The latest in a long line of Fisher students to participate in the Ohio Export Internship Program (OEIP) were celebrated recently for their contributions to small and medium-sized businesses around the state.

Fisher students joined counterparts from the Cleveland State University Monte Ahuja College of Business and Youngstown State University Williamson College of Business as part of the 2018 OEIP cohort.

The program, a partnership between the Ohio Development Services Agency and colleges and universities across the state, provides students with export-specific instruction in the classroom, which prepares them for summer work experiences in which they set up export programs for Ohio companies or expand on existing export efforts.

“The Export Course at Fisher gave me a great foundation in terms, phrases and common practices in the world of international business,” said Henry McIntyre, an international business student who completed his internship at Davenport Aviation in Columbus. “Without it, I may have struggled to create the company’s Export Compliance Manual.”

In all, 41 students for colleges and universities across the state worked at 38 Ohio companies, helping them enter export markets or expand existing ones.

“My export course training equipped me with the basic concepts I needed to be successful in this internship,” said Fisher’s Guinan “Andy” Lin, who interned at DayMark in Bowling Green, Ohio. “I used my bilingual skills, e-commerce knowledge and strong Excel skills during my internship. I helped the company determine the products to sell at Sam’s Club.”

Since starting with nine students in 2012, the Ohio Export Internship Program has graduated 231 students and generated $31 million in estimated export sales for 136 Ohio companies. It also has led to 35 full-time job offers and 50 internship extensions.

“From Day One, Fisher has been an enthusiastic partner of the OEIP,” said Joyce Steffan, director of Fisher’s Office of Global Business. “The hands-on experiences this program provides continues to benefit our students in incredible ways, all while contributing to the economic growth of businesses throughout the state.”

Photos courtesy of the Ohio Development Services Agency