.
“Creative and meaningful work arises when we help each other discover the ideas about ourselves that limit us and then embrace the fact that we are creative individuals,” Kays said. “The self-awareness students cultivate from this is both flexible and durable, and we believe this is one of the most important things our students can gain toward success in a quickly changing world.”
Zhang said the activity was revelatory.
“The most important part I learned from the build was to accept failure, enjoy it and learn from it,” he said. “The firstever test of the go-kart ended in a massive failure, because previously, to make the chain fit, I ground the 3-D printed engine mounts down. As a result, the engine mounts became extremely weak and nearly all of them snapped on the first test.
“That first test was a very big setback for me, but I also knew that if I didn’t fix the issue, the go-kart would never run again. This pushed me to embrace failure by taking off the broken pieces and redesigning them. The second test was a success.
“I think that not only has this journey been great for building my skills as a mechanic, but it also helped me realize that you move forward by making mistakes. They are not all bad, the important thing is to learn from them and prepare yourself.”
Once Zhang got the go-kart going, Webb celebrated his success with a victory lap party, in which he zipped around campus to the cheers of classmates and teachers.
Student interest sparked by the project inspired Kays to create a go-kart building option for Webb’s Unbounded Days in March.
HARVEY MUDD COMPUTER SCIENCE:
Webb engages in partnerships with local colleges and cultural institutions that provide students with opportunities to pursue specialized interests.
Perhaps the most long-standing is Webb’s computer science collaboration with longtime Harvey Mudd College Professor Zachary Dodds. Students who take Webb’s computer science class may join Dodds’ Introduction to Computer Science class as part of Mudd’s CLASS high-school outreach program.
Webb students engage with computing, computer science and computer programming as authors and designers of programs and software.
“All of the class is learning by doing. Students write programs and compare their artifacts’ behavior with what they had envisioned. Many times, mismatches are small slips – or bugs. Especially exciting are the other mismatches – those in which computing-based exploration has helped refine or reshape a student’s original goal,” Dodds said.
The course culminates with a final project – a sizable application that expands upon a homework assignment. Building a 3-D simulation, implementing a text-based game (along with AI) and creating an evaluator of authorship similarity based on textual features – all of these are popular paths.
Webb students who want to further their computing experience have continued in the CLASS program to take Computing for Inquiry or have opted to pursue independent projects of their own design.
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For example, Teja Reddy ’20 and Kush Arya ’20 took these paths. For their independent project, they explored learning approaches for strategic, two-player game AIs. They presented their work in a poster at the BigData 2019 conference in Los Angeles.
Fiona Jiang ’22 took the introductory computing class during her junior year and is now working with Dodds on a more advanced course focused on improving user experiences on a streaming network.
“This class made me realize I like computer science and that this is something I want to do in the future,” said Jiang, who applied lessons in her computer science courses to a project she submitted to the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
She was named one of 300 scholars in the prestigious competition.
Read more about Jiang’s science talent search success on page 42.
ACTIVITIES, TEAMS:
Webb afternoon activities and academic teams allow students to pursue passions.
ROBOTICS
Webb’s robotics program grew to three teams in 2021-22. Students practiced their builds after classes and competed in the FIRST Tech Challenge, an international robotics contest for high school students.
“The robotics program provides a valuable opportunity for our students to engage with core engineering principles, work on a team and learn from other FTC teams,” said math and computer science teacher Carissa DeRanek, one of the program’s coaches. “Students are fully in charge of the engineering process. A new game is released at the start of each school year, and they need to work together to design, prototype and test their robot.”
MUSEUM RESEARCH
As part of Webb’s curriculum, students may enroll in museum research courses through the Alf Museum – including an advanced class, in which students co-author paleontology research papers for publication in peerreviewed journals.
Read more about Webb’s student research projects on page 47.
The museum also provides an afternoon activity in which students assist in every facet of its operations, including fossil prep, maintaining exhibits and outreach. Students can identify and complete specific projects of special interest.
“Students not only learn techniques for conservation of fossils – they learn these techniques from real experts in the field, on real fossils,” Museum Director Dr. Andy Farke said. “It’s not just a class assignment – the dinosaur bone they glue together will end up in a museum collection and may even be published in scientific literature.”
