Thank you to everyone that participated in this year's fundraising campaign and competed in the Annual Battle of the Classes! 

This year the 13th Cohort came in first place with the highest number of contributions – we cannot thank you enough! 

Regardless of the winning class, we appreciate the support from each and every one of you. None of the opportunities our students receive would be possible if not for your continued contributions. Because of you, Cohort students are able to travel to Chicago, San Francisco, and Brazil. They are able to make an impact on their communities and at The Ohio State University. And most importantly, they are given opportunities that challenge them to become tomorrow's leaders. 

To everyone in the Cohort family - thank you. 

We have a three-way tie between the 13th, 20th, and 21st Cohorts! Who will win it all? 

Just as a reminder, there's only a few more days left to donate for this years Cohort Campaign. Please continue to encourage your classmates to participate. 

Thank you all so much for your continued support! 

I am currently a senior in the program majoring in accounting and minoring in psychology, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for people like you who are creating the opportunities we’ve been able to experience.

When I think about how Cohort has changed me, I think of a pair of glasses. Before joining Cohort, it was like I was near-sighted and didn’t even know it. But since joining, I feel like I can suddenly see and understand so much more than I ever had before, and things that seemed so far off are now right in front of me.

A lot of this has to do with the types of people I have been exposed to. I’m very used to having discussions with others and conveying my ideas, but I’ve never had to do that with people who are from completely different backgrounds than me. For the first time, Cohort put me in a situation where I was the odd man out in a discussion full of extremely intelligent individuals, and at first, it was awful. But, throughout the past two years, I’ve learned to understand and appreciate how others think based on their background and compare that to my own background and what my perspective can teach. These discussions have changed how I work to communicate and empathize with everyone, and I’ve seen it translate positively in a professional setting and even when I go back home. Thanks to Cohort discussions, the length to which I can see and understand the world has become much clearer. 

But Cohort has also changed how I look at myself. I come from a small town where most people focus on family. Anyone who knows me knows that nothing matters more to me than family, whether that’s by blood or by friendship. But I’ve learned through Cohort that in addition to family, there is also ME, and there are a lot of things that I can do.

I always saw my future self as a part-time, working mom in a small town. I still might be that someday, but now, I can also see myself as one of the successful businesswomen in a big city – the ones I only gawked at in movies. I see myself giving speeches or winning awards or being a leader within my company and community, and being a leader for positive change around the world. Through trips like ours to Chicago or San Francisco, I’ve been exposed to so many opportunities, and the dreams I have for myself have grown exponentially. I still want to be there for my family, and that is where my roots will always lead back to. But today, I don’t want to just be a family member, I want to inspire and empower all of my family members to achieve more than anything we have ever imagined ourselves achieving. Goals that were so far away now seem in reach, and I feel unbelievably grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given to achieve them.

None of this would have been possible without the discussions and experiences I’ve grown through thanks to donors like you. Thank you for making such an impactful difference in my life!

My name is Ani Varanasi, and I am a fourth-year studying Finance in the 22nd Honors Cohort Program. Being from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and growing up 10 minutes away from the University of Michigan, I never entertained the possibility of being an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University. Needless to say, my experiences in the Honors Cohort Program has made the decision to go to Ohio State the best to date.

When I was lost, the Cohort Community helped me find my way. During the internship recruiting process, I struggled with understanding what I really wanted to do. Many doors opened, but with each closing door, I felt the pressure starting to mount. Month after month while my peers were landing their dream jobs, I saw myself tumbling down an unfamiliar road. Fortunately for me, there were three members of the 20th Honors Cohort that took me under their wing and mentored me through the process. They helped me discover my value and my identity. Not only did they become valuable mentors but close friends. I will cherish the memories we made for a lifetime. Furthermore, Ty connected with me a few Cohort alumni in the investment banking industry, and I can honestly say that without any of their guidance, I would not be where I am today.

I owe my development as a professional and as a leader to the Cohort family. Whether it was the Impact Challenge, the trips to San Francisco and Chicago or the Crisis Challenge, my experiences in this program have made me a confident, selfless leader. With the guidance of my Cohort mentors and Ty and after countless hours of fun with my peers, a Michigander finally understood what it means to be a Buckeye. I am proud to call myself a Buckeye and more importantly, a member of the Honors Cohort Family. 

