It was a shy girl who decided to brave the stage for the talent show. She looked nervous and uneasy and forgot one of the lines for the song. Instead of sitting in awkward silence or booing, the students in the audience began cheering her on, yelling “you can do it.”

“They gave her a standing ovation, they rallied around her,” said Michell Marshall, recalling one of her favorite memories from Washington Business Week.

In the continuing wake of a poor economy, high school students face a potentially rough road on their journey to a profitable and fulfilling career.

Washington Business Week aims to help students prepare for the challenges and opportunities of life after high school, like how to manage money, networking, and business ethics. Organizers describe the event as a crash course that offers a simulated “corporate” environment.

The program is offered at several college campuses across the state at various times throughout the summer.

Marshall, president of the Orcas Chamber of Commerce and owner of Office Cupboard, said she and her husband sponsor a student every year. She has also served as an advisor, on the board and as chair for business week.

When she initially started working with the program, she was nervous about relating to teenagers, but found the kids to be creative risk-takers who stepped up to the plate and learned from the experience.

Students from all around the state attend the week of workshops and seminars held in the summer. During the seven days, students join a “company,” and with the help of a mentor from the business community, they will develop a marketing strategy and go through a digital simulation of different scenarios. At the end of the week, each “company” competes in a Trade Show and makes a Stockholder’s Presentation.

“It provides exposure to other students in other parts of the state and allows students to participate in the real world of running a business,” said Orcas  School Superintendent Barbara Kline. “It provides exposure to ideas and possibilities.”

Garett Pietsch, a junior at Orcas Island High School, who attended business week last year, said his favorite aspect was meeting “new people from Washington, people who I would have otherwise never met.”

Over the week, he learned that starting a business and keeping it running is hard work.

“We (my business week group and I) completed a business simulation, in which we started a business and had to manage its everyday activity and long-term finances,” Pietsch said. “Though our group did not experience all the hardships of a real business, we experienced enough to gain a perspective on how a business works. The business simulation also gave me a respect for people who start their own business from the ground up.”

He said he would recommend business week for other students because it’s “a fun experience and you get to learn something while you’re at it.”

Kline said one or two students, usually heading into their junior or senior year, have attended the event over the last couple of years, thanks to the support of chamber of commerce members who have sponsored attendees. The registration fee of $450 covers a week’s stay at a college dorm, meals, materials and entertainment.

“This experience is so valuable,” Kline said. “Students may not always realize it, but they are very lucky to live in a place with so much support from the community.”

Marshall said for many students it’s their first time away from home, and they have to join a team of 12 to 14 teenagers they don’t know and learn to work together.

“They have to learn to get along just like a business in real life,” Marshall said. “And they have to make tough decisions. It’s a time of learning and a life-changing experience.”

Haley Paulson, a 2011 graduate from Orcas Island High School, told Marshall that at business week she ran for the position of chief financial officer of her company.

“She said, she had to take a deep breath and become a leader,” said Marshall. “And she did.”

Marshall urges students to choose a campus that is not close to home.

“Let the kids go into a different environment,” said Marshall. “And figure things out on their own.”

For more info, visit www.wbw.org, call 1-800-686-6442 or call the chamber at 376-2273.