High School Business Teacher Has Passion for BGSU Business Program; One Reason is The Hatch

Even though he is not a BGSU alum, high school business teacher Phil Forshey knows the quality of the business program at BGSU and encourages all of his students to enroll here, even his own daughters.  Forshey teaches at Canton South High School in northeast Ohio, and “practices what he preaches.” His oldest daughter, Alivia, is currently a student at BGSU and his younger daughter, Savanna (“Vanni”), has been admitted to BGSU to study business in the fall.

Forshey praises BGSU’s business program and explains his passion. “My interest, interaction, and support of the BGSU business program began when I met Sue Kosakowski [undergraduate recruitment coordinator for the College]. The support she and BGSU afford the High School of Business™ (HSB) program is second to none. First, they provide articulated credit to HSB graduates to the sum of six credit hours.” 

He adds, “Second, the BGSU School of Business puts themselves ‘out there’ for the high school teachers and students. You will find Sue at HSB Conclave, HSB training, Business Professionals of America/DECA State Conference/Competitions, classroom visits, campus visits/tours, and you always find she is only a phone call away. From the perspective of a high school teacher, this is invaluable support from such a reputable business college.”

BGSU is the only four-year College of Business in the country that is a national affiliate of the High School of Business™, an accelerated business administration program that meets the needs of college-bound high school students so they can easily transition into college.  This program incorporates experiential learning into the curriculum, similar to the approach used in BGSU’s business classrooms.

Forshey has been teaching the HSB program for several years and describes the curriculum and its value. “The student is introduced to leadership and personal financial literacy to set a sound basis for business practices. The student then has a variety of classes, such as economics, marketing, finance, and management, which give him/her a thorough business understanding. This all culminates with the final class, a capstone, where the student must put all the business education provided into a working form. The class begins with a twenty-hour observational internship before or during their senior year in high school and ends with the start-up and liquidation of a student run business. The HSB program is challenging, rigorous, and above all, rewarding!”

Another big reason Forshey encourages students to come to BGSU is The Hatch™, BGSU’s version of “Shark Tank.” Forshey states, "The Hatch is the best supplement to a high school business curriculum ever!!  The entrepreneurial theme, strategies, real-life methodology, and curriculum have added so much real life substance to my classes that it is difficult to measure. I have never experienced such a great program that seamlessly establishes a connection to high school, post-secondary, and the world of business. I see the growth in my students and I know the interaction with BGSU has helped foster this.”

Last fall, the BGSU Dallas-Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership offered a high school curriculum based around The Hatch™ and Forshey was more than happy to add it to his curriculum. He brought his students to campus on April 8 to watch The Hatch™ live and Forshey’s students loved the experience. “The entire visit to BGSU was a terrific experience for the students at Canton South High School. Every student and chaperone spoke very highly of the day’s events. The Hatch™ has excited our students even more about their business futures!”

While the high school teacher is passionate about the business education here, his daughter Vanni explains why she chose BGSU, even if her dad had not encouraged her.

“I decided to come to Bowling Green State University for my business education because I have had nothing but good experiences with Bowling Green from the beginning of the application process. My first visit to the campus was excellent and I didn’t feel like ‘just another student’ on a big division one college campus.”

Vanni adds, “Susan Kosakowski had been in to speak to my High School of Business class and she really helped intensify my interest in what the College of Business could offer me at Bowling Green. After I attended the College of Business Day at BGSU, I was sold. The atmosphere, the people, and the energy on campus are better than every other school I have visited. I cannot imagine myself being anything other than a Bowling Green Falcon going into the first semester of my college career.”