For many students, the path to becoming Business Buckeyes begins long before they receive an acceptance letter, move into a dorm or schedule their first class.

Their journeys — and their first impressions of Fisher — are shaped by many of the college’s summer enrichment programs. These pre-collegiate offerings provide young women and men opportunities to explore Fisher and The Ohio State University as a destination for the next step in their academic careers. For many, including the nearly 100 students who participated in three programs in early June, it’s also an introduction to the possibilities created by a business education.

ACAP-Ohio

Over the past 27 years, the Accounting Careers Awareness and Preparation (ACAP-Ohio) program has introduced more than 1,200 high-performing, underrepresented students from across the state to professional careers in the accounting industry. And for the last 25 years, Fisher has served as the program’s host.

“We have been honored to serve as the destination for so many future accounting leaders over the past quarter century,” said David Harrison, senior director of Fisher’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion Student Services and Corporate and Community Outreach (ODISSCCO). “Every year, we are amazed at the talented young women and men who turn to Fisher faculty, staff and alumni to begin their exploration of careers in accounting and business.” 

Delivered in a hybrid format, the 2022 ACAP-Ohio program connected 15 high school students from Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton and Centerville with Fisher faculty, students and corporate partners for a weeklong exploration of accounting. The program featured sessions dedicated to the skills and technology used by accounting professionals, as well as an introduction to the admissions process and academic and scholarship opportunities available at Ohio State.

“Without the support and generosity of our many partners, ACAP-Ohio would not be able to make the incredible impact that has set it apart as a premier summer enrichment program in Ohio,” Harrison said. “I want to thank the Ohio Society of CPAs, the National Association of Black Accountants, and accounting firms Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Plante Moran and PwC for all they do for this program and in support of tomorrow’s business leaders.”

The Mary Helen Chandler Wolfe Future Women in Business Summit

Over the course of two weekends, 36 young women from Ohio, Illinois and California spent a day at Fisher as part of the Mary Helen Chandler Wolfe Future Women in Business Summit. The event, named for the first female business graduate at Ohio State, provides young women, including first-generation and underrepresented students, with opportunities to explore business careers at Fisher.

The daylong summit connects rising high school seniors with successful Fisher alumni and corporate partners to explore topics that are at the forefront of business. Sessions at the 2022 summit included digital and personal branding workshops, led by female alumni working at from Deloitte and KPMG, and an inclusive leadership workshop hosted by female graduates now working at The Wendy’s Company.

“For many of the summit participants, this is their first introduction to a future in business,” said Samantha Hodik, assistant director of admissions and recruitment at Fisher. “In addition to showing them what’s possible as professionals, we try to provide them with a head start on some of the soft skills that so many companies and organizations have told us they are looking for in new hires.” 

In all, 13 female alumni returned to campus to lead workshops or participate in panel discussions that illustrated their paths to careers in business and the role their Fisher and Ohio State experiences had in shaping their journeys.

“Hearing from alumni who have walked in these students’ shoes is a powerful message,” Hodik said. “We’re fortunate to have an alumni network that is always willing to come back and give back in support of the next generation of business students.”

My Brother’s Keeper Business Camp

Highlighting a continued partnership with the City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods, Fisher hosted the inaugural My Brother’s Keeper Business Camp in June. The event drew nearly 40 young men and women of color to campus for a residential program designed to introduce them to business as a professional pursuit as well as to life as college students.

“The future of business and leadership begins with pre-collegiate programs like this one,” said Cynthia Turner, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion at Fisher and organizer of the camp. “It was inspiring to see so many young men and women taking the next step in their development as students and professionals here at Fisher. I look forward to our college community continuing to build partnerships that create and scale programs such as the My Brother’s Keeper Business Camp to affect change in business from the bottom up.”

The six-day program, called Taking Care of Business, provided participants with opportunities to learn from Fisher faculty the basics of the accounting, marketing and finance industries, as well as negotiation. Throughout the week, the students worked on a team project in which they utilized those skills. Their challenge was to create and pitch a proposal to bring an artist to headline a city-wide back-to-school concert aimed at helping to decrease violence in Columbus. 

The summer camp was the second event this past year that connected My Brother’s Keeper students with Fisher and Ohio State. In November, nearly 200 students participated in the Business of Sports and Entertainment Conference at the Ohio Union. The event connected participants with leaders in sports, business and entertainment to explore career opportunities in the industries.