5 questions with Allison Palovchik ’24
Allison Palovchik is a student in the School of Business Administration, majoring in management with a concentration in human resources. She’s from Hilliard, Ohio, near Columbus, a short trip to Dayton. But, before taking any classes on campus, she was a UD student in Guatemala.
1- What attracted you to Dayton? When I was a freshman in high school, my brother had an interest
in unmanned aerial systems. Sinclair Community College has a program, and he visited UD’s School of Engineering, too. So I knew the campus. And I knew I wanted to go to college and study business. But four-year colleges are expensive. The UD Sinclair Academy, however, has Sinclair tuition for the time at Sinclair while you get your associate degree, then UD tuition for the time you study at UD; and I have three scholarships. So for me, earning a Dayton bachelor’s degree was more affordable than any other school.
2- When did you start at Sinclair? While still in high school I took online courses from Sinclair and courses at Columbus State. With those credits and AP [advancement placement], I had 40-some credit hours when I graduated from high school in May 2022 and started in person at Sinclair. With the credits I earned in high school, I was able to graduate from Sinclair this past spring.
3- How did your path to UD then take you to Guatemala? I was looking for a summer internship, but everyone wants experience and no one wants to give it to you. An email from the business school mentioned ETHOS, a service-learning immersion program in the School of Engineering. Since all UD programs are open to UD Sinclair Academy students, I was eligible. Guatemala was a location with opportunities for business students, and I took Spanish in high school.
4- What did you do in Guatemala? I worked in areas such as inventory, cost accounting and marketing on the project, which was to design and build hydroponic towers. Such towers allow more crops to be grown in less space and with less effort. The project started before we came but had run into a stability issue; we figured that out in a couple of weeks. We built about half a dozen before we left, using 3D printing. Since it’s a model of printer you can use in your home, the towers were easy to make.
5- On campus less than a term and planning on graduation in December 2024, have you found time to get involved in any activities? I’m on the UD club swim team; I started that while at Sinclair. I’m a member the UD Sinclair Academy Club, which connects students at both schools with each other at a monthly event. And I’m on the School of Business Administration’s dean’s student advisory council.