Bright Futures for Business Badgers
The Wisconsin School of Business’s tight-knit community gives students a sense of belonging—something alumni feel long after graduation. A number of promising students who contribute to this passionate community couldn’t be part of it without scholarship support. “Scholarships help us recruit the best and brightest students to join the Business Badger community,” says Steve Schroeder, assistant dean, Wisconsin BBA. “Scholarship support alleviates financial burden and allows our students to focus on their learning experience.” And along with the relief financial support brings, these students receive something equally meaningful: a powerful affirmation of their ability to succeed. Here, four inspiring future leaders share how scholarships played a part in their student journeys at UW–Madison.
— Steve Schroeder Assistant Dean, Wisconsin BBA
Oluwatoosin “Yemi” Ajabge (BBA ’15)
For Oluwatoosin “Yemi” Ajabge (BBA ’15), the importance of education is a value her parents—who moved from Nigeria to Minnesota for their education—impressed upon her. In addition to a Powers-Knapp Scholarship, a merit-based, campus-wide award at the University, Yemi received offers from a number of other schools. But just one visit to UW-Madison convinced her it was the place to be. She knew that the spirit and pride she sensed on campus at UW was unique. And while other schools emphasized “what you can do for us,” Yemi says, UW-Madison stressed “what we can do for you.”
In December 2015, Yemi will graduate a semester early with a double major in finance and economics. She looks forward to pursuing a joint MBA/JD program and dreams of working with the Federal Trade Commission or Securities and Exchange Commission, helping ensure fair play in the marketplace.
For now, she’s pleased to call the UW home, embracing all the opportunities for learning and growth she finds both at the School of Business and through the cross-campus networking her scholarship has made possible. She’s powerfully motