Many new changes are coming to the Freedom Fortune 500 class. This past year, Ms. Kristen Milanovich resigned and Mr. Jesse Gagich took over the class. Gagich used to be in charge of the elementary school’s technology section but took over the role as the new Fortune 500 teacher. 

Fortune 500 is a class where select sophomores and any students in grades 11-12 learn about different forms of technology and how to make T-shirts. The class fulfills many custom T-shirt orders for the school, including powderpuff football shirts, Cafe 116 shirts and Fall Fest shirts. Throughout the year, students make designs and print them onto T-shirts. 

This year, the class switched the business from paper based accounting to a completely online system. With that change, everything customers buy will be online and shipped out to them. After just a few months into the school year, the students have sold about 120 T-shirts. Many customers buy multiple shirts, and they have just shipped out their 25th order as of BLANK. The main goal for this year is to have the students start from the beginning and make a project to the final product. Students will start from complete scratch and will work until they have their design ready to be put on a T-shirt. They will finally heat-press their vinyl design on and have the finished product. 

“I am looking forward to learning and becoming better at crafting. I know how to use a circut and some design softwares, but do not know how to use them all. I am excited to see how different vinyl machines work and learn different techniques used to make shirts. I am also excited to become better at creating my own designs and showing creativity through my projects,” junior Katrina Adams said. 

This year the students are facing multiple changes, but Gagich is very excited to watch the students improve. The main reason Gagich took the job as the Fortune 500 teacher is to watch the students grow in a class that makes them happy, and where they can create a piece of something they enjoy making. 

“My favorite part so far is watching the students make stuff they designed,” Gagich said. 

Although more changes are coming, the students are also facing challenges of T-shirts getting put on hold or having a limited supply due to COVID-19. Students are not letting these issues get to them. 

This year’s officers are seniors Braeden Geibel and Olivia Evans. They will lead the new students into making perfect T-shirts this year. After two unusual years, the students hope to bounce back and make the class fun again, even if it is with masks. 

“I like how Mr. Gagich, the new teacher, is letting everyone learn the process of shirt making, not just one person like prior years,” Evans said.