Sophomore Year-in-Review

In hindsight, it seems like sophomore year flew by even quicker than freshman year. But in reality, both semesters this year felt like they would never end and challenged me more than I ever have been before. What I have learned, however, is that long days and hard work do pay off.

I took on the daunting accounting, stats, finance, and other business core classes this semester. I excelled in some, survived others, and am hoping to finish out on at least a decent note. At the same time, I was involved in the Business Scholars program as a peer mentor, served as an Honors & Scholars Ambassador, and continued to work as a barista at the Ohio Union’s Espress-OH. But probably the most impactful experience I had was serving as Park-Stradley Hall’s Hall Council President. I led an 8-person executive board along with 22 more general body members to serve the 1,100 residents of Park-Stradley Hall. We planned events to educate our residents about sustainability, inclusion, and community service, while building a community in our residence hall. This role taught me so much about leadership and has definitely prepared me to be a better leader in the future.

In addition to serving as Hall Council President, I was promoted to Student Manager at Espress-OH. It was rewarding and exciting to see that my hard work at the coffee shop did pay off, and that the managers noticed my efforts. This spring, I feel like I really stepped up at Espress-OH in delegation and understanding everything that makes the shop run. I thoroughly enjoy working, so the pay raise and increased trust place in me is just an added bonus!

The positives from this year don’t stop there though. After a struggle of a career fair in the fall, I can tell you I was ready to fall back on my last summer plans and return to Cypress Benefits Group at home. But, on a whim one night over winter break, I filled out a Sophomore Leaders Conference application for Wells Fargo. After a phone interview, I was selected to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, with 50 other talented sophomores. The conference split into a LONG two days (I woke up at 3am on day 1 and went to sleep after midnight) with day 1 being networking and learning about the company culture and day 2 being purely interviews. It was a grueling process, but I am excited that this summer I will be working as a Summer Financial Analyst Intern for Middle Markets at Wells Fargo in Orlando, Florida.

This May, I am traveling to Auckland, New Zealand, through the Fisher Global Projects Program. I am on a team with three other Fisher students who will be completing a consulting project with Auckland Transport. Another four students will also be in Auckland with us completing a different project. We have already planned a trip to Queenstown, and are trying to explore the beautiful country as much as possible while abroad. I am so grateful for the STEP program for making this trip a reality!

Finally, this spring I applied for the Honors Cohort program through the Fisher College of Business. It is a highly selective program that accepts 30 motivated business students who challenge themselves both academically and professionally, and seek to do good in the world. The application process included creating a video, writing an essay, completing a 20-minute timed essay, and an interview. I am happy to say I was accepted into the 22ndHonors Cohort and am excited to see how this will enhance my education and encourage personal growth in my next two years at Fisher.

Though sophomore was challenging, it shaped my life more than I could ever have imagined. I had countless opportunities that I know would only be possible at Ohio State. More than anything, I learned that hard work does pay off, and I am excited to see what my next two years at The Ohio State University will bring.

Me with my exec board (and advisor) for hall council

View from the 41st floor of One Wells Fargo in Charlotte, NC

And last, me and my future roommates on the Brooklyn Bridge over winter break!

About Me

My name is Kelly Franz and I am a first-year Business Scholar and Honors student pursuing a finance degree at the Fisher College of Business. I am a responsible and motivated individual with a willingness and a continuous desire to learn. My commitment and leadership abilities along with the previously stated qualities will allow me to excel academically, personally, and professionally. Currently, in addition to Business Scholars, I am involved with Fisher Citizenship Program and Undergraduate Finance Association. I maintain an on-campus job at Ohio Union Espress-OH and recently participated on a Buck-I-Serv trip to Fort Hood, Texas, to give back to the military community and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas. For the 2017-2018 school year, I will serve as an Honors & Scholars Ambassador and participate in the STEP program. I am passionate about traveling, sports, and all things Disney.

As a finance major, I aspire to work for a major company, but am still exploring career options that interest me within the field. It has always been my dream to work for the Walt Disney Company. To accomplish this goal, I hope to participate in the Disney College Program or study abroad during my time at Ohio State. To enhance my professional skills and further explore career paths in business, I will be an intern at Cypress Benefits Group in Glencoe, Maryland, for the 2017 summer.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Buck-I-Serv: Fort Hood, Texas

During spring break in March 2017, I traveled to Fort Hood, Texas, as a Buck-I-Serv participant. While I figured it would be a rewarding experience because the objective was to serve the military community of Central Texas, I didn’t realize how much this trip would impact me. In addition to the satisfaction I felt from helping children and those who have served our country, I left with new friendships, development of strengths, and most importantly, a desire to get involved with community service wherever I am living. I headed off to Texas with nine people I didn’t know and we lived and served with an additional 15 people. Being thrown into this environment forced me to step out of my comfort zone, but as a result, I left with new friendships I plan to continue at Ohio State, and was able to enhance strengths and improve weaknesses. Leadership has always been a strength of mine and I was able to lead my groups at times. My independence was revealed in that I chose not to go home during my only opportunity this semester, and I was completely comfortable with knowing no one prior to the trip. Working with children was always a dreaded task of mine, but I improved my communication skills through volunteering and believe it will be something I look forward to in the future. After this service trip, I realized how even the smallest acts of community service can impact lives forever and this has motivated me to find ways to volunteer in both the Columbus area and my hometown in Pennsylvania. I am fortunate to have the privileges I do, and I want to be able to give people the opportunities and experiences I have had.