Business Students Selected for Export Internship Program at YSU

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Twelve business students have been selected and will participate in the 2024 Ohio Export Internship Program in the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University.

Students selected for the program completed specialized coursework in exporting this spring semester and have been matched with an Ohio-based company for a full-time paid summer internship. Internship projects include export compliance, market research, market expansion and international business plans.

Created by the Ohio Department of Development, the Export Internship Program provides an opportunity for businesses interested in expanding their exporting activities. It is currently offered through YSU, The Ohio State University, Cleveland State University, the University of Dayton, Ohio University and Bowling Green State University.

WCBA has hosted the program for more than a decade, with more than 119 students completing the program. Twenty-three students have received full-time job offers, and 23 students have completed and passed the Certified Global Business Professional exam.

Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of hosting the program at YSU, the course was updated to include six badges that the students can earn after passing a test. The topics are covered in-depth over a few weeks and include export documentation, Incoterms 2020, duty drawback, international payment terms and export compliance. Students who pass all five main topics will receive the sixth badge, Mastery in Export-Global Supply Chain.

Mousa Kassis, director of the Export Assistance Network in the Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU, is the instructor for the Ohio Export Internship Program course.

This year’s participants from the YSU cohort that are in the internship track include:

• Taylor Aquisto of North Lima is pursuing a degree in business administration with a major in marketing. She is a member of the YSU Equestrian Club and works for a cooperative in Canfield. She hopes to pursue a career in marketing for the agriculture industry. Aquisto is matched with BrightPet Nutrition Group in Lisbon.

• Garrett D Bailey of Lisbon is a marketing major who works on campus at the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center as marketing staff and the Math Achievement Center as a media specialist. Bailey plans to continue in the field of marketing after graduating in 2026. He is matched with Rust Buster Frame Repair LLC in North Lima.

• Haley Beish of Boardman is a senior business economics major and a member of the Economics Club and the Economics Honor Society, Omicron Delta Epsilon. She has also conducted foreign research in both Costa Rica and Iceland and has hosted several foreign exchange students over the years. Upon graduation in December, she plans to attend law school, where she will study international business law. Beish is matched with Taylor-Winfield Technologies Inc. in Youngstown.

• Zachary Chesman of Allen, Texas, is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration, focusing on supply chain management. He is a member of the Sokolov Honors College and was also a member of the YSU swim team for two years. Chesman works as a supply chain intern at Fastenal in Youngstown. Upon graduation in December, he plans to obtain his master’s degree while working in a supply chain field career. Chesman is matched with Simona Boltaron Inc. in Newcomerstown.

• Naji Khoury of Boardman is pursuing a degree in finance and accounting. Khoury also runs a business, K’s Vending LLC, which provides vending solutions to local businesses in Youngstown and surrounding communities. He has management experience from previous employers in the restaurant industry, earning him a SERV Safe Designation. He is involved with the Student Investment Fund, which allowed him to represent YSU in both 2023 and 2024 at the Quinnipiac Global Asset Management Education Forum in New York. Khoury plans to combine his experience in management, global trade and finance to pursue a career in international trade and asset management. Khoury is matched with Humtown Pattern Co. in Columbiana.

• Kodi Kinsey of Wellsville is pursuing a business administration degree. She is a member of the women’s track and field team, as well as a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Upon graduation in May 2026, Kinsey plans to continue in the business management field. She is matched with Kirila Fire Training Facilities Inc. in Fowler.

• James Kover of Niles is a finance major, minoring in data analytics. He works at the YSU Excellence Training Center and serves as president of YSU’s Student Investment Fund. Upon graduation in May 2026, he plans to pursue a CFA charter to combine expertise in finance and international business to advise multinational corporations. Kover is matched with Mojonnier USA LLC in Streetsboro.

• Fatima Mohamed of Canonsburg, Pa., is pursuing a degree in international business. She is a member of PPAG and YSU Book Club. She plans to work in international business law. Mohamed is matched with Haltec Corp. in Leetonia.

• Prathiksha Madishetty Naidu is a graduate student at the University of Akron, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in business analytics with supply chain management. She’s interested in international business and works for the Institute of Global Business as a graduate student assistant. She is part of the university’s leadership team and graduate student government. Madishetty Naidu, originally from India, worked from 2021 to 2023 as a product support associate for a startup U.S. company. She is matched with Dover Chemical Corp. in Dover.

• David Shannon of Austintown is pursuing a degree in business administration. He works as a construction laborer in Akron. Upon graduation in May 2026, he plans to continue in the international business field. Shannon is matched with Molten Metal Equipment Innovations LLC in Middlefield.

• Emily Smith is pursuing a degree in marketing, along with two minors in music violin performance and Spanish. She has been involved in various organizations at YSU, including the Dana Symphony Orchestra her first two years, as well as having a limited proficiency in the Spanish language. After graduation, she plans to continue her studies at YSU to earn a master’s degree in marketing. Smith is matched with CBC Global in Columbiana.

• Brighid Wagner is from Staten Island, N.Y., and lives in Youngstown. She is pursuing a degree in financial management, with a minor in accounting. Wagner serves as the secretary for the Institute of Management Accountants Chapter at YSU and is a member of Beta Alpha Psi. She hopes to become a financial manager upon graduation and own and operate an event planning business. Wagner is matched with Altronic LLC in Girard.

Pictured at top: Back row, from left: Prathiksha Madishetty Naidu, David Shannon, Emily Smith, Konnor Clark (who took the class but is not participating in the internship), Taylor Aquisto, Brighid Wagner, Fatima Mohamed, James Kover, Zachary Chesman and Naji Khoury; front row, from left: Hailey Beish, Garrett Bailey and Kodi Kinsey.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.