There’s no denying that for some students, the passion for all things Ohio State is passed down from generation to generation and can influence their decision when choosing where to go to college.

Connor Buehler knew he wanted to find a university that was located near a major metropolitan area, had a great business school and offered its students plenty of opportunities to experience life outside the classroom. That he inherited an admiration for all things business and Buckeye from his dad, Jack (BSBA ’86), made his choice to attend Fisher a little easier.

Connor is pursuing a BSBA in finance and human resources with a minor in history and expects to graduate in May 2021.

“I am fascinated by the future of the workplace and how people can do their best given their situation,” he said. “I believe the finance aspect of my degree will allow me to have a great foundation when working with personnel on the strategic side of an organization. The history minor is for my own interest and to provide me with a chance to step back from the world of business every once in a while.”

After his first few classes at Fisher, Connor discovered how all of the must-haves he sought in a university seemed to converge in the classroom.

“During my first two years, I had classes taught by none other than Columbus entrepreneur, former Ohio State football player and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George (BS ’01) and former head football coach and current Assistant Athletics Director Urban Meyer,” said Connor.

Connor counts his experience with the Global Projects Program (GPP) as another one of his Fisher highlights. He knows that without donor support, hands-on experiences like the ones he has been fortunate to participate in wouldn’t have been possible.

“The experiential learning opportunities in Chicago, San Francisco and Costa Rica are some of my greatest memories at Ohio State,” Connor said. “They broadened my perspective while giving me the chance to grow as a person. Thanks to donor support, I didn’t have to worry about financing this aspect of my Fisher experience. It was a tremendous relief knowing I could take advantage of these life-changing opportunities without worrying about how to finance them.”

For his GPP nonprofit consulting project, Connor joined other Fisher students in Quepos, Costa Rica, where they met Runnia Diaz, a small business owner who, at the time, only had her business represented on Facebook. Connor’s team spent two weeks setting Runnia up on the Google platform of products, building out her website and teaching her how to use the new business tools.

“For the first time in her life as an entrepreneur, she had the chance to track her earnings, advertise her services and communicate with customers,” said Connor. “We changed her life and the future of her business — it was an amazing feeling to see her empowered and able to build her own business. Since then, every time I see her post on Facebook, it gives me so much joy, even from thousands of miles away.”

Whether he’s across the globe or closer to home, Connor is active in the Fisher and university communities — he is a member of the Ohio Union Activities Board, the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, Fisher’s Honors Cohort program, and he talks weekly with prospective students as a Fisher Ambassador.

Through Honors Cohort, Connor and seven of his peers created their own social enterprise, Patched. The organization sells merchandise and hosts events to raise awareness and funds to support another campus organization, Mental Health Matters, which focuses on erasing the stigma around mental health issues. His involvement in student organizations, coupled with his global experiences, have shaped Connor’s professional development in ways he didn’t realize were possible.

“The exposure to the business world from classroom cases, growing as a social entrepreneur, being a leader in student organizations and learning from real-world business professionals not only developed my acumen, but also exposed me to a career path I didn’t even know existed prior to college,” said Connor.

This summer, Connor interned at PwC in New York City. He smiles when he says his dad isn’t the only parent with influence — his mom exposed him to musical theater as a child.

“I love Broadway, and I have always dreamed of living in New York City,” he said. “So when I finally received my internship offer, it was a dream come true.”

Connor has already committed to a full-time job with PwC after graduation.

“While no career ever goes on the path planned, I am excited to start out in consulting and see where it takes me,” he said.

This flexible outlook on life paid dividends as Connor completed his third year at Fisher online because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He took the mid-semester shift to online learning in stride, saying his professors transitioned really well and that it wasn’t detrimental to his learning because his classes are so small.

Reflecting on the qualities he sought in a college three years ago, Connor acknowledges how Ohio State’s proud athletic history has influenced other areas of his student experience.

“When the late football coach Woody Hayes told us to ‘pay it forward,’ I’m sure he had no clue how far his legendary words would carry throughout campus,” Connor said. “But I see examples of it every day when upperclassman mentor underclassman, when our alumni host Honors Cohort trips at their companies and through the continued support and donations from alumni and friends of Fisher.”