East Meadow student gets trained as part of Molloy University business program

Molloy University in Rockville Centre invited 44 high school juniors from across Long Island to attend its annual business boot camp June 26-30.

The weeklong program is designed to train the next generation of business professionals with a series of seminars, interactive events, group projects and real-world scenarios.

Facilitated by Molloy’s School of Business, the program exposes students to a range of topics, including economics, finance, accounting, marketing and business management.

Dawn DiStefano, associate dean of the university and director of undergraduate programs at the business school, helped guide students such as Charlotte Viola, of East Meadow High School, and Emily Kightlinger, of St. Francis Preparatory School, as they dived into a series of hands-on business activities.

Kightlinger said that the “Shark Tank” pitch meeting, which was a favorite among students, made a lasting impression on her. Kightlinger’s team had the winning concept, a trackable luggage company. “It was really interesting and exciting to present that to the professors and hear what they had to say about it,” she said.

To do well in the competition, Viola explained, teammates needed to get to know one another, their individual goals, and how skilled they were at presenting them.

“Everyone on the team had to get together to come up with an idea and put together a presentation,” Viola said. “The ideas they had really helped getting to know the team.”

In the Beverage Distribution Game, teams of students stepped into the shoes of hypothetical distributors, wholesalers and retailers while learning about supply chain management and logistics.

The participants also attended a seminar with Molloy Professor Daniel Ball, at which they gained valuable insights and practical knowledge. According to Ball, infusing fun into education is vital at any level.

“We can learn the same thing in many different ways,” he said. “It’s nice to see the students have a good time and get excited and wonder why supply didn’t come in and what happened there, and then get excited when they see their inventory start to balance off. So it’s just really rewarding to be part of that.”

To take part in the boot camp program, prospective students go through an application process facilitated by their guidance counselors. Volunteers from the Molloy faculty then speak with the students.

DiStefano, who has been involved with the program since 2015, emphasized the importance of adapting it each year to accommodate students’ learning objectives. Program coordinators continuously tweak the activities as students’ needs and interests change, as reflected in a brief survey they’re asked to take. They benefit from the insights of professors who share industry experience and offer their advice to those heading into business.

“It’s really interesting how the professors can apply real-world scenarios to this game to help us really understand the concepts that they’re pushing in a way that we can understand it,” Kightlinger said.

Throughout the week, undergraduate ambassadors from Molloy’s business school accompany the students, getting to know them and guiding them in their learning experiences. Several of the ambassadors said they were excited about building lasting relationships.

Hunter Mitchell, a senior accounting major, said he cherished the opportunity to mentor students by building close bonds. “It’s a great way to network, meet professors, see the different lectures of other things I may not have known myself,” Mitchell said. “It’s a great learning experience for not only the kids but also myself this way.”

For Krystal Raymond, a sophomore marketing major, guiding the high school visitors through the weeklong program helps her reaffirm her belief that Molloy is the perfect place for her. As a returning ambassador, she has seen firsthand the students’ different mindsets and unique qualities.

“I’m very grateful to be here as a business ambassador, and having the opportunity to work with the kids is great,” Raymond said. “But while I’m also learning, they’re learning, and there’s something new every day.”

The program costs $300, and the students earn a free elective that can be applied to any degree program they choose at Molloy.

“I’m just so glad that the students come first, rather than just the program,” DiStefano said. “Part of the mission of Molloy — it’s made me a better person, and I love to watch them grow right in front of my eyes in the beginning.”