For Sam Shim (MBA ’97), earning his MBA from Fisher meant receiving the knowledge and gaining the confidence he needed to be successful in his career. Thankful to his alma mater for all that he’s achieved, he now gives back through service to his local community and involvement as president of the Asian and Pacific Islander Alumni Society, a society of Ohio State’s Alumni Association.

Graduating from Ohio State meant...

Receiving the knowledge to be happy and successful in life. I received my Bachelor of Science in 1994 from the College of Arts & Sciences, and then I went back to Ohio State to earn my MBA in 1997. The breadth and depth of my education was truly amazing. I took classes in business, computer science, philosophy, English, statistics, psychology and many others. These classes have been instrumental in my professional success.

My favorite Fisher memory…

I enjoyed the many hours spent with my primary MBA group. We got along really well, and we excelled at utilizing each of our individual strengths to be very successful in our group projects. Some of us were more numbers oriented while others were better at the big picture or the human resource angle. In many ways, I felt we were like a smooth-running executive team of a corporation.

How has Fisher prepared you or made a difference in your career?

My experience at the Fisher College of Business gave me the confidence to be successful in my career. My MBA equipped me with not only the hard business skills but also the soft skills that are very much needed in today's business environment.

Tell us about some of your recent accomplishments.

I am in my second year serving as the vice president of the Worthington City Schools Board of Education. In addition, with the assistance of fellow alumni, this year I led the formation of the Asian and Pacific Islander Alumni Society, an official organization within The Ohio State University Alumni Association. As proud Buckeyes, the creation of this society is a way for us to give back to the university that has given us so much during our college years.

What service have you been involved in since you graduated?

I am on the board of the Family Mentor Foundation. We are a Columbus-based non-profit that provides meals to underprivileged elementary-age students on weekends. For many of these kids, they lack access to adequate food at home, and public schools serve as the main provider of their meals. On weekends, too many kids do not get three meals a day, and the goal of our organization is to help these kids. Without adequate nutrition, these students would struggle to learn while at school.

What advice would you give to a current student or recent Fisher graduate?

Find your passion, whether it's something you already know or is something you are still figuring out. For some of us, we may not figure out what that is until later in life. And that's okay. There will be obstacles that you will inevitably encounter. Don't view them as roadblocks but instead as challenges that you already have the skills to overcome. And never lose sight of your goals! Stay focused.