“𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒃𝒐𝒙 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚.” - Skip Sponeman

CEO had the pleasure of visiting Walmart Glen Carbon with Store Manager Skip Sponeman and Coach Wyatt Drewes this morning—and what an impactful visit it was!

One of our favorite takeaways from this visit was hearing that both Skip and Wyatt started their Walmart careers in entry-level positions as teenagers. Their journeys are a powerful reminder to our students of the long-term opportunities that can grow from showing up, working hard, and learning the business from the ground up.

While Walmart Glen Carbon is one of the largest businesses our students tour during the school year, it’s always inspiring to see how the same core principles that drive our local small businesses are also at the center of how Skip and Wyatt lead their store:

⭐️ Adapting for and anticipating the needs of your customer
⭐️ Understanding the impact of digital growth
⭐️ The importance of strong processes and communication
⭐️ Staying deeply connected to your COMMUNITY

As Skip shared so perfectly:

“It is not about being a big box store, it is about servicing your community.”

CEO is incredibly thankful to Skip and Wyatt for their continued support, transparency, and willingness to invest their time and insight into our students. We are also extremely grateful to Walmart Glen Carbon for their ongoing community support and repeat grants that help make these real-world learning experiences possible.

Thank you for supporting our students, our program, and our community—we truly value this partnership! 💙