Over the past months, volunteers from the College of Business Administration have been going to Miami-Jackson High School every two or three weeks to mentor juniors in the Academy for International Business and Finance—also known as the Magnet Program. The mentoring sessions—which help high schoolers plan a collegiate entrance strategy—are part of the college’s Civic Engagement Initiative, coordinated by , associate professor, Management and International Business Department.
On April 7, 2006, the tables were turned when nine of the mentees spent a day with these students on the university’s campus.
“At the mentoring sessions at the school, we survey students to identify their interests and have them search the Internet for details about tuition, fees, housing, required tests and test scores, and other admissions issues,” said Malcolm Vivian, graduate assistant, Civic Engagement, who revived the program. “Once we establish these basics, we help them set targets for themselves, do mock interviews, and have them fill out an application online so they can see what’s involved and review it to make sure they’ve completed it correctly.”
Luis Carranza, Mark Elbadramany, and Stephanie Moreta,
all IBHS members, at College Day
The visit to the campus gave these college hopefuls a chance to experience what the payoff for their efforts will be.
To create an agenda that would address their interests, Vivian worked with the high school’s director of the Magnet Program. Items included a presentation about financial aid and a classroom visit to the Business and Community Leadership course taught by Hogner.
“Hogner adjusted the session slightly to allow for Miami-Jackson students to interact with class members and participate in the discussion,” Vivian said.
A working lunch followed, during which the high school guests worked on a college freshman-level group international business exercise with students from the International Business Honor Society (IBHS). The interactive exercise was created by J. Randall Martin, a member of the Management and International Business Department, and led by Luis Carranza, internship coordinator in the department and an IBHS member, who also gave an introductory speech about international business, what the program in the college offers, and the importance of internships.
“The activity involved dividing the students into teams and having them answer questions,” Carranza said. “We had laptops available for them to do research on the spot. It was very dynamic, and we’ve heard that many of our visitors gained an interest in international business as a result.”
The day concluded with a tour of one of the residence halls.
“I learned a lot I didn’t know about admissions, the processing of applications, scholarships, and classes,” said Alex Alvarez. “I also enjoyed joining in the cooperative group discussion with the members of the IBHS.”
