Blog Posts
Samuel Saldarriaga is a third-year finance major from Columbus, Ohio. His parents immigrated to the United States from Colombia before he was born and started their own business, which sparked his passion for business as he watched his parents grow their own. During his college search, he fell in love with Fisher College of Business. He decided on a finance specialization because of the broad array of opportunities available to him and ultimately landed on a future career path of investment management.
As a first-generation college student, Samuel began his journey at Ohio State with Fisher FIRST, a program that provides a head start to first-generation students admitted to Fisher. He set out to find his place during his freshman year by joining the Fisher Real Estate Society, Business Builders Club, and the Investment Banking Program, all of which taught him about the respective industries. During his sophomore year, he joined Buckeye Capital Investors, where he served as vice president of the group’s Technology Sector, Fisher Futures, and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), in which he served as special events chair. At the start of this year, he became a member of the 25th Honors Cohort Program.
Professionally, Samuel interned with Wellington Management in Boston, Massachusetts, following his sophomore year, where he conducted investment analysis on a commodities fund. He plans to continue working in the investment management industry this summer. Outside of school and work, Samuel loves to travel. He frequently visits different national parks to hike with his brother. You can also find him exploring new places in Columbus with friends.
Samuel received a Pace Setters Award this semester, Fisher’s highest honor, for his impressive academic accomplishments and demonstrated leadership ability. He hopes to make a continued impact during his remaining years at Fisher by mentoring underclass students to help them find their own community within the college. His advice for rising Fisher leaders is to resist the urge to compare yourself to others and focus on creating strong connections during your time here.
Madison Langhals is a fourth-year finance major from Columbus Grove, Ohio who is graduating this December. She chose to attend Ohio State because it was the best financial option for her, as she has financed her own college endeavors. Madison began her academic journey at the Lima campus of The Ohio State University and transitioned to the Columbus campus to take advantage of the additional opportunities that are offered to students, including the diverse set of majors and clubs. Madison originally planned to graduate in three years but will be graduating in three and a half years instead.
Madison recalls her interesting journey to becoming an autumn 2021 graduate. As a first-year student, Madison supplemented her academic work with involvement in the choir and honors program at the Lima campus of Ohio State. She transferred to the Columbus campus during her second year, where the FisherCares student organization and BuckeyeThon were her primary involvements. Then, during her second semester, spring 2020, she lost her summer internship because of COVID-19. She was pivoted and took a position as a bank teller at a local bank. Over the next two years, Madison advocated for herself and landed internships with the J.M. Smucker Company and Nestle, the latter of which offered her a full-time position upon graduation this fall as part of its finance and accounting rotational program. The program will allow her to explore areas of the business outside of her comfort zone and gain new skills.
Between her financial situation and the fact that she began at Ohio State with a semester’s worth of credit already earned, graduating early has always been a top goal for Madison. Doing so, she says, will allow her to begin a career, start to explore life as a professional, and get involved with nonprofits or socially focused organizations that align with her skills and interests. Madison credits Ohio State and her time within Fisher for her newfound ability to explore outside her comfort zone and be a self-starter, both of which have aided in landing her where she is today.
Nathan Daugherty is a second-year student pursuing a major in finance and a minor in quantitative economics. Originally from a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Nate chose Ohio State because of its location and opportunity. An additional factor that drew him to Ohio State was its status as a military-friendly school. Nate, who was part of the U.S. Marine Corps, is utilizing the GI Bill to further his education as a Buckeye.
During his first year at Ohio State, Nate sought opportunities to grow personally and academically. He began to explore investment banking as a potential career interest while engaging with various organizations outside the classroom. He is currently part of the Major Lawrence Miller Military Community Advocate Program, an initiative that connects fellow student veterans to resources and experiences that ensure academic and professional success in their college environment. Nate is also an ambassador with Service2School where he helps transitioning military members navigate their pursuit for higher education.
