Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program Events
Fall 2023
The Young Executive Scholars Celebrate the Holidays with New Backpacks
The Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program, in a festive gathering on December 12, celebrated the holiday season at the Jones Leadership Academy of Business. The event featured a catered lunch from City BBQ, complemented by homemade desserts courtesy of the program's director, Craig Turner.
A highlight of the event was the presentation of custom-made ‘Young Executive Scholars’ backpacks to the students, a surprise that was met with overwhelming excitement. These backpacks, symbolizing both achievement and responsibility, are intended to inspire the students to serve as exemplars to their peers.
The celebration was graced by notable guests from The University of Toledo, including Dr. Dilip Das, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Ms. Valerie Walston, Special Advisor to the President for Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships. Mr. Brent Cousino, a UToledo alumnus and retired partner from Plante Moran, also attended, demonstrating his ongoing support for the Y.E.S. Program.
In a gesture extending the program's reach, Y.E.S. alumni who are currently enrolled at The University of Toledo were also offered these commemorative backpacks. Among the first to receive them were first-year students Laila Fitzpatrick and Christen Edwards (shown above), with several more alumni expected to visit the Business Career Programs Office to claim theirs.
This event not only celebrated the holiday season but also reinforced the Y.E.S. Program's commitment to fostering leadership and academic excellence among its participants.
Y.E.S. Kicks Off 2023
The University of Toledo John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation's Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program recently launched the new school year with an event on Tuesday, September 12. The event, attended by both returning and new students, set the stage for an exciting year ahead. With a diverse group of 33 students spanning grades 9 to 12 from Toledo Public School District's Jones Leadership Academy of Business, the Y.E.S. Program aims to open doors and shape the future for the next generation of business leaders.
Building Better Schools: high School Accounting Internship (7/11/23)
Check out this amazing story from 13abc featuring talented high school students participating in the CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)'s innovative High School Accounting Summer Internship!
These students are getting a head start on their accounting careers, gaining valuable skills and hands-on experience at such a young age. Notably, one of the participants is a proud member of UToledo's Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S. Program), showcasing the power of collaboration between educational institutions and businesses.
Spring 2023
The Final Splash: Y.E.S. Program takes on the UToledo Rec Center (5/2/23)
On May 2, the Young Executive Scholars paid a final visit to The University of Toledo campus for the 2022-23 academic year with a trip to the Rec Center. Students had a blast, participating in basketball, volleyball, rockwall climbing, swimming and more. The day concluded with a networking lunch in the Maple Room, where they had the opportunity to connect with faculty and staff members who joined them. It was a fun-filled day to cap off the year, leaving a strong sense of anticipation for the exciting events ahead in the next school year.
Building Bright Futures: Y.E.S. Program Gains Valuable Insights Into Business and Career Paths (4/26/23)
The Owens Corning World Headquarters hosted over 30 high school students from the Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program, aimed at cultivating the academic potential of these underrepresented students. The visit included a tour of the building, career guidance and a mini job fair.
Fall 2022
Y.E.S. Donor Joins Students to Share Life Lessons, Enjoy a Meal (12/12/22)
The Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program culminated its 2022 curriculum with a breakfast sendoff at the Jones Leadership Academy of Business (JLAB) on Monday, Dec. 12.
Here, roughly 30 student participants had the opportunity to meet and hear from alumnus, donor and supporter of the program, Chuck Knabusch and his wife Maryann, as well as enjoy breakfast catered by Chick-fil-A.
Y.E.S. Program Explores the World of Accounting, Visits Local Firm (11/15/22)
The Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) from The Jones Leadership Academy of Business (JLAB) visited a Toledo accounting firm, Gilmore Jasion Mahler (GJM), on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
The Y.E.S. students’ time at GJM was spent learning about the firm, various career paths in the accounting field and how accountants investigate fraud and solve problems.
The students also participated in an accounting Jeopardy competition and a simulation project, where each student applied critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills to determine the culprit in a mock fraudulent case.
