Business students selected for John D. Beeghly Fellows program
Rebecca Catlos, Steven Boschert and Zachary Clark, students from the Williamson College of Business Administration, were selected as the John D. Beeghly Fellows for the 2024 Spring Semester.
The John D. Beeghly Fellows program provides students with a paid fellowship working with the Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Export Assistance Network (SBDC EAN) and the APEX Accelerator at Youngstown State University. Projects include domestic and international market research, financial modeling, export readiness studies, business viability analysis, cash flow projections, sales forecasting, marketing & social media strategies, research on government contracting opportunities, marketing capability statements and outreach for government contracting efforts. Students gain valuable career-related work experience to competitively position themselves in the job market upon graduation.
The Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU received a best practice for their service delivery model that integrates the Beeghly Fellows into SBDC services. The ASBDC Accreditation team visiting Ohio, stated that the 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 John D. Beeghly’s wife and children.
Beeghly was a lifelong resident and businessman in Youngstown, Ohio, and 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,” said Kelly L. Wilkinson, dean for the WCBA.
Steven Boschert, a Finance major graduating in Fall 2024, is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Boschert wants to establish a career in finance and hopes to work as a luminary in the dynamic and challenging arena of the aerospace and defense industry. The Beeghly Fellowship provided him with the opportunity to help small businesses achieve their goals, while continuing to collaborate with peers and counselors.
Rebecca Catlos is a double major in Marketing and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship, graduating in Spring of 2024. From New Middletown, Ohio, Catlos will work for JLC Services as their marketing director as well as attend Officer Training School for the Air National Guard. The Beeghly Fellowship has provided her the opportunity to experience the true entrepreneurial spirit of local business owners as well as aid businesses with government contracting needs.
Zachary Clark is a senior, graduating in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in General Studies with a focus in Management and Marketing, an associate’s degree in Business Administration and a minor in Sales. Clark, a Youngstown native, will spend his time when he graduates working and pursuing procurement. In his internship at the SBDC, he has gained many resources and real work experience in procurement and many connections to help him pursue procurement as his career.