Business students selected for John D. Beeghly Fellows Program

Youngstown State University’s Williamson College of Business Administration announced the selection of Steven Boschert, Jakob Peters, Dylan Brown, Rebecca Catlos, Kelli Huffman and Kalyn Sweeney for the John D. Beeghly Fellows for the 2023 Fall Semester.

Fall 2023 Beeghly Fellows
(L-R) Back - Dylan Brown, Steven Boschert, Rebecca Catlos, Jakob Peters; Front - Kelli Huffman, Kalyn Sweeney, Beeghly Fellows for Fall 2023

The John D. Beeghly Fellows program provides students with a paid fellowship working with the Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at YSU. Through projects such as marketing research; preparation of financial statements; export readiness studies; country research; business plan development; cash flow analysis; and sales forecasts, students gain valuable career-related work experience and can position themselves to be competitive in the job market upon graduation.

The SBDC received a best practice for their service delivery model which integrates the Beeghly Fellows into SBDC services. The American Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) accreditation team praised the model, stating, “This model should be an example to other university based SBDCs for integrating educational, community and economic development services.”

The John D. Beeghly Fellows program is made possible by an endowment established at the YSU Foundation by Beeghly’s wife and children.

John David Beeghly was a lifelong resident and businessman in Youngstown, Ohio and the son of area industrialist and philanthropist, Leon A. Beeghly. From 1967 until his death, Beeghly served as vice president and director of Standard Slag Co. and Stancorp Inc., a holding company for industrial businesses.

“The generous gift made by the John D. Beeghly Family is an important investment in our business students. The gift provides our students with career-related experiences in regional businesses, so it is a collaborative ‘win-win’ for both the WCBA students and the Mahoning Valley,” explained Kelly L. Wilkinson, Dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration.

STUDENTS:
Steven Boschert, Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Finance major graduating in Fall 2024. Boschert plans to enter the dynamic and challenging arena of the aerospace and defense industry.

Rebecca Catlos, New Middletown, Ohio is a double major in Marketing and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship graduating in Spring 2024. Catlos plans to obtain her master’s degree in Government Contracting and Procurement, aspiring to be a contracting officer for the military.

Kelli Huffman, New Castle, Pennsylvania is a Finance major graduating in Spring 2024. Huffman plans to start as an account manager in Cranberry, Pennsylvania after graduation in May.

Jakob Peters, Boardman, Ohio is an Economics major with a minor in International Business, expecting to graduate in December 2023. Peters plans on obtaining his master’s degree in Economics, aspiring to be an economist or establish a career in international trade.

Dylan Brown, Youngstown, Ohio is a Finance major with a minor in Entrepreneurship graduating in Spring 2024. Brown plans to pursue graduate school for an MBA. After graduation, Brown plans to work in the finance industry as a financial manager.

Kalyn Sweeney, Kennerdell, Pennsylvania, is a Finance major with a minor in Marketing. Graduating in Spring 2024, Sweeney plans to obtain her MBA and establish a career in wealth management.