Young Executive Scholars Kick off the fall '22 semester (9/26/22)
The Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program successfully kicked off its fall semester activities in partnership with Toledo Public School’s Jones Leadership Academy of Business (JLAB).
Thirty-five students from the Jones Leadership Academy are part of a cohort of participants in the Y.E.S. Program, which is run through the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation and led by Craig Turner, director of the Y.E.S. Program.
The University of Toledo’s Y.E.S. Program was established in 2017 to help cultivate the academic potential of underrepresented students, preparing them for success in higher education.
During the event, Dr. Dilip Das, UToledo’s assistant vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs, shared a story chronicling a struggling student and the importance of asking for help and taking advantage of the resources provided.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who came out and supported the Y.E.S. Kickoff Breakfast. It was a huge success,” said Turner.
“The students were incredibly engaged from start to finish, and the messages from our speakers resonated with the group.”
Russell Chapman, a junior in the Neff College of Business studying accounting and a former JLAB student, discussed college preparation and echoed Dr. Das’ emphasis on asking for help and taking advantage of university support systems.
Turner, who is also specializes in career guidance and employer relations within the Neff College of Business and Innovation’s Business Career Programs Office, provided the Y.E.S. students with the foundations of job searching.
The Y.E.S. students will be on the UToledo campus on Thursday, September 29 to attend the Neff College of Business and Innovation’s Fall Job Fair.
They will meet with employers and gain valuable experience in conducting themselves in a professional networking setting.
Barbara Brotzki, associate lecturer in the UToledo Management department, gave the students an in-depth breakdown of an organizational structure and the various departments.
She also explained the keys to professional dress, outlined the perfect elevator pitch and how the students can confidently sell themselves to future employers.
“What a great way to spend the morning, said Christine Maseman, counselor at the Jones Leadership Academy of Business.
“The presenters were powerful and had the attention of our students.”
Spring 2022
Young Executive Scholars visit the UToledo Rec Center (5/13/22)
The Young Executive Scholars from the Jones Leadership Academy of Business visited The University of Toledo's Recreation Center on May 13 to learn its history, investigate the eight components of wellness and enjoy the various physical activities that the facility provides.
Wellness is comprised of eight mutually co-dependent dimensions: emotional, physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental and financial. The students reflected on questions such as "when something is going wrong in your life, which of the eight components is being affected the most?" And furthermore, "how does this affect the other seven components?"
Lauren Albert, graduate assistant of fitness at the UToledo Rec Center, led the workshop on the eight components of wellness. When asked what key takeaway she wanted the students to leave with, she said "when we think about high school students, they're going through such a hard phase of life and I think that it is really easy to get caught up in academics, social activities or how do I get to the next stage in life? The goal today was to show them that your body and your mind, your soul and your spirit, all come together in order to make you the best person you can be."
In addition to the brainstorming activities, the Y.E.S. students also took advantage of the Rec Center's basketball and volleyball courts, as well as air hockey equipment.
To conclude the function, students and staff enjoyed a meal catered by the university.
Y.E.S. Welcomes New cohort (4/29/22)
Young Executive Scholars Director, Craig Turner, visited the Jones Leadership Academy of Business to welcome a new group of students into the Y.E.S. Program.
Turner met with 20 potential new participants consisting of freshmen and sophomores. He provided them with an overview of the program, let them know about the expectations of being in the group and shared some potential workshops and plans such as:
- Leadership
- College Readiness
- Career Development
- Time Management
- Health and Wellness
- Tutoring
- Financial Literacy
- UToledo Campus and Corporate Site Visits
Y.E.S. Joins the Job Fair (2/22/22)
Students from the Jones Leadership Academy of Business (JLAB) and UToledo’s Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program attended the Neff College of Business and Innovation's Spring Job Fair on Feb. 22, 2022 in the UToledo Savage Arena.
