Biography
Hi! I’m Stephanie Riddiford and I will be graduating from The Ohio State University in May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, Accounting major. I will also receive certificates in business leadership and global business. I have been a part of many organizations while on campus, including my sorority and business organizations. I mentored students through Fisher College of Business and The Ohio State University. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places and restaurants in downtown Columbus.
Why I decided to pursue Global Option
Traveling has always been a big passion of mine and it started at a really early age. Growing up, I lived in Switzerland and Singapore and was able to explore many surrounding countries. I fell in love with the culture, food, language, landmarks, education, and diversity of every new country I visited. I am the happiest when visiting new cities and immersing myself in the culture. I have always had a goal to work internationally like my dad did. My dad’s job moved us around and he opened my eyes to the fascinating world that we live in.
This program was the perfect find for me and I jumped at the opportunity to further my global knowledge and be able to promote it to future employers. I felt this program would give me a competitive advantage against other students and highlight my global competencies. Traveling abroad, joining new organizations, and taking global classes all sounded very intriguing to me. I’ve been completing this program for 3 years and I am so happy I did it. I was eager to connect with students who were also passionate about traveling and who I could share my experiences with as well as listen to theirs.
My Goal for Global Options
My top three goals in participating in Global Option were as follows. First, I wanted to meet new people with different backgrounds and engage in thought provoking discussions. It is important to me to seize opportunities to learn from others. My second goal was to increase my global knowledge, specifically understanding and appreciating the differences in the ways business is conducted across various geographies. Finally, I hope to network and build strong connections with those I meet through this program, which can help me achieve my goal of working abroad. I am one of a few students completing this program and feel it will give me an edge when recruiting for jobs.
I wanted to seek out opportunities such as joining clubs and taking global classes to meet other Ohio State students who were also pursuing the global option certificate. This would provide me the chance to get to know like-minded individuals who I could interact with throughout college. I also wanted to learn from professors who had a diverse background and teaching style who would help me brainstorm ways to increase my global business understanding both academically and culturally. I do have a curious mind and enjoy learning and experiencing new things.