Business Matters

Because These Days Do Move Fast – We are Already Practicing Graduation Walk 

Each year, we welcome our incoming class with OSU’s traditional convocation. New students parade the same route they’ll take to Reser Stadium on graduation day. This is collegiate tradition at its best, reminding students that they can and will make this walk twice and should be proud of it each time! 

Leadership Summit 2024

In November, we hosted an informative welcome conference for all incoming first-year students. This event was designed to introduce new students to the wealth of resources and support systems available within the college. Students heard a keynote speech from Kayla Arnot ’17, ’20 MBA, a distinguished alumna who was honored with the Business GOLD “Graduate of the Last Decade” award for her remarkable early-career achievements. Dean Tim Carroll then shared valuable insights and words of encouragement as students begin their academic journey.

The second half of the event was dedicated to fostering connections between first-year students and their peer mentors. Our mentors first engaged with a panel of OSU alumni regarding the importance of mentorship to help prepare them to provide guidance and support to each of their mentees throughout the entirety of their first year. Together, mentors and mentees explored various clubs and resources at a club fair, setting the stage for a successful and engaging year ahead. 

College of Business Career Fair 

Each term, we hold a College of Business Career Fair for our students to network with professionals, gain insights on career options, and explore both job and internship opportunities.  

The fall term career fair was held October 30 and included more than 55 companies from a variety of industries with 900 student in attendance. Students also had the opportunity to sit for professional portraits, and build their professional wardrobe at our discounted clothing shop, Benny’s Business Closet.   Additionally, many companies conduct follow-up interviews after the fair to allow students to move forward in the hiring process. Some of the companies that attended to recruit our students were PepsiCo-Frito-Lay,  Cintas Corporation, D.R. Horton Inc.,  Enterprise Mobility, Fisher Investments. E. & J. Gallo Winery, KEEN Footwear, Kroger Co., Target, The Hershey Company, Reser’s Fine Foods, and many more. 

Employers were impressed with our students, offering feedback such as, “The assertive and attentive students were a huge differentiator than other schools. Well done!” and “The students were professional and courteous and listened to what we had to say.  They were good listeners and asked good questions.” 

College & Career Conversations 

Our first-year students also participated in an enriching event called College and Career Conversations. This initiative is designed to help students practice and enhance their networking skills in a supportive environment. In small groups of six to eight, students engaged in meaningful discussions with a host, who could be a professional staff or faculty member, or a student employee from the student engagement team. These conversations covered important topics such as exploring majors and opportunities at OSU, identifying areas for personal growth, navigating failures, and preparing for a successful career. 

This event is just one of the many ways we prepare our students for future networking opportunities with OSU alumni. By participating, students gain valuable insights and experience that will support their academic and professional journeys. We are proud of the learning and engagement of our students and look forward to bringing our alumni to meet them next.