Big Apple Bishops
Ohio Wesleyan's Woltemade Economics and Business Fellows Explore New York City
Name: Jera Hoy '28
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
High School: Homeschool
Major: Accounting
Minor: Entrepreneurship
Name: William "Hank" Johnson '28
Hometown: Barnesville, Ohio
High School: Barnesville High School
Major: Accounting
OWU Connection Experience: Study trip to New York City for Woltemade Economics & Business (WEB) Fellows sponsored by The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship
The WEB Fellows traveled to the Big Apple from May 5-8 to learn more about business, finance, the arts, and marketing. In addition to Hoy and Johnson, the spring travelers were Logan Bills '28 of Austin, Texas; Dominic Brown '28 of Marysville, Ohio; Nathan Foulkrod '27 of Willoughby Hills, Ohio; Kayden Jacobs '28 of Urbana, Ohio; Nagomi Katano '28 of Nagoya-Shi, Japan; Simon Rivera '27 of Delaware, Ohio; Shane Slack '28 of Lewis Center, Ohio; Kailey Sweet '28 of Dublin, Ohio; and Taylor Thomson '28 of Galena, Ohio.
They traveled with Will Georgic, Ph.D., assistant professor of Economics and Business, and Lydia Freudenberg-Little, administrative coordinator of The Woltemade Center.
In New York, the WEB Fellows met business leaders, including OWU graduates Tom Goodman '76, president, CEO, and founder of Goodman Media International, and Mike Tiedemann '93, founding partner and CEO of AlTi Tiedemann Global; and OWU parent Michael O'Keeffe, CIO of Stifel and father of Allie O'Keeffe '24.
The biggest lesson we learned was the importance of networking and building connections, which we were able to do in person to create more in-depth relationships with the people we met.
Lessons Learned
Hoy: "It was truly inspiring to learn about the backgrounds and career journeys of the professionals we met with, as well as experience in person the large corporate buildings, Rockefeller Center offices, and connections with everyone we had the pleasure of speaking with. The biggest lesson we learned was the importance of networking and building connections, which we were able to do in person to create more in-depth relationships with the people we met.
"I also learned about the risks business owners and those who joined companies during the start-up phase took, along with the confidence they had to have in themselves. It was inspiring to see how their perseverance led to success, reflecting many of the lessons we learned in our Entrepreneurial Mindset and Social Entrepreneurship classes."
Johnson: "I learned a great deal about business operations as a whole during the trip. Coming from a small town and studying accounting, I had limited exposure to the corporate environment, particularly within the financial sector, where many of our meetings took place. Hearing from experienced CFAs and professionals in positions that did not follow the traditional finance degree path broadened my perspective and showed me the wide range of opportunities available to students like us."
Real-World Understanding
Hoy: "Asking questions during each of the meetings we had was my favorite part of the New York trip. Everything we learned, from different types of marketing to the majors and career paths that could lead to wealth management positions, and even the experiences of joining a start-up or starting a business, was relevant to what I wanted to do or what I knew my friends wanted to pursue. By asking questions, I was able to better understand each field, the opportunities within each company and industry, and the different paths people took to get there, which was an incredible experience."
Johnson: "I pursued the trip because I wanted exposure to the financial industry beyond the classroom and an opportunity to see how businesses operate in a real-world setting."
Meaningful Moments
Hoy: "This experience was meaningful to me because my aunt and uncle used to work in New York while performing on Broadway and other theaters. I had only seen the arts side of working in New York, so it was exciting to tour Wall Street, speak with finance and marketing professionals, and see the creativity involved in every profession, as well as the business side of the arts."
Johnson: "My favorite experience of the trip was visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral. Having the opportunity to participate in the devotional service of Adoration was the highlight of the trip for me. I was extremely grateful for the chance to worship in such a historic and significant cathedral."
Campus Involvements
Hoy: "I throw disc and hammer for the OWU women's track & field team and serve as a Woltemade Economics and Business Fellow, an Accounting and Finance Fellow, a Corns Scholar, a Westwood Real Estate Fellow, a Woltemade Student Board member, a Women in Entrepreneurship member, and a career ambassador for Career Connection."
Johnson: "I am Vice President of Standards for Alpha Sigma Phi and both a Woltemade Economics and Business Fellow and an Accounting and Finance Fellow."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
Hoy: "I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because OWU has an incredible accounting program with professors who teach from experience as well as very connected alumni who want to help students grow and thrive. After I committed to OWU, I was offered to be a WEB Fellow and recruited for the women's track and field team, which helped welcome me into the supportive culture of OWU."
Johnson: "Ohio Wesleyan's massive alumni network, and because my family has been attending OWU for generations."
Plans After Graduation
Hoy: "After graduation, I would love to help solve complex problems and help hardworking individuals and companies grow their wealth. OWU has helped me explore the different opportunities, fields, and professions I could pursue to do so. Through classes in tax accounting and entrepreneurship, I discovered my main interests, and through the connections I've made at OWU, I secured internships with Greif, Vitruvian, and KPMG. From my professors to alumni and the Career Connection team, OWU has truly been a blessing and an integral part of preparing me to achieve my post-graduation goals."
Johnson: "My post-graduation plan is to work toward earning my CPA. Ohio Wesleyan has prepared me well for this because the accounting professors do a great job of helping us work through real-world situations that you just don't get from textbooks alone."