Approximately 26 JLAB students, along with their principal and school counselor, came to do a walkthrough of the event. This opportunity allowed them first-time exposure to a college career fair. The students were able to meet employers, gain helpful career advice and experience first-hand the power of networking.
Over 80 employers attended, including 3M, Dana, Owens Corning, ProMedica, Marathon, Savage and Associates and Welltower.
Career Prep Workshop (2/17/22)
Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Director, Craig Turner, visited the Jones Leadership Academy of Business to conduct a Career Readiness Mini-Workshop on February 17, 2022. The goal was to prepare the students for their visit to the UToledo John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation's Spring Job Fair later that week on February 22.
The students were thrilled to come back to campus and this session helped prepare them for what they could expect at a college job fair.
Mr. Turner took a deep dive into the following topics with the Y.E.S. students:
- Elevator Pitch
- Preparation and research on employers the students planned to visit
- Dress for success
- Resumes/business cards
- Connecting with employers/elevator pitch
- Engaging with employers through asking appropriate questions
- Follow up and thank employers via email whom they met at the job fair
Bloomberg Lab opens at The Jones Leadership Academy Of Business (2/15/22)
The Jones Leadership Academy of Business (JLAB) has been outfitted with a brand-new Bloomberg Lab Terminal.
The Bloomberg Terminals deliver coverage of markets and securities with information across asset classes — from fixed income to equities, to foreign exchange, commodities and derivatives — integrated in one place and delivered in real-time.
Toledo Public Schools also partnered with The University of Toledo and the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation to gain the knowledge and skills to effectively use the Bloomberg Terminals. Faculty members from the College came out to JLAB to train instructors and students on how to use and analyze the software and data provided by the terminals.
Each of the dozen units within the JLAB terminal costs $25,000. Of all of the other urban districts in the U.S. to apply for this type of investment, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the only one outside of the Jones Leadership Academy of Business to receive it.
The ultimate goal of the Bloomberg Terminal is to provide junior high and high schoolers with hands-on experience as they explore real-world business practices and interact with a direct line to the worldwide economic system. They can also gain certifications for careers in banking.
Fall 2021
D.I.S.C. Assessment at the Jones leadership academy of Business (12/9/21)
During this session on Dec. 9, the Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) students participated in a D.I.S.C. personality assessment at the Jones Leadership Academy of Business. Each student completed a short questionnaire and the group subsequently discussed the results.
D.I.S.C stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness.
One of these four was their primary trait but all people are a combination of each. This exercise helped to give the young high school students an insight into their own personalities, while also learning about their peers and how they interact with each other.
Dr. Sammy Spann, UToledo's interim senior associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, paid a visit and provided lunch for the participants. He also shared some of his background of almost 20 years of experience at The University of Toledo. Dr. Spann discussed the life-changing resources and opportunities available to the students at UToledo, such as the Study Abroad Program, mentorship, student fraternities and sororities and other campus organizations.
Neff College of Business and Innovation Hosts High School Students from UToledo Y.E.S. Program (11/12/21)
The John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation recently hosted a group of 27 high school students from the Jones Leadership Academy of Business as part of The University of Toledo’s Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program.
During the event, the Y.E.S. students experienced the College’s action learning labs throughout the Savage and Associates Business Complex on Main Campus.
2021 Y.E.S. Program Kickoff Event at the Jones Leadership Academy of Business (10/26/21)
The Young Executive Scholars (Y.E.S.) Program at The University of Toledo's John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation held its 2021 Kickoff Event with the Jones Leadership Academy of Business (JLAB) in Toledo on October 26. The Neff College of Business and Innovation is partnering with JLAB to help break the cycle of generational poverty. Participation in this program is life-changing. Breaking down barriers for students of color, this program connects local students to UToledo and the Neff College of Business and Innovation. Participants gain access to academic and career opportunities thanks to Y.E.S.
For additional information, please contact:
Craig A. Turner, M.Ed.Director, Y.E.S. Program
Craig.Turner@utoledo.edu
419-530-5344