Orono - These students are sitting in the virtual seat of a CEO.

Chair, Bangor Region Junior Achievement, Karla Edney said "Students actually get involved in their class because they know they'll be able to come to this event. So the students really enjoy it and we love having them."

It's part of the Junior Achievement Titan Challenge, where high school students across Maine compete for the chance at a scholarship.

A Senior at Hermon High School, Gabrielle Bryant explained "It's not learning out of a textbook, you have to use real life experience, so it's definitely different.

Applying what they learned in accounting, economics, and business classes help students run their own virtual business.

"There's like six different factors that all play a part in giving you the best chance to get the most money and use the least credit that you can," said Shannon Graves, a Senior at Hermon High School.

Students pick their on products, how to market them, and what it will cost. Then, at the end of each round, one company comes out on top.

Graves said "It really helps you realize what you need to do to develop a business and to get your product out there."

Besides the challenge, students also get to hear from local business leaders.

"So it's a great day where they can really learn all that. Lots of different things about owning your own business, being an entrepreneur and hopefully, we'll spark some people to really do that," said Edney.

Hermon High School, Lawrence High School, Bangor Christian, and Erskine Academy all competed at the University of Maine Orono campus site on Wednesday.

The top score from that cluster went to Erskine Academy, who came in 3rd state-wide.

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