Jeff Dong

As a freshman, Jeff Dong was among a group of students to receive the Outstanding First-Year Student Award from OSU. Although past performance may not always be a predictor of future success, in this case it has been. This year as a junior Jeff has been named a Pace Setter, an award given annually to the Fisher’s top students. The award is selected on the basis of academic performance and demonstrated leadership ability, and less than 5 percent of the business school's alumni population have ever earned the award.

Jeff, originally from New Jersey, was not born and raised a Buckeye. He experienced a culture shock coming here, which included learning many new mannerisms and experiencing Skyline Chili for the first time. Nonetheless, he quickly caught on and became more comfortable in the culture here. Like many students, Jeff wanted to try everything. He tried to join paintball club, mock trial club, business fraternities, Undergraduate Business Council, Asian American Association, and more. Many of these organizations had an application process, and as a result of over extending himself, Jeff was left with many rejections and no involvements.

At this point, Jeff turned to case competitions as a way to get involved and continue developing himself professionally. In his first case competition, his team came in first place. This experience set him on the path to a career in consulting. Jeff ended up joining both Buckeye Undergraduate Consulting Club (BUCC) and Students Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations (SCNO). He’s now VP of Finance and Administration for BUCC, and he was formerly a Project Leader for SCNO. He also joined the Fisher Emerging Consultants program, an Office of Career Management program focused on preparing students for a career in consulting. This coming summer Jeff is looking forward to experiencing his first consulting internship with Ernst & Young in Los Angeles.

If Jeff could give a TED Talk, the topic would be the 5 daily habits one needs. The talk would suggest the 5 daily habits be performing physical exercise, learning something new, doing something you enjoy, undertaking a mindfulness activity, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Jeff enjoys working out, reading 10 pages of a book, and practicing meditation as a few of his daily habits.

This discipline has surely helped Jeff have great success in his undergraduate career. His Pace Setter award provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on his accomplishments, but Jeff knows it also signifies that it’s time to give back and share the knowledge gained from his experiences with other students. Jeff has already begun this stage through mentorship and as a Peer Career Coach, and he’s looking forward to continuing these efforts as a senior next year.