I want to express my gratitude and sincerely thank you for supporting the program. Because of the support from donors like you, this program will continue to let Cohort students grow both personally and professionally. Through this program, I have crafted friendships that will last a lifetime. Through this program, I have been able to pay it forward. Through this program, I have developed the skills necessary to be a leader in the professional world. Your support will allow us to pursue our dreams and embark on our journeys together as a Cohort family. Thank you for all your support.

Thank you all for your continued support! The Honors Cohort Program could not be what it is today without all of you.

Currently, it looks like we have a tie between the 20th and 23rd Cohort classes! 

There's still plenty of time to donate and ensure your class wins the annual Battle of the Classes! 

My name is Ali Tomsho, and I’m a third year Fisher student from Delaware, Ohio, studying Information Systems with minors in Analytics and Computer Information Science. 

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio it had always been my dream to come to The Ohio State University. The people, culture, and fast-paced environment caught my attention and had held it ever since my I had my official tour three years ago. 

Now as a junior at Ohio State, I have even more admiration for the students, faculty and programs offered through the Fisher College of Business. This spring, I was selected among 30 people to be a member of the 23rd Honors Cohort. 

After being only weeks into the program, I can say that I have grown more in the past few weeks than I have during the past two years at Ohio State. I have become more confident presenting my own ideas, working on teams and growing professionally. 

One of the events that helped me build that confidence was our Mock Super Day. As a student focused on technology and software, I often find myself intimidated by interviewing and networking. But at our Mock Super Day representatives from several different companies visited to help us prepare for interviews. We moved with a partner between six different companies to be asked an interview question from each company. We were provided immediate feedback on our answer from both our cohort partners and the interviewers.

This experience helped me develop professionally and helped me feel more comfortable moving into interview season. It also allowed us to gain exposure to real interview questions and to network with recruiters at some of our favorite companies. Walking out of that event, I felt confident professionally and was ready to implement some of the advice and feedback that I received through this event going forward. 

I wouldn’t have had this confidence-building experience had it not been for Cohort. That’s why I want to thank you for your support of the program. It means so much to me and the other 59 students in Cohort. 

Hello! My name is Connor Buehler. I’m a third-year Fisher student specializing in finance and human resources with a minor in history. I am thankful to be a member of the 23rd Cohort. It has been an experience like no other! 

One of the best moments was when we recently headed over to Schottenstein Center to meet with Chris Holtmann, the third-year head coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team. He was kicking off our Honors Cohort Impact Challenge, which is a six-month-long journey into making a difference in our community through service projects. 

Just before Coach Holtmann arrived, Ty Shepfer, program director of Honors Cohort, had presented our team assignments. We could not wait to get started. But the process of building a new team to accomplish so much in so little time at first seemed daunting – almost “impossible.” 

But the coach’s inspiring talk was by far one of the most interesting and inspiring conversations I’ve ever experienced. He began by saying, “great teams have great teammates.” 

I am a basketball fan. However, regardless of sports, to hear about his time as a leader, to hear his advice regarding our own new teams, and to gain insights from someone who inspired a team that was destined to fail but performed far above expectations was very impactful for my classmates as well. 

Just two years ago, Coach Holtmann had been put into an uncomfortable situation by leaving what he had grown accustomed to at Butler. He faced the fire with full force and, in doing so, accomplished what seemed “impossible” only a few months earlier. 

Although a large majority of our talk was focused around being a great leader, fellow Cohort student Chungeun Cho raised a great question about being the best follower that you could be in a team environment such as Division 1 College Basketball. 

Chungeun recalled, “Coach Holtmann answered by saying that the water boy is an essential part of the team, and nobody thinks of him as a follower but a leader who helps the team. It meant a lot to me.” 

While we begin the process of being on teams of up to eight students, this is an important thing to remember – sometimes it is more important to thrive in your specific role than to be the overall leader. We all want to accomplish this in what will probably be the most testing months of our young academic careers, and we can’t wait, because we all have great teammates. 

On behalf of myself and the entire 23rd Honors Cohort, thanks for being part of the Honors Cohort team, and thanks for supporting the Honors Cohort 2019 fundraising campaign!