By Tyler Dahlgren

The shelf was sparsely stocked, at first. A couple Valentine Badger T-shirts, maybe a hoodie and a stocking cap here and there, but not much more than that.

This was 2020, the dawn of the pandemic, and that bare shelf was the beginning of something special. The beginning of The Badger Den. 

Earlier that year, high school teachers Alana Cardinal and Jennie Manning (now the school’s counselor) teamed up to revive FBLA in Valentine. The chapter had flamed out over the years, and they wanted to bring it back. They did so, in a big way.

“We had some time during Covid, so we started thinking about a fundraiser to help build our Valentine FBLA chapter,” Cardinal said. “We wanted a store.”

Seven years later, that’s exactly what they’ve got. Heart City’s headquarters for Badger gear is a full-fledged retail store that pulls in about $30,000 of annual sales. It’s open to the public, student-run, and a hit with the community. In other words, a smashing success.

“Us being a small town, there’s not very many places to shop,” said senior River Doyle, who joined FBLA her sophomore year. “When people choose to support The Badger Den, they’re choosing to support us students. It strengthens the community and lets us make more connections. It’s just really neat.”

The store gets especially busy during athletic events. There’s a lot of traffic before football and volleyball games for example, and the store has really carved out its place in the community.

“If there’s a community event and we can be there, we’re there,” Cardinal said. “Black Friday, stuff like that. Whenever there’s something going on down on Main Street, we’ll set up there. We kind of jump at those opportunities.”

There’s a lot of moving parts, several cogs in the machine.

“It takes a lot of people, and everybody kind of has their own specialized role when it comes to the store,” said senior Josie Shaul, a four-year FBLA member. “We have a few guys who will help build us carts and do more of the technical stuff. I took a marketing class last year and helped design some of the shirts and promoted the store online. And there’s other people who choose what kind of gear we want. It’s kind of a full circle.”

Cardinal estimates that about a quarter of the inventory is designed by students. The store is fully-stocked with every kind of apparel you could imagine, from big and tall to babies and toddlers.

“From the beginning of fall through Christmas, our sales really rock,” said Cardinal. “When you have great sales, it’s almost like an adrenaline pump. When you can find something for someone, something they’re really going to love, that’s always pretty cool for the kids.”

It helps to have great salesmen, too. 

Doyle said that FBLA, among all the other things she’s involved with, has taught her the importance of life skills. Communication, collaboration, time management, they’re all vital in The Badger Den.

“Working in here has helped me a lot with my customer service skills,” Doyle said. “Having the chance to meet people from all over the country at FBLA competitions has exposed me to some really talented people. It’s inspiring to see what people our age are capable of doing, and it makes you say, ‘Oh, I could do that too.’”

FBLA is a unique, multi-faceted endeavor, said Shaul, different from athletics and other student organizations.

“We’re learning professional development skills that we’re going to use in everyday life,” she said. “FBLA has opened a ton of doors for me. I don’t know if I want to go into business one day, but the store has definitely given me a better outlook on what it takes to run a business, which is an important perspective to have. It’s helped us all become more well-rounded.”

The school was able to install a Clover payment processing system thanks to a Perkins Grant, giving the students another extra dose of real-world experience. Like the store, they’re flourishing. And they’re learning more than they even realize, said Cardinal.

“Little things like folding clothes, paying attention to details, making sure products are in size order,” Cardinal said. “They seem really small, but they’re not. It’s an introduction to what their future holds and the opportunities they’re going to have. It’s real-world experience, and they’re taking advantage of it.”

Revenue is reinvested into opportunities for students. Students travel to the Nebraska FBLA State Leadership Conference in Kearney and the national conferences too. Last year, the chapter was invited to the Nebraska Career Education (NCE) Conference and to present to the Nebraska Entrepreneurship Group. They love to tell The Badger Den’s story.

“It’s been neat to share what we’re doing and to see that we’re doing as much in sales as some of the biggest schools in the state,” said Cardinal.

Shaul sees The Badger Den as a hub for a community that fiercely supports its Badgers. 

“We really listen and value their input,” she continued. “It’s really a community effort, and Mrs. Cardinal is the one who ties it all together. She’s always helping and supporting us. She tells us what to do, and we go do it.”

The Badger Den is a source of pride for the students who bring it to life. There’s nothing better than a bustling store, be it before a big basketball game or during their “Winter Fest” holiday sale. Their pride grows with each sale.

“Just because we’re a small school doesn’t mean that we don’t have those same opportunities and unique programs,” said Doyle. “We’re really proud of what we’ve got here.”