Kevin Yan ’16 – I am very fortunate to be a member of the Liberal Arts Bridge to Business (LABB) program this summer with Mr. Ronald Morin’91 and sixteen fellow Wabash participants. It is a seven-week summer program that
introduces us to the basic principles behind business decisions and consulting, as well as providing a one-week financial literacy workshop. Through this past week in the program, I have gained practical knowledge about finance. Specifically, I learned how to make balance sheets, income sheets, and about accounting practices through lectures, readings, and field trips.
In the first two weeks our typical class period has been from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. During the morning session, we discuss global news and then we always watch a TV show called “Shark Tank.” We talk about the advantages and disadvantage of investing in each different startup business and how each case should be developed in the long run. We also review different cases related to diverse business areas from Harvard Business Review. In the afternoon, we continue our discussions about the business cases and work on our business plan and consulting project with our group members.
However, the internship is not limited to the classroom, but also includes on-site visits to many businesses. This past Thursday, we visited Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation with Joe Trebley’01, Head of Startup Support and Promotion. He first discussed the definitions of cash flow and founders equity. He further examined the pros and cons of equity and debt. In the end, we had the opportunity to ask several questions about startup business and finance, and Mr. Trebley patiently answered each question in detail.
I would like to thank the Lilly Endowment, Wabash alumni, friends, and family who have generously donated to the Liberal Arts Bridge to Business Program. I am thankful for the liberal arts education that I am receiving at Wabash College. I feel confident and prepared each day because of the knowledge gained from my economics, rhetoric, and mathematics courses. I am also thankful to have had the opportunity to get to know some of the guys in the program, and I believe that we will work well together. In the upcoming weeks, I look forward to learning more about business development and how that process works. Additionally, I hope that alumni will continue to support this excellent program, opening a door for more liberal arts students to learn about business.
