By Joslyn DelSignore / The Jambar
Five Williamson College of Business Administration students have been selected to participate in the John D. Beeghly Fellows program, which provides students and regional businesses with professional growth opportunities.
Picked through a competitive selection process, the students include:
- Aaron Lesner, junior business administration major
- Jan Harter, senior business analytics and economics major
- James Slessor, senior supply chain management major
- Tanishka Agnihotri, junior finance major
- Moritz Bayer, senior finance major
Christina Saenger, interim dean of WCBA, stated students are selected based on analytical skills, clear written communication, reliability and professional judgement, curiosity and coachability and a service mindset.
“The John D. Beeghly Fellows Program is a paid, applied-learning fellowship that connects WCBA students directly to real client work through three partner teams housed at Youngstown State [University]: the Ohio Small Business Development Center, the Ohio SBDC Export Assistance Network, and the Ohio APEX Accelerator,” Saenger stated.
Beeghly Fellows support regional companies through various projects regarding research, marketing and finances.
“This model yields meaningful work that helps businesses make decisions, and it gives students the chance to build professional capabilities while they are still in an environment designed for learning and coaching,” Saenger stated.
Businesses benefit from working with Beeghly Fellows from Fellows contributing research to support growth.
Saenger stated that from 2021-25, the Program has supported over 200 clients and contributed more than 4,000 hours of business consulting support.
This program differs from a traditional internship. Instead of being tied to one company, Saenger stated fellows contribute to many projects across many businesses.
Saenger stated she sees students grow professionally and gain more confidence in the program.
“When a student realizes their analysis helped a local business decide whether to expand, pursue exporting or improve cash flow planning, it shows them their ability to make an impact,” Saenger stated.
Saenger stated the fellows program is hoping to deepen and expand in the future for students and the region, continuing to build decision-making. She also gives much of the program’s credit to the Beeghly family.
“This program exists because of the generosity and vision of the Beeghly family, and we do not take that investment lightly. It is helping our students build meaningful careers, and it is strengthening the economic vitality of our region,” Saenger stated.