Commencement celebrates new beginnings, friendships and lasting memories

By Vicki Christian
Fisher College of Business

Each year, commencement at Fisher marks a bittersweet time of excitement for graduates, as well as sadness at saying goodbye to good friends. It also symbolizes the start of a new chapter of learning for those graduating.

Class of 2026 graduate Trenton Wells walked out of Ohio Stadium on May 10 looking forward to becoming a financial analyst for Nike at its Beaverton, Oregon, headquarters. He said he’s excited for the opportunity and grateful to Ohio State and Fisher for all that he’s learned and experienced.

“Graduating from Ohio State and going to Nike is the start of the rest of my life,” said Wells. “I feel prepared. Ohio State has been a platform and a stepping stone for me. I'm from Columbus, and while I’m a little nervous about moving all the way across the country, the excitement for my next steps is overwhelming.”

He said one of the things he’s anticipating is finding opportunities to continue to learn, grow, push and advocate for himself.

“I really like learning; I’m definitely a sponge,” said Wells. “Being in a full-time role at Nike, I’m looking forward to learning the culture, interacting with people, working with different teams and putting my education and technical skills into practice in the real world.”

One of the Ohio State experiences Wells will carry with him following graduation is his involvement with the football team as part of the university’s Recruitment Host Program.

“I was on the field during the Ohio State-Texas game where Ohio State defeated No. 1 Texas this past autumn,” he said. “That experience was really, really top-tier for me, meeting with prospective football players and their families, showing them around the stadium. The environment, the packed stadium, everybody cheering was electric.”

After serving as a middle school math teacher and then working for a startup company where she wore many hats, Full-Time MBA (FTMBA) graduate Bria Isaacson likewise is making a big move. She has a job as a strategy and management associate at Bank of America in New York City.

“This is the first big company I'll have worked for and look forward to seeing how individual roles actually function in an exemplar situation,” she said. “Being from the Midwest, I’m excited to live in New York City. It'll be a little bit of adjustment, and I'm a little bit nervous about the transportation aspect. I have yet to take the train which will definitely be an experience.”

Isaacson’s favorite memory is meeting fellow MBA student Shehan Gunawardena. In what was a rapid-fire romance following a long discussion during a class trip to Cleveland, the two married in January.

She’s also proud of her involvement with the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, which taught her the skills needed to pitch a business and possibly become an entrepreneur in the future.

“My first year, I did their LaunchpadOSU program and developed a startup,” she said. “My second year, my friend and fellow MBA student Ritika Chakraborty and I developed Colectic, a curated marketplace that helps vintage resellers manage online sales and operations.”

The team was among five others to win $50,000 as finalists at the university’s 2026 President’s Business Accelerator.

Both Wells and Isaacson agree that starting their new positions at Nike and Bank of America feel a little bit like their first year at Ohio State — a bit overwhelming, yet supported.

“At the beginning, it was a little intimidating knowing how big Ohio State is,” said Wells. “What helped me was the campus organizations that really make you feel supported, and the teaching assistants helped make large classes feel smaller. These definitely helped school be manageable, knowing that other people were rooting for you.”

Said Isaacson: “I came to Ohio State because of the resources available at a bigger university. Being here, it's very obvious the alumni network and the people surrounding it are equally important. It's been cool to be a part of going to school and living where you pretty much walk down the street and it feels like everyone is on your side. That no matter where you are, you have a connection because people are always willing to help. I'm excited to be a part of that support in the alumni network.”

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Isaacson and Wells were among the 1,961 Fisher students who graduated over the weekend ― the culmination of a weeklong series of events.

Undergraduate students and graduate students and their families took part in Fisher’s Graduation Celebration where they marked the many accomplishments of the 2026 graduating class. The celebration included refreshments, Fisher-branded gifts for graduates, graduation cap decorating, information tables from various college offices and a special “Pie a Professor” fundraiser benefitting student scholarships.

The Executive MBA (EMBA) program celebrated 19 spring graduates and their families with a special dinner and hooding ceremony at the Blackwell Inn on May 9.

The evening honored student accomplishments, recognized valedictorians Kate Novotny and Dr. Leslie Kim and presented student Steve Kraus with a leadership award. The students also acknowledged faculty members Dan Oglevee, senior lecturer of finance, and Xue Wang, distinguished professor of accounting and management information systems, for their outstanding teaching in the program.

That same day, Isaacson joined 242 of her fellow FTMBA, Master of Accounting (MAcc), Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) and Working Professional MBA (WPMBA) graduates for Fisher’s Pre-Commencement Ceremony held at Mershon Auditorium.

Melinda Whittington (BSBA ’89), board chair and president and CEO at La-Z-Boy Incorporated, delivered the keynote address. Brian Mittendorf, associate dean for graduate programs, presented the outstanding faculty awards, followed by special student recognition by program directors, honor cord recognition and the hooding presentation.Following the ceremony, students and their guests gathered together for a reception celebrating the graduates.

The festivities for the Class of 2026 culminated with the university’s Commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium where E. Roe Stamps IV, a philanthropist and private investor, delivered the commencement address to the more than 12,000 university graduates. Stamps is the co-founder of the Boston-based private equity and venture capital firm Summit Partners and the Stamps Scholars Program, a charitable initiative that provides scholarships to students at over three dozen universities worldwide, including Ohio State.

Having earned her status as an Ohio State alumna, Isaacson took a moment to reflect on her past two years at Fisher and how her MBA expanded her opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to being at a bigger company with a better role that allows for broader openings, the ability to pivot and to use my degree as an accelerator for other jobs,” she said.

“Everything I wanted from the MBA experience, I got ― the interconnectivity, the resources and being able to pursue the direction I wanted. I made really close friends and met my husband here, so I don't know that I can ask for a more perfect kind of graduate experience.”