Business High School Scholars Complete First Courses

The inaugural cohort of high school students completed their first college course in business as participants in the Business High School Scholars Program.

The first cohort of students in new Business High School Scholars pilot program with their professors and members of Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board. Seated, from left, University of Scranton accounting professors Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D., Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., and James Boyle, D.B.A.; Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; and Tracy Bannon, University Trustee and member of the Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board. Standing: Peter Butera, Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board; Rev. Patrick D. Francis Rogers, S.J., executive director of The Jesuit Center; and Business High School Scholars pilot program participants: Christopher Newell, Madison Green, Marisol Olivares Hernandez, Martin Cryan, Kylie Seyler, Emily Herron, Alyssa Moore, Mallory deQuevedo, Emma Boyle, Madison Munley, Lauramarie Strage, Randall Bonitz, Charles Leo, Joseph Kologe and Mackenzie McHale. 
The first cohort of students in new Business High School Scholars pilot program with their professors and members of Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board. Seated, from left, University of Scranton accounting professors Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D., Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., and James Boyle, D.B.A.; Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; and Tracy Bannon, University Trustee and member of the Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board. Standing: Peter Butera, Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board; Rev. Patrick D. Francis Rogers, S.J., executive director of The Jesuit Center; and Business High School Scholars pilot program participants: Christopher Newell, Madison Green, Marisol Olivares Hernandez, Martin Cryan, Kylie Seyler, Emily Herron, Alyssa Moore, Mallory deQuevedo, Emma Boyle, Madison Munley, Lauramarie Strage, Randall Bonitz, Charles Leo, Joseph Kologe and Mackenzie McHale. 

The inaugural cohort of 19 high school students completed their first college course in business as participants in the Business High School Scholars Program, which began as a pilot program during the summer of 2018. 

Similar to the University’s established High School Scholars Program, the pilot program is intended to allow high school students meeting academic requirements to take college courses at a reduced rate. In addition, the Business High School Scholars Program seeks to group sophomore and junior high school students interested in pursuing a business degree at Scranton into a cohort and provides additional financial support to participants from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Marisol Olivares Hernandez, first in her family to complete a college course, was among the first cohort of participants. A bilingual, high honor student, active in several high school clubs, Olivares Hernandez said she was initially intimidated at the prospect of taking a college class but has overcome her fears and gained confidence in her abilities.

Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A. ’88, associate professor, director of the Doctor of Business Administration Program and Accounting Department chair, is leading the new program with support of accounting professors James Boyle, D.B.A. ’86 and Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D. ’81. S.P. Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department, has also joined them. They teach additional classes specifically for the high school students and donate their compensation from these courses to provide scholarship support tho from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Courses outside of business are taught by Rev. Patrick D. Francis Rogers, S.J., executive director of The Jesuit Center, and Rev. Rick Malloy, S.J., Ph.D., University chaplain.

The Business High School Scholars program is generously supported by Willary Foundation and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation of Proctor & Gamble. Additional support is being provided by the Jesuit Center, University Advancement, Finance, Administration and alumni donors who started the Boyle Mahoney Scholarship Fund. A Business High School Scholars Alumni Advisory Board was also formed in support of the program and includes Harry W. Zike ’76, chief financial officer of Chinook Sciences, Edward J. Steinmetz Jr. ’81, senior vice president for Finance and Administration at Scranton, Peter Butera ’83, senior vice president of wealth management at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, and Tracy Bannon ’84, assistant director of development at St. Joseph’s Center and University Trustee.

“Local alumni are grateful for the education they received at the University and are motivated to pass that opportunity along to the next generation,” said Bannon. “This program gives local students the opportunity to experience the unique attributes of a Jesuit education while they are still in high school and just beginning the college search process.”

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