Recently, Nate was involved in the Investment Banking Program at Ohio State which introduces undergraduate students to investment banking and prepares them for admission into the Fisher Futures Program and a career in the investment banking industry. Currently, Nate is preparing to interview for Fisher Futures in preparation to compete for a summer internship and career opportunities in the investment banking industry. He is also exploring getting involved with the Buckeye Capital Investors student organization. In addition to guiding student veterans, he is also a member of the Theta Delta chapter of Beta Theta Pi and is very eager to step into his new role as Chapter President.
When asked why he chose military service, Nate says the military not only provided him with the resources to pursue college, but it instilled in him the discipline and values he felt were missing from his development as a young adult. He is very eager to share his experiences to enhance the Fisher community.
In addition to jump-starting his career in finance and working in investment banking, Nate is looking forward to helping active-duty members successfully transition life after service, a gap that exists for many in the military community.
Sonal Thumar is a fourth –year student from South, New Jersey who is specializing in finance, accounting and logistics. The daughter of two parents who attended Ohio State, Sonal always wanted the adventure of going somewhere away from home for college. Sonal knew if she, like her brother, attended Ohio State the change would get her out of her hometown “bubble” and empower her to make friends and gain new perspectives.
Despite never having officially toured Ohio State prior to attending, Sonal’s family provided plenty of insights and personal experiences. On tours of other campuses, she remembers missing a sense of connection and personal touch. This influenced her decision to become a Fisher Ambassador, where she works with the college's admissions and recruitment team to fulfill their common goal of providing genuine experience to potential Business Buckeyes.
Upon arriving at Fisher, Sonal was unsure of what she wanted to study. She became interested in accounting by learning about the various careers available, which appealed to her desire to find a professional path that was flexible and adaptable. As for logistics, she took her first logistics class during the onset of COVID-19 and became intrigued by the pandemic’s effects on logistics around the world. During the spring semester and the summer after her second year, Sonal participated in a corporate finance co-op with Johnson & Johnson. This led to a finance internship at Microsoft in the summer of 2021, which solidified her interest in adding finance as a third specialization.
Sonal has also been involved in organizations outside the classroom throughout her college career. During her first year, she joined Students Consulting for Non-Profits (SCNO), which was important to her and allowed her to build on the previous service experiences she had at home. She credits her involvement with SCNO for helping build her personal network, as she has kept in contact with clients from previous SCNO projects. She eventually became a mentor within the organization.
As for the rest of her fourth year and beyond, Sonal plans to travel to Seattle to return to Microsoft as part of their finance rotational program. During her final year at Fisher, she plans to spend time connecting with professors who have been pivotal in her success in and outside of the classroom.
Third-year student Adin Feliz was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and attended Southwest Miami Senior High School. A first-generation American, Adin grew up knowing the value of an education and wanted to utilize the opportunities provided by his parents. He watched his mother attend college in the U.S., and there was a desire for Adin to explore the same educational opportunities.
He arrived at Ohio State and immediately became a Fisher FIRST mentee and a member of the Common Cents Investment Group, a student investing organization. When COVID-19 cut Adin’s first year short, he returned to Florida and focused on earning his real estate license. As his second year as a Fisher student began, he stayed in Miami during autumn semester 2020 and secured a position as a licensed real estate agent for Southeast Florida Realty & Management Corp., and this past summer he worked for Dos Santos Law , P.A., in Miami as a legal assistant intern.
Once back on campus during his second year of spring semester, he became a Fisher FIRST mentor, joined Buckeye Ventures, Theta Chi fraternity and the Undergraduate Student Government as a community relations liaison.
Currently, Adin is studying finance and is on a pre-law track with hopes of obtaining a law degree. As a third-year student, he sees the value of finding a personal balance. His priorities are his classes, networking, and preparing for a full-time career while enjoying his remaining time at Ohio State. In addition to serving as a Fisher FIRST ambassador, he is on the executive board for Theta Chi and gives his remaining time to USG as a liaison. He is also preparing for the LSAT this coming spring(Law School Admission Test).
Adin plans to take the LSAT prior to graduating early with hopes of enrolling in law school the fall of 2023. He is planning to return to Miami this upcoming summer, with hopes of serving as a judicial intern for a court system. His biggest goal is finding a post-graduation job in New York, Boston, or Miami. His work at Fisher has helped position himself to achieve these goals and take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.