DEBATE
Webb offers an afternoon debate program to help train novices in debate formats, argument skills and how judging works as well as fielding a debate team that competes across the region year-round.
“In the process of coaching debate, I have seen students diving deep into ethical quandaries, poking at fuzzy moral boundaries, learning what it takes to present an idea concisely and clearly, accepting defeat and celebrating spontaneous, creative leaps of thought,” said debate coach Elizabeth Cantwell, who also chairs Webb’s Humanities/ English Department. “Students in the debate program don’t just learn how to argue. They also learn how to communicate thoughtfully, rationally and effectively – and often become more informed citizens of a school, local and global community as a result.”
SCIENCE FAIR RESEARCH LAB
Webb’s Science Fair Research Lab allows students to pursue projects that spark their interest, whether or not they align with class content. Students research and pitch projects that they may end up entering into the Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair or The Archer School STEM Fair.
In 2021-22, projects ranged from training ladybugs and testing rocket fuel to creating radical chemical reactions.
“This program embodies the Alf Method and unbounded thinking,” said Dr. Nicole Windmon, one of two science teachers who advise and support the student researchers.
Read more about the Science Fair Research Lab on Page 39.
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Teaching Duo Tackles Business Idea
Webb students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the schools’ focus on unbounded thinking.
Rick Duque, Webb School of California dean of students and humanities teacher, enjoys a larger-than-life presence on the Webb campus.
The 6’6’’ former Pomona-Pitzer basketball forward has a penchant for hearty greetings and a practice of giving his full attention to whomever he’s speaking with.
Duque also has a passion for making beef jerky, sharing his creations with friends across the campus for nearly a decade.
At first, Duque balked – which surprised his friends given that he teaches a class called Stories & Strategies of Entrepreneurs.
“I teach my students to think in an unbounded fashion, but this was different,” he said. “I don’t have a business background; I just make jerky at my house.”
But Duque didn’t completely dismiss the idea. Instead, he gave it some thought and eventually went back to Rosenfeld in early 2021 to ask him to partner on the project.
Rosenfeld, who has also taught the entrepreneurism class, is no stranger to launching enterprises. He ran a catering company for 10 years, a swim-and-dive program, a boba delivery service and served as a marketing consultant, web designer, personal trainer and nutrition coach.
Because both teachers tend to jump full tilt into something once a decision is made, they immediately went into total startup mode.
“This is our opportunity to live what it is we preach and show courage in areas where we encourage others to be bold in their actions,” Duque said.
Within a day or two, they had a name: Hammered Jerky – because it is thin, crispy and hammered with flavor, inspired by a kind of beef jerky common in New Mexico, Duque’s home state.
Rosenfeld began playing with logos.
Then, they connected with Webb parent Tony Kan, who founded an artisan beef jerky company in Rancho Cucamonga in March 2020. They toured his factory and peppered him with questions.
After that, it was back to the kitchen to refine the recipe and ensure it could be mass produced.
“Rick and I played around quite a bit – trying different curing methods, curing ingredients and refining our product to where we were getting consistently strong feedback,” Rosenfeld said.
They developed two flavors – OG and Spicy.
“The OG is fresh,” Rosenfeld said. “We use a lot of seeds in it to get these pops of flavors. There’s a real brightness and real freshness. The Spicy has a sriracha element, a strong hint of garlic, some sweetness. There’s a gentle warmth that comes later, so you get the flavor first and then the warmth hits.”
Since both have full-time jobs, they’ve been working during breaks and on weekends. Now, the duo is almost ready to take it to the next level: forming their corporation, finding a manufacturer and planning sales. Hammered Jerky could be ready for market as soon as summer.
“I never understood why it took so long for people to get their stuff off the ground, and now I 100 percent understand why it takes people years,” Duque said.
Meanwhile, the students in Duque’s entrepreneurism class are benefiting.
“Now I’m in the thick of it,” Duque said. “It gives me more experience and a deeper understanding to share with the students.”
One of the main lessons?
“Keep hammering away, let’s figure it out. There are going to be setbacks,” he said. “Correction isn’t criticism.”
