Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship, Lehigh University
Testimonials
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Sherry Yang
Maple Glen, PA
PSGE Reflection
The program not only gave me a background in business and introduced me to people working in all spectrums, but it also gave me the confidence and energy to become a better intern and student. I have been attending academic summer programs since middle school. I have been to multiple sessions of Johns Hopkins’s CTY program and to the Junior Statesmen of America’s political summer program at Princeton University. I have attended workshops at the Philadelphia Inquirer for journalism and immersed myself in school activities. This year marks my second year as both Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper and Co-President of Model United Nations. I have interned with the Red Cross and volunteered in the Philadelphia area with members of our church’s youth group. None of those activities, I repeat, none of them, can compare to what this program has given me.
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Nora Garry
Morrisville, PA
PSGE Reflection
I was afraid that everyone here would be so different from me—that I’d be the only Arts and Sciences girl in a group of future Wharton grads. But I stopped hesitating and started rolling, thanks to all of you. Sure—we’re a heterogeneous group. But our diversity—of race, attitude, and experience—is what has made this program so special. Our classes may have been engaging and enlightening, but it’s the people here that have made these five weeks a wild, exhilarating rush where time is warped and we seem to inhabit an alternate plane of existence that we never want to leave.
We may be leaving our dreamland, but we will never underestimate the allure of a sunrise, the bonds of friendship, or the power of five weeks to affect change.
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Deborah Gourley
Hookstown, PA USA
Parent Testimonial
I know that my husband and I made the right decision in sending Garrett to this program. What a growing experience - both educational and personal - for our son. He seems ready to face the world....what a boost in his confidence! We come from a small town and there are not many boys that are excelling academically in his school. We told him that this program would show him that there are others that share his interests....we were right. He has come away from this experience with many new friends with common ground. Thank you again for your belief in this program. It is easy to support when you see the fruits of your labor!
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Rhonda Wasserman
Pittsburgh, PA USA
Parent Testimonial
Two of my sons completed the five-week program in Global Entrepreneurship hosted by Lehigh University. It was truly a life-altering experience for them (and the other students who attended). They were stimulated, provoked and challenged. They worked in groups on real-life projects; they debated the most pressing issues of the day with their peers and an amazing group of world-class instructors; and they tested their abilities to learn, to analyze, to communicate, to collaborate, to grow. This is precisely the kind of innovative program needed to educate and challenge the next generation of leaders in the Commonwealth.”
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Elizabeth Garry
Morrisville, PA USA
Parent Testimonial
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Hanna Zananiri
Amman, Jordan
Parent Testimonial
I am writing you a few words to thank you for the personal care and help extended to Celine during her stay at Lehigh. And, thank you for giving us the opportunity to expose Celine to the real world and a different culture.
Celine came back and slept for a good 14 hours straight. Later, she was telling us about her program and what they had to do and the people they met, their trips to NY and Philadelphia. She thought the program was tough but extremely beneficial, I flipped through the binder and course work, it is very interesting and educational.
She had a great time and made some new friends. We are extremely happy with what she has done and believe this program is of great importance for students. I will recommend this program to all, and wish you all the best and success in the future. If you ever need anything from our part of the world, please do not hesitate to ask.
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Alison Greenberg
Germantown Academy PA USA
Reflections on the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship
Ask any one of us. It’s simple really. We’ve discovered and created the valuable and unimaginable through our courses, lectures, and group projects. So many of us have realized a true passion for entrepreneurship thanks to PGSGE. And our teachers have planted the inspiration in us to drive successful businesses of any kind.
But every one of my classmates knows that our best classroom lacks walls, course work, and one focal teacher. It’s somewhere we’ve been this whole time, from New York to Philly to right here in Bethlehem. We are the educators and the pupils at once. We have learned about foreign cultures, unnecessary business etiquette, interactions, negotiation, and the strange phrases used by people on the other side of the state. But more importantly, we’ve taught these lessons to one another—strip away the focus classes, the written work, the power points, and what you’d have here is a group of seemingly different people from very different backgrounds who incidentally share some major interests and the basic desire to connect. It’s this desire, a need to exchange information or experiences, a need to keep spanning distances until we reach some understanding; this is the steady ground that Governor’s School has been built upon.
We’re all leaving here with notebooks full of knowledge. We’ve completed papers and poster boards. We leave behind the tangible evidence of a vast and invaluable learning opportunity. Whether we move into the world of global entrepreneurship or not, we are now armed with the tools to think critically and live our lives like well-run businesses. We know what it takes to manage employees, raise funds, meet deadlines, and compete globally. These skills are universal. Yet aside from the practical expertise, we travel two or two-thousand miles today knowing something infinitely more essential.
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Michael Alexander
Upper Darby, PA USA
Reflections on the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship
The question was, “Why spend your summer sitting in a classroom?”
