EHE News
Business education majors boost youth finance, technology skills
Allie Cunningham Wing
Matt Yauk
Christopher Zirkle
When Allie Cunningham Wing of Marysville, Ohio, finished her undergraduate degree in business at Ohio State, the honors student realized she wanted to share her knowledge by earning a master's to become a high school business teacher.
Matt Yauk of Port Clinton, Ohio, another high-performing student, graduated in June from the undergraduate program and is now licensed. "Business education courses in high school helped me succeed at Ohio State and outside the classroom," he says. "My number one reason for entering business education is to give back to other students so they benefit the way I did."
Wing and Yauk both entered the Business Education Teacher Licensure track of the college's Workforce Development and Education program. The program is ranked #2 nationally by U.S.News & World Report, where it's called vocational-technical education.
Associate Professor Christopher Zirkle, School of Physical Activity and Educational Services, advised both Wing and Yauk. "High school courses in business education are needed for many reasons," he says, "including to provide students with critical skills and knowledge for success in personal finance, information technology and starting a business. These courses also prepare students to enter postsecondary business programs like ours."
Learning best practices in the field, thanks to scholarships
Wing spent seven weeks in field observation this autumn at Eastland Career Center in Groveport, Ohio, shadowing teacher Jane Briggs (PhD '08 ). Wing tutored students and assisted in the classroom in preparation for her student teaching.
"I particularly enjoyed working with students in advanced accounting, helping them with the problems," Wing says. "I'm really excited about becoming a teacher. In the future, I hope to pursue an advanced degree to become a school administrator so I can help build high school business programs. Students don't necessarily think to choose business as a college major."
A Marilyn Ruth Hathaway Scholarship allows Wing to be a full-time graduate student. "Without it, I would have to work more than my current part-time job," she says. "I'm grateful for the support."
Yauk completed student teaching last spring at Hilliard-Darby High School, Hilliard, Ohio, where he taught business principles, legal studies, and computer applications such as MS Office and desktop publishing.
"My professors ensured that I was well prepared," he says. "In all education classes, they implement strategies and methods we're expected to use in our classrooms. Each step of the preparation was geared toward helping us understand how students learn and teaching us to use best practices."
Now a busy substitute teacher for several central Ohio school districts, Yauk said he grew professionally from working with Zirkle on a project funded by a university Technology Enhanced Learning and Research grant.
Matt Yauk (right) explains his research project to a visitor at Ohio State's Digital Union with Associate Professor Chris Zirkle (left).
When done, the e-portfolio will tell the history of the college's career-technical teacher preparation program, complete with text, photos and a timeline.
"I found it fascinating to do the planning with Dr. Zirkle, the writing, to visit the university archives and search hundreds of documents and photos," Yauk says. "It gave me a glimpse of how a research university works and opened my mind to pursing an advanced degree."
Yauk's three scholarships received in his senior year -- the Marilyn Ruth Hathaway Scholarship, the Harry L. Thompson Scholarship, and the Neal E. Vivian Research Award -- arrived in a moment of need. "My parents were retiring, and the economic crisis started," he explains. "The scholarships lessened our burden. I was able to focus on becoming a better teacher and fully immersing myself in my education. I'm very grateful for those scholarships."
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