Feature Story

May 29, 2018 | By Ohio Wesleyan University

Ohio Wesleyan’s Class of 2021 Economics Management Fellows visits the New York Stock Exchange during an OWU Connection experience earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Megan Ellis ’05)

Adventures in Empire City

Ohio Wesleyan’s Economics Management Fellows Explore New York

Name: Sophia Aamir Ahmed ’21
Majors: Finance Economics
Hometown: Karachi, Pakistan

Name: Lucas Cooper ’21
Majors: Management Economics and Health and Human Kinetics – Sports and Exercise Management
Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Hurricane, West Virginia

Experience: Economics Management Fellows (EMF) trip to New York

Each fall, Ohio Wesleyan’s Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship names a new class of Economics Management Fellows, selected for their high potential for success at OWU and their interest in business-related studies.

Each spring, the new fellows receive a fully paid, faculty-escorted study trip to New York City including visits to the New York Federal Reserve and New York Stock Exchange, as well as meetings with distinguished Ohio Wesleyan alumni* and professionals in business and government.

Highlights

Sophia Aamir Ahmed ’21

Ahmed: “My favorite moment of the EMF New York experience was being able to connect and mingle with the alumni from Ohio Wesleyan who are currently working in New York. It was so great to see how they bloomed from their time at OWU and took what they learned and applied it to the real world. Seeing them achieve their goals really inspired me to work harder toward mine and enrich through my OWU experience.”

Cooper: “My favorite moment of the New York Trip with the EMF Program was the alumni reception at Papillion Bistro. I enjoyed talking to them about their individual careers after OWU and telling them what OWU and Delaware are like nowadays.

Lessons Learned

Ahmed: “I learned the importance of the valuable relationships and social connections around me, especially those provided at Ohio Wesleyan and through this trip. It’s great to be able to reach out to others when help is needed, and to know who to reach out to. Additionally, the exposure provided to us within the world of economics and finance helped me in deciding how and where to focus my interests in terms of what I’d like to do in my future. Such an experience is key as it provides us with a platform of making effective decisions regarding our future.”

Lucas Cooper ’21

Cooper: “This trip really began to make me think about what my future is going to look like and what steps I need to take in order to help reach my goals. I also was able to get a better picture of what working in New York would be like, and it is something I am now very much considering. I also received fantastic advice from alumni on gaining experience through internship positions.”

Why I chose Ohio Wesleyan

Ahmed: “The reason I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan University was the unique nature of the EMF program and because I knew it was a place that focused on allowing students to reach their full academic and social potential. Ohio Wesleyan has shown me how to step out of my comfort zone and push my limits.”

 Cooper: “I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan after my football recruiting process drew me to campus, where I felt at home right away and getting admitted to the EMF Program sealed the deal from there.”

My plans after graduation

Ahmed: “To find a job within the United States and further my education. During the summer, I am taking online summer school courses and then focusing on my home-based bakery in Pakistan. Additionally, I am interning at a bank later in July.”

Cooper: “Not sure what exactly I’m going to do yet upon graduating; however, I can really see myself working in New York. This summer, I will be working for my uncle at Advantage Moving Systems in

Manhasset, New York.”

In addition to Ahmed and Cooper, this year’s EMF-travelers included Evan Cook, Jack Funderburg, Maia Garbett, Kaitlyn Gilson, Alana Guzman, Turner Johnson, Chevy Kelly, Emily McKinley, and Samantha Winkler. The students traveled with Megan Ellis ’05, administrative director of The Woltemade Center, and Matt Vollrath, assistant professor of business administration.

* Ohio Wesleyan alumni meeting with the 2021 EMF students during their New York trip included:

  • Martin Clark ’14, business development associate for Nielsen
  • Jason Dopoulos ’03, senior managing director of Lancaster Pollard in Columbus, Ohio, and Newport Beach, California
  • Andres Duarte ’65, managing director of Venezuela-based Duarte Vivas & Associates, C.A.
  • Debra Force ’75, president of Debra Force Fine Art
  • Sarah Kelemen Garber ’01, vice president, corporate human recourses, for Hudson’s Bay Company
  • Dan Glaser ’82, president and CEO of Marsh & McLennan & Companies
  • Tom Goodman ’76, president and CEO of Goodman Media
  • Andrew Hart ’80, executive director of Morgan Stanley
  • Sarah Hartzheim ’14, practice area recruiting coordinator for the Boston Consulting Group
  • Christian Lawless ’99, managing partner at Conversion Capital
  • Kim Lewis ’15, associate jewelry designer for Kate Spade & Co – Adelington Design Group
  • Bill Lynch ’84, global investment specialist for UBS
  • Jessica Minucci ’11, senior account specialist, customer success team, for Olo
  • Chris Myers ’08, associate director of recruiting for Soni Resources Group
  • Jonathan Noble ’06, corporate banking portfolio management for Credit Suisse
  • Maxim Razmakhin ’10, co-founder of Thirstie and general partner at Tailfin Ventures
  • Ibrahim Saeed ’15, associate product manager, digital payments, for JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  • Rachel Seibel ’10, manager, business development, for the National Basketball Association
  • Yashika Shah ’10, vice president, global network & FX partnerships, for J.P. Morgan
  • Moomal Shaikh ’13, client development manager for Moat
  • Austin Viny ’14, restructuring analyst for Carl Marks Advisors