The newly created Brian and John McAllister Business Scholars Program Endowment will provide a pathway to professional careers for business majors at St. Bonaventure University.

The endowment offers students the opportunity to apply for a summer internship grant, which could help cover costs associated with completing an internship. The grant can be used to pay for such things as temporary housing, business clothing, technology, and transportation. 

“Too often talented students with limited means must forgo extraordinary internship opportunities due to the costs associated with living and working in another location,” said Dr. Matrecia James, dean of the School of Business. “This endowment will mean the world to those students and will help bridge the gap. It will also give them self-confidence, empowering them to purchase other items such as professional attire or supplemental technology in order to be successful in the internship.”

Honoring two brothers and their combined decades of devotion to business education at St. Bonaventure, the endowment is named for Brian McAllister and his brother, John McAllister, both of whom not only taught at St. Bonaventure, but also served terms as dean of the School of Business.

“Dynamic and collaborative leaders, John and Brian each had a lasting impact on the life of the school and the thousands of students that they taught,” Dean James said. “The building blocks and strong foundation they provided have allowed the School of Business to continue to grow and ensure academic excellence for our students.”  

Throughout a distinguished 45-year career at St. Bonaventure involved in teaching accounting, Brian McAllister served as interim dean of the School of Business three times and as director of the MBA program twice. John McAllister taught for 20 years and served as dean from 1981 to 1983 and 1984 to 1986.  

The school’s popular internship program provides students with real-world business experiences. Through mentored intern hours, students gain vital insight into the day-to-day operations of a business. They hone both hard and soft skills, learn the importance of networking, and improve their post-graduation job prospects.

“We have a very successful, faculty-integrated internship program. Faculty actively participate in building relationships with companies and recruiters,” said Michael Kasperski, chair of accounting and director of the internship program. “Firms recruit here that don’t recruit at other campuses. Companies recognize the competency of our business students and want to hire them.”

Examples of worldwide and national companies actively recruiting at St. Bonaventure include IBM, Xerox, Lockheed Martin, Marriott, and all of the “Big Four” accounting firms (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC). Major regional and local businesses recruit on campus as well, including BWB, Corning Inc., CUTCO, M&T Bank, High Point Federal Credit Union, and Zippo.

“Internships lead to full-time jobs in areas the students want to be in,” Kasperski said. “Experiential learning is a critical supplement to classroom preparation, which is why this endowment is so important.”

Students interested in applying for a grant from the endowment should contact the internship office at mkaspers@sbu.edu or the dean’s office at (716) 375-2112. The first grants will be awarded in the spring for internships in the summer of 2024.

Supporters of St. Bonaventure have already committed $100,000 as a start-up for the endowed fund. They are challenging alumni and friends of the university to raise an additional $400,000 for the endowment of the Brian and John McAllister Business Scholars Program. 

To make a donation to the Brian and John McAllister Business Scholars Program Endowment, please visit www.sbu.edu/donate. 

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