In April of 2007, I found out that I had was selected to attend the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship, a five-week residential program for honors students interested in global business and entrepreneurial studies. The program, held at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, allowed rue to live and learn with 77 students, 65 from Pennsylvania and 12 international exchange students from four continents.
In 35 short days, I took classes ranging from as basic as Marketing, Finance and Developing a Business Plan to more complex courses like Globalization Era and Ethics in Entrepreneurship. The professors and business leaders who were the examples of success in their fields; persons who understood that the study and execution of business is not the key to success, but rather making it a component of something you’re passionate about is.
In addition to the coursework, I took part in an Entrepreneurial Experience, a scaled-down internship where teams of students would work for real companies on a major project. I worked with four other students and a college-aged mentor for WFMZ-TV, a local independent station serving the Lehigh Valley. Our team was tasked with finding ways to improve ratings and revenue of the station’s 11PM Spanish Newscast, a distinctly different program from its high- rated English broadcasts. Our project was distinct. My team and I utilized communication skills in both English and Spanish. We derived statistics, analyzed local and national trends, as well as market research and our own findings and made several recommendations about the content, staffing, and promotion of the Spanish News. The company has implemented several of these recommendations; many are still under review or are being turned into long-term plans.
It was not, however, just the curriculum that made the experience fulfilling. “Mandatory fun”, activities thought up and carried out by our college-aged mentors meant to break the ice and help us interact with each other. I was able to share common everyday activities like playing soccer and going to the mall alongside more distinct activities like salsa and swing dancing, campus- wide capture the flag and just socializing in the dorm lounge. I shared a room for the first time in my life, and enjoyed the company of other people more than being by myself.
On move out day, I walked away with more than just a greater knowledge of global entrepreneurship. I left campus at the end of July with a fuller comprehension of the world. In five weeks, I had explored different subjects, places, and people, all under the umbrella of global entrepreneurship. My summer was spent it in a television studio, on the streets of cities large and small, inside the world’s largest peacekeeping organization and in the offices of small community groups to one of the largest companies in the world. I returned home with a wealth of new knowledge; many new friends, and the knowledge that I could honestly tell my friends that I hadn’t spent my summer sitting in the classroom.
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George Simmons
Cathedral Prep High School PA USA
Reflections on the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship
Thank you very much for the opportunity to attend the PSGE. It was an amazing experience, and I cannot believe how quickly it ended. I am extremely happy that I attended.
The lectures we heard while at PSGE were fantastic. I enjoyed every speaker we heard. Although I must say Kostas was the most motivational and emotional speaker, there were countless other speakers who perked my interest and inspired me in different ways. One in particular was Mr. Marshall, who taught the millionaire course. He asked us to think of ways we could save around four dollars a day, and the ideas we came up with were very interesting. I am planning on using a couple of our ideas and putting my money away into a savings account in addition to investing some of it. I hope I never forget the valuable information I leamed while at the Governor’s School.
Although I learned an incredible amount of useful information, one of the reasons I enjoyed myself so much was the fun everyone had. In the first week, I thought I would never survive Gov. School, and that it would never end. By the second week however, I had met almost all of the other students, and enjoyed everyone’s company. By the end of the fourth week, I could not believe we only had seven days left together. The last day in the dorms was one of the saddest days I’ve experienced, and I did not want to go home at all. I cannot believe how excellent this summer has been, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.
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Angela Urbano
Bethlehem PA USA
Reflections on the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship
For me, this has been a profound and unforgettable experience...One of the highlights of the program was being able to live with our international friends every day; to eat with them, socialize with them, work with them in groups, debate with them and, most importantly, learn with them. This experience has tempered our tendency to be judgmental of other countries and their international policies.
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Leonard Rottveel, parent
Bethlehem PA USA
My daughter Allison had a wonderful experience and learned things that have changed her in a positive way forever.
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Raz Danon
Israel
From the warm welcome, to the efficient organization, this program has been a pleasure to go through... In your final evaluation papers you asked us what we would change if we could. I believe my exact answer was absolutely nothing. Thank you SO MUCH. This has been amazing, both educationally and socially. I feel like I've been provided with tools essential not only to my future career, but also to the life that awaits me. Moreover, I have been given the opportunity to meet life-long friends and connections that I will cherish deeply forever. I can't think of any other student across this country that could say the same thing about any kind of school / program he or she has attended.
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Kate Cohen
Bradford PA USA
The PSGE had been one of the best and most life changing experiences of my life. Living, working and learning among sixty two students from around the world everyday has taught me more life skills then I could have ever imagined. I have become a stronger more independent person because of the five weeks spent at the program and now feel confident in taking the next steps that are soon to arrive during my senior year. The program has ended but, the memories and networks generated in those five weeks will live on forever.
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David Plon
North Wales PA USA
I consider the five weeks I spent at Lehigh as one of the happiest times in my life
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Julia Huang
Newton PA USA
The program brought together some of the best people I've met yet, and I came away with not only entrepreneurial knowledge, but also incredible friendships.
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