Ohio Wesleyan University alumni are making a splash in the “real world.”
2024 alumni, Ben Buroker and Sophia Staples-Roy discuss what they have been up to after graduation and emphasize how OWU has helped them get where they are today.
Buroker studied Environmental Studies with a double minor in Geography and Spanish. Staples-Roy graduated with a Bachelor's degree in fine arts with a concentration in graphic design.
Buroker is working at Eagon & Associates Environmental Consulting Firm based out of Columbus, Ohio. He is a Hydrogeologist, working 60% in the field, and 40% in the office.
In the field, Buroker takes samples of water, measuring levels of chemicals and other tests. He then takes what he records in the field, and will bring it into the office with him.
In the office, Buroker will arrive a few minutes before 9:00 am. Buroker will then get on the phone with clients, and track how much time he had spent speaking with them. Then, he figured out which of his time was billable to the client and what time was non-billable.
After, Buroker will spend time focusing on the fieldwork that he performed. He’ll put the data onto a spreadsheet, and from there make a graph out of the data that he had found. After, when Buroker has free time, he asks project managers if they need help with anything or if they have something specific for him to accomplish.
When asked if Buroker had a prior internship with his job now, or even a relationship, he had this to say.
“I did not have an internship with them or any relationship prior, but I did do a summer research project with Dr. Rowley, studying vegetation and landscape analysis while using drones,” said Buroker on how he got into his field, “Meeting with my advisor, professors, and the faculty members in the career department helped me learn that environmental consulting was even a career choice.
Dr. Rowley had helped him immensely by giving him a head start.
“He had shown me what fieldwork was, and how to actually practice science in the field”, said Buroker.
Staples-Roy’s experience working, however, has been extremely different from Buroker's. She is a Marketing Coordinator and Designer for NASCO, a healthcare company.
Staples-Roy works remotely She said, “A typical day in my life is working 8:30-4:30, I sit in on meetings and complete any tasks sent my way. Although there is a learning curve, it’s so exciting to be able to work on projects on my own.”
Even though Staples-Roy is working remotely, she still sits in or attends events and other company-wide activities.
Staples-Roy did not have an internship with her company before working with them, but she had worked with OWU through their internship programs in the Arts department.
Staples-Roy heard about the job opportunity through a family friend, but mentioned, similar to Buroker, that her time at OWU with different professors really helped point her in the right direction for after school.
Staples-Roy mentioned that there were two OWU professors who had helped her realize that she could pursue what she loves. The first professor was Professor Kristina Bogdanov.
“She always held me accountable for pushing myself and pursuing my goals. Whether she was familiar with the topics or not, she always made sure that she was able to help me in any way she could,” said Staples-Roy.
Staples-Roy also talked about Professor Jeff Nilan.
“Professor Nilan always kept up conversations regarding post-grad as well as sharing his own journey which inspired me and fellow classmates to pursue our passions knowing that if you do what you love, work can be really fun,” said Staples-Roy.
Finding a professor, or any OWU faculty member who can push students to work on themselves and their goals, are essential to post-graduation success.
Using the resources that OWU provides its students is important for a smooth transition into the workforce after graduation. These two alumni are great examples of how students can succeed by using the tools around them.
Left to right: Jeff Schultz, Andrea Whitlow, Becky Roberts, Andrea Keopke, Sophia Staples-Roy, Sharron Pickett, and Melissa Laake
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