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Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Library Services Dan Suvak made sure that the students have access to exceptional business and financial databases. “These are incredibly powerful tools. They can look up any publicly traded company and in a few clicks see years’ worth of financial and historical data as well as market and competitor information,” said Suvak.
“These students will have the confidence to know they can do the kind of insightful analysis that will allow them to make good recommendations. They will be able to find the growth rate so they can forecast by using the skills they have been taught in class. They can use these skills in their eventual career or simply to be a wise personal
Enhancing Entrepreneurial Skills with Experiential Learning Projects
“I wasn’t just sitting inside an office and crunching numbers, but going out in the field, into the community, and working with real people with real needs,” Senior Ben Clossin
When it comes to preparing future business leaders and entrepreneurs, faculty and administration from the DeVille School of Business understand that not all lessons can be taught in a classroom. With that in mind, courses such as Management and Organizational Behavior require students to complete an experiential learning project. Each project is designed to enrich academic instruction with an opportunity to work with seasoned business professionals so that students may apply their classroom knowledge to actual business situations. For senior Benjamin Clossin, the experience was life altering. As a business management student, Clossin’s experiential learning project combined his interest in banking with his desire to help others. For two days in November, Clossin volunteered with the 4
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The DeVille School of Business News
Fifth Third Bank eBus, a 40-foot self-contained resource center that includes ten on-board computer workstations and full internet connectivity. The eBus partners with government and non-profit agencies to bring information and resources about homeownership, financial literacy and job resources to communities that have the greatest need. A former Fifth Third Bank intern, Clossin worked with employee volunteers to provide job training resources and credit counseling to those in need at two Adult Education Centers in downtown Detroit. “It was a great opportunity for me to experience a different aspect of banking. I wasn’t just sitting inside an office and crunching numbers, but going out in the field, into the community, and working with real people with real needs,” said Clossin. “I was also able to learn more about Fifth Third Bank in general, especially about the culture of the company and what it values as an organization.” Seniors Jennifer Epling and Elizabeth Conn’s experiential learning project with the Cuyahoga County Correctional Facility also provided an opportunity to engage in service. For Epling, the experience was a continuation of the work of her sister and Walsh graduate, Lindsey Epling ’13.
investor who can avoid paying huge money management fees,” said May. If you would like to donate to the Student Managed Investment Portfolio Program, please contact Dean Carole Mount at cmount@walsh.edu or 330.490.7048.
We decided to take her project over but shifted the focus toward inmates transitioning back into society after their prison terms,” said Jennifer Epling. “Working with several probation officers, we were able to create a class schedule that included training on basic interview skills. We modeled our program after a university career center with resources specific to the needs of inmates.” The experience gave Elizabeth Conn an opportunity to combine her major in sociology and minor in marketing into one project. “Basically we were teaching inmates how to market themselves and prepare for life outside of prison,” said Conn. “We had to come up with an idea for a project and then make it happen utilizing our own creativity combined with networking and organizational skills. The bonus is that it is an opportunity to learn, while also giving something back to benefit the community.” Experiential learning projects have also helped to solidify the career and entrepreneurial goals for senior accounting major John Macabobby. After volunteering to prepare tax returns during the VITA Tax Clinic, Macabobby realized he had a passion for tax law, something he plans to pursue through law school.
“For students like Macabobby in the DeVille School of Business, the lessons learned inside and outside of the classroom will prove invaluable to their future entrepreneurial dreams. “I always knew I wanted to open my own business someday,” said Macabob“My sister was doing a similar project for by. “But if it wasn’t for experiences like this, class last spring that focused on the financial I wouldn’t even know where to begin. But aspects of running private and public prisons. now, I can’t wait to get started.”
Fith Thrid eBus