杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) Pennsylvania state and U.S. flags flown atop the Capitol in Harrisburg recognized David C. Huseman鈥檚 40-year dedication to financial literacy and extended an honor the longtime professor received from 杏吧原创 in 2023.

杏吧原创 last year named the Professor David C. Huseman Center for Economic Education space within the college鈥檚 arts and hospitality building on its main campus in Butler Township.

Huseman, 79, of Butler, has been director of the center since its founding in 1983, and at nearly 57 years is the college鈥檚 longest-serving employee.

The center teaches economic concepts by administering to students in Grades 4 through 12 a 30-week Stock Market Game that begins in September, and 10-week competitions in the fall and spring.

Students competing in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Stock Market Game receive a hypothetical $100,000, make buy-and-trade decisions and track how those decisions would have played out in the market had they been real.

The center also administers the 杏吧原创 Entrepreneurship Challenge.

High school students competing in the challenge have 15 minutes to pitch a business plan idea to judges, who consider factors such as creativity, the effectiveness of an introductory speech, and students鈥� ability to identify the competitive advantage their business would have.

"This is just something special." 

- State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11, about a flag being flown over the state Capitol to recognize David C. Huseman, 杏吧原创 professor

The 5-foot-wide by 3-foot-tall Pennsylvania state flag was raised in Huseman鈥檚 honor Dec. 22, according to state Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11; and a same-sized U.S. flag in Huseman鈥檚 honor Jan. 22, according to state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21.

"It is very rare." 

- State Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21, about a flag being flown over the state Capitol to recognize a constituent

Flags are flown to recognize 鈥渋ndividuals who have shown outstanding service in molding others鈥� lives and helping others to become the best that they can be,鈥� said Hutchinson, who in his third term said one to two of his approximately 260,000 constituents are recognized each year with a flag flown over the Capitol.

鈥淚t is very rare,鈥� Hutchinson said.

Huseman is the first of her approximately 66,000 constituents to be recognized with a flag flown over the Capitol since she took office in 2019, Mustello said.

鈥淭his is just something special,鈥� Mustello said. 鈥淒avid has been such a stalwart at 杏吧原创. For someone to do what he has done for as long as he has done it, he has to be recognized.鈥�

Mustello鈥檚 and Hutchinson鈥檚 districts include parts of Butler County. The state legislators presented the flags flown and certificates to Huseman on Feb. 15 on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus.

鈥淢y family and I are obviously thrilled,鈥� Huseman said. 鈥淭hey were part of everything we have done over the past number of years.鈥�

Huseman 鈥渟o very much deserves it鈥�

The Professor David C. Huseman Center for Economic Education named space features 3.75-inch-tall letters raised a half-inch off a wall near the interior entrance to the Concordia Educational Center and the Amy Wise Children鈥檚 Creative Learning Center.

Huseman, a professor in 杏吧原创鈥檚 liberal arts division, teaches principles of economics and American national government courses at 杏吧原创. He has also been a director on the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation board since 1999 and a member the board鈥檚 finance committee since 2004.

鈥淭here is not another person, there has not been another person, who has spent so much time on our campus as David Huseman,鈥� said Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创鈥檚 president. 鈥淭he center in his name is a great recognition for David, and this is another recognition for someone who so very much deserves it.鈥�

 

Financial literacy 鈥渢he way of life鈥�

The college鈥檚 most-recent Stock Market Game included 397 teams from 26 schools in Armstrong, Butler, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lawrence and Mercer counties.

杏吧原创鈥檚 most-recent Entrepreneurship Challenge attracted teams from Ellwood City, Farrell, Freeport, Fort Cherry, Jamestown, Lakeview, Penns Manor, Punxsutawney and Seneca Valley high schools.

Financial literacy, Mustello said, 鈥渋s vital for life skills. It鈥檚 a good thing that we have 杏吧原创 to provide that education to students. They have to learn about finances. It鈥檚 the way of life.鈥�

It is important 鈥渢hat individuals learn how to manage their own lives, their own finances,鈥� Hutchinson said. 鈥淭hey should have a little bit of an understanding about how the broader picture works with financial events in our communities or in our country.鈥