With more and more pressure for high school students to choose a college major before graduation; thankfully there are more and more opportunities for them to explore a career before choosing a college. A local business, The Gilbertsville Farm, is opening up multiple opportunities for students to experience career paths while still in High School.
Rachel Trettin, a 31-year-old female entrepreneur began her career as a business owner at the young age of 18. After attending Boyertown Elementary and Daniel Boone Middle and High School, Trettin opened up a Hi-Tech Corn Maze business right after graduation. With the help of her parents, she was able to learn what a life as an entrepreneur was all about. She rented a farm in Pottstown for a five year lease before later opening The Gilbertsville Farm location on her parent’s farm.
When asked why she decided to partner with local high schools for their internship program, Trettin stated, “I was raised by parents who were always running a business. I saw first hand what life was like as a business owner and had a childhood that many don’t get to experience. I am so thankful I was able to try out many different career paths before graduating high school, thanks to my parents owning businesses such as; The Oley Turnpike Dairy, Corn Stalking USA (a corn maze business), a T-Shirt printing company and Heat4Less (a National Infrared Heater business) which is still open to this day.”
She continues, “I was able to be an ice cream scooper, work the restaurant industry, work with animals at the Oley Turnpike Dairy zoo and even take a try at being a saleswoman, selling heaters. I’m so grateful for the things each business venture gave me and want to give back to others. With the continued growth of my Hi-Tech Corn Maze business; I’m able to offer many, many different opportunities to the students.”
Some of the internship positions available at The Gilbertsville Farm are; marketing, office/secretary, landscaping, interior design, animal care, video and editing, photography, social media management, and events coordinator – to name a few.
Currently, there are two schools that have partnered with The Gilbertsville Farm to offer internships for their students. They are Daniel Boone and Boyertown Area High Schools.
The Gilbertsville Farm is widely known for the Hi-Tech Corn Maze which offers 1.5-2 hours of ‘corn-fusing’ fun! There is also a Barn Yard where guests can view sheep, goats, bunnies, chickens and miniature donkeys. The KidZone play area is well loved by families with younger children. Commercial bounce houses, tricycle track, tunnel slide, and other attractions offer families a fun-filled day.
During the Fall, Trettin hires a minimum of fifteen employees who assist with the operations of the maze and other fall activities. During the Spring and Summer, the farm is available for “rent” for many different events. For only $400, one can rent the farm for a three hour time slot with no maximum number of guests. Most people rent the farm for children’s birthday parties or family reunions in the Spring/Summer months.
As if owning a corn maze business wasn’t enough work, Trettin also assists her parents with managing their two businesses; Heat4Less and North Wynd Stable. Trettin and her Dad, Jeff, are also pursuing a career in filming a reality tv show about her lives as father-daughter entrepreneurs. Trettin and her dad, Jeff, have a great business relationship that will surely make viewers laugh.
With Trettin’s wide variety of experience, students will be sure to learn a lot. Liam Cherkasky, a student of Daniel Boone High School, has accepted an internship role at The Gilbertsville Farm; focusing on film and video editing.
Liam has created video content for all of the social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. “He is truly gifted. I’ve done video editing for the past two years as we pursue a career in reality tv. Liam has far exceeded my expectations. Not only is he incredibly quick, he is also incredibly talented. I told him that he isn’t allowed to look for a job after high school because I’d like to hire him” said Trettin about Liam’s experience.
Trettin continues, “The internship program has been incredibly insightful. There is so much to learn from the younger generation and I’m eager to learn from the students. They bring a different perspective to my business that I can not bring. I’m excited for future students to intern with me and for them to bring their fresh ideas to my business. So far, there are four interns signed up for the Fall of 2023!”
Students from Daniel Boone and Boyertown high schools are encouraged to speak with their guidance counselors if they are interested in internship programs with The Gilbertsville Farm. An application is available, which will help the school to arrange their class schedules for next school year to accommodate the internship.
For a full list of internship opportunities, request a detailed list via emailing TheGilbertsvilleFarm@yahoo.com.
