Cameron Zelen
Fourth-year Operations Management major Cameron Zelen has found opportunities at Fisher that integrate her passion for service, community engagement and academics. Originally from Milford, Ohio, a town northeast of Cincinnati, Cameron grew up playing intramural volleyball and serving on her high school’s student council. Upon arriving at Fisher she, like many first-year students, struggled to navigate the challenges of college life and find her niche.
A pivotal moment that transformed her Ohio State experience was her decision to join the FisherCares volunteer organization during her first year and spend her spring break trip in Florida serving others. On the trip, Cameron met new friends, opened up to new experiences and discovered her passion for leadership. Upon returning from the trip, she picked up a minor in Nonprofit Management and changed her major to Operations to pursue her interest in project management, processes and finding efficiencies.
Throughout her time at Ohio State, Cameron has held leadership positions as Vice President of FisherCares, a Team Captain of BuckeyeThon and as the Student Director of Fisher Impact Day. She is passionate about each organization’s mission and their ability to utilize the resources of the university to positively impact the community. Additionally, she has served as the Vice President of Internal Relations for Buckeye Precious Plastic, a student run nonprofit, whose goal is to educate the Columbus community on the effects of plastic waste on the environment. The nonprofit has found success among the university community and has received funding from the Ford Motor Company.
Cameron has had internship opportunities with the Center of Operational Excellence at Ohio State and with the Bath & Body Works division at L Brands, where she will be joining full time as a Space Planning Analyst. When reflecting on her college experience and on advice she would give to her freshman self, she stresses the importance of not expecting everything to go as planned, and to look at failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. Taking things one step at a time, being OK with failing, and seeking new opportunities can all help create experiences that play to one’s strengths.
When she’s not busy developing her nonprofit, working her internships and completing volunteer opportunities in the community, she enjoys playing intramural sand volleyball and going hiking, and plans to eventually hike in all U.S. National Parks!
