Schools
Business academy's first nine boast expanded worldview

Students in Worthington's International Business Academy include (from left): Isaac Sanders, Max Oyer, Nick Trebonik, Wasim Soomro, Carly Cameron, Mary Frances Gardner, Brooke Barney and David Lichtenstein. Not pictured is Lisette Lichtenstein.
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By PAMELA WILLIS
Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 9:06 AM EST
Worthington's International Business Academy students' global education has been extensive in the three months since the new alternative school opened.

The International Business Academy opened within Worthington Kilbourne High School with nine students this fall, said teacher Susan Kucharek.

"They are an extraordinary group of kids," she said. "They are all risk-takers, as evidenced by how they jumped on board with this new venture," she said. "It is so refreshing to see students want to do things, even if it means on their own time. I can't wait to come to class to share what new opportunity has presented itself because I know the students are going to be just as excited as I am. In just three months, I have seen each and every student grow as an individual, and watched their confidence grow by the day."

Kucharek said the students recently finished their first course for dual enrollment credit: a computer keyboarding course worth three credits through Columbus State Community College. A second, more advanced course could result in three more credits.

A Japanese delegation from Sayama, Japan, Worthington's sister city, which included Yukinari Nakagawa, the mayor of Sayama, met with the academy's students during the delegation's Oct. 10 visit to Worthington.

"The experience emphasized the importance of being able to communicate with people from other countries and helped students really understand the term global economy and to see how things that happen in one country really do affect everyone," Kucharek said. "This visit came right after the banking crisis and plummet of the stock market, so this was obviously an issue both sides wanted to talk about."

The students also participated in the Columbus Chinese School's Moon Festival and the Columbus Japanese Language School's Fall Festival and are communicating with high school students from Milan, Italy, and a former Worthington student who is in India.

"Next year, we will match the academy students with a business mentor, who will be with them through their senior year," Kucharek said. "In their junior year, students will complete a 45-hour internship at local businesses and during their senior year will complete long-term projects at local businesses."

Academy students also will host a group of students from China and participate in the Chinese school's New Year celebration and the Japanese school's open house.

"Before the end of the year, we hope to schedule a videoconference with the students from Italy so they can actually meet each other," Kucharek said. "The students are also in the planning stages of organizing a schoolwide International Day celebration."

Academy student Lisette Lichtenstein said she didn't know what to expect for her first year.

"I was pleasantly surprised when we started participating in activities right off the bat," she said. "Some of my favorites have been exploring other cultures, such as Japan, China and Italy. I also like the fact that students get to run the IBA meetings."

Max Oyer called the business academy "a really cool experience.

"I've already had the chance to meet delegates from Japan and go on trips to businesses like Polaris Mall and the Marysville Honda plant," he said. "The international part of IBA appealed to me because there is no doubt ... it is necessary that we get used to being in contact and relating to other countries and cultures -- something that the academy has so far shown to take pride in and I very much enjoy."

Brooke Barney said the academy is better than she imagined it to be.

"We have been able to do so many wonderful things," she said. "We've met with different people from the U.S. and other countries, including the Japanese delegation. I wanted to attend IBA because it seemed like a good chance to learn valuable business skills and I liked the idea we were earning college credits."

Mary Frances Gardner said, "I think the academy is great. It has created many opportunities and experiences that will help me greatly in the future during college and future jobs, and I like that we get to actually apply what we learn to real-world situations."

Kim Trebonik, parent to freshman Nick Trebonik, said she encouraged her son to attend the academy.

"I thought it would be an exceptional opportunity for him to be a part of a program that expands academic and multicultural experiences," she said. "These leadership experiences and multicultural connections provide an advantage for college and beyond. What I find amazing is, in just a short amount of time, (Nick's) global worldview has changed. He now has an interest in world events and will even sit down and watch the news with us, which just this summer would have seemed unusual."

Teachers involved in the planning of the International Business Academy include Dave Miller, Andi Prince, Juli Rowsey, Kristy Smith, Maureen Mugavin, Jenell Hebert and Kucharek.

"I think the academy is great ... I like that we get to actually apply what we learn to real-world situations."

--Mary Frances Gardner




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