North Columbus News

Students from Ohio State University and other colleges in Ohio were recognized for their participation in the 2025 Ohio Export Internship Program at a ceremony held at the Fawcett Center on Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The program is run by the Ohio Department of Development in partnership with the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at Fisher College of Business.

The internship program matches students who have completed export-focused coursework with small and medium-sized businesses across the state to help these companies improve their export efforts. During his keynote address, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, former head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, said, “If it weren’t for our partnerships with business and industry, there is no way we could continue to grow and to become huge for the state of Ohio, huge for this country and all over the world.”

Tressel also thanked participating companies: “For taking the time and for mentoring and giving opportunities for our students to take on responsibility, real responsibility that’s going to make a difference in your bottom line, we can’t thank you enough.”

Kim Roseler, program manager for Ohio State’s National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) at Fisher College of Business, highlighted the importance of these businesses: “These brands are the backbone of our community. They are a critical part of our supply chain, generating more than $10 trillion in annual revenue,” she said. “They represent one third of our private sector, GDP [gross domestic product] and employment. … If these middle-market companies became their own separate country, they’d be the fifth largest in the world.”

Don Hackney, export assistance network adviser at Ohio University, noted how students benefit from real-world experience: “Each of these institutions has played a vital role in preparing students to take on real world challenges of international trade,” he said.

Hackney added: “And of course, at the heart of this program are the Ohio businesses – small and medium-sized enterprises that have the foresight to welcome these students into their export initiatives. These companies are doing more than growing their businesses. They’re strengthening Ohio’s position on the global stage and investing in the future workforce of our state.”

Ohio State students recognized at this year’s ceremony included Emily Gu (Global Recovery Group), Harry Wu (Star USA Inc.), Katrina Whitmore (Stewart Glapat Corp.), Wenhui Yan (Tech International), William Colella (Daavlin), and Xin Lin (Expeditors International).

Other colleges represented included Bowling Green State University’s Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business; Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business; Ohio University’s College of Business; University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration; and Youngstown State University’s Williamson College of Business Administration.

More details about the internship program can be found on its website.