2019-2020 Latham Entrepreneurial Scholars

My name is Sophia Ahmed, and I’m an International Student from Karachi, Pakistan. I’m a Sophomore majoring in Management Economics, with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. My interest in entrepreneurship sparked when I began my own home-based bakery in my hometown. Even though I was just in high school, I was able to transform my passion for baking into a business venture, and that was an experience which majorly enhanced my enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit. Since then, I have gained a ton of exposure in the world of business through my experiences at Ohio Wesleyan University. I have been heavily involved in the Woltemade Center as an Economics Management Fellow, Social Media Intern and as a member of the EMF student board. I am also an intern at the Office of Career Connection. I look forward to the opportunities that the Entrepreneurial Scholars Program will bring forward, and hope to gain valuable insight from it.

My name is Taryn Barnes, and I’m from Pickerington, Ohio. I am a sophomore majoring in Music and Business Administration with a focus in Management. I am a part of Ohio Wesleyan’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, and Woodwind Ensemble. I am a representative on the Student Music Board and work in the Office of Admission and in the Department of Music. I hope to be able to participate in the New York Arts Program my senior year and get an internship through that program. I look forward to the opportunities this program will be able to bring me so that I might combine my love for music and business.

My name is Katie Bischoff, and I am from Marysville, OH. I am a first year that is recognized as a sophomore due to credits I accumulated during high school. I am looking to major in Computer Science with specialization in Data Analytics and a minor in Business Administration. I am a member of the Women’s Traveling Golf team and Young Republicans Club. I am also a part of Athletes In Action and an all-girls bible study. I have always been very ambitious, however living on campus has urged me to dream bigger than before. I was inspired by the plethora of opportunities and resources Ohio Wesleyan is offering, particularly from an entrepreneurial perspective. I am eager to explore and gain insight into the business world and apply what I learn to my own life. I am excited to grow as a person through the Entrepreneurial Scholars Program.

My name is Austin Plaster and I am from Alexandria, Virginia. Just on the other side of the river from Washington, D.C. I am double majoring in Political Science and Business Management. I first got interested in entrepreneurship in high school when I took an Entrepreneurship class and was able to hear from a wide array of successful entrepreneurs. I am a member of the men’s Lacrosse team here at OWU and would like to get more involved with student government in the future. I was lucky to do an internship with Smathers and Branson, a needle point belt and accessory company that was started by two college students and is now a very successful small business. I am excited to get started with this program and everything it has to offer.

My name is Jasmine Spitzer, a sophomore Music Education major from Minot, North Dakota. I became interested in entrepreneurship when I realized that there is so much that needs to be done in the world of arts education that I am incapable of doing from inside the four walls of my classroom. By viewing the world through an entrepreneurial lens, I will be better prepared to embark on the endeavors that will help change the world of education in the arts. I am the president of the Ohio Wesleyan collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and a member of the student board in the Department of Music. I intend to one day create an organization in major cities that provides safe after-school alternatives for youth in at-risk communities. This organization will provide tutoring and homework help in an arts-friendly space, mentoring, classes and ensembles in various areas of the arts, and a meal for students. My mission statement is to build self-reliant, creative, empathetic human beings who are capable of original and critical thinking, communication, and collaboration in all aspects of life. My students will be ready to be innovative change-makers in this constantly evolving world. This fellowship will equip me with the business-oriented skills needed to make something like this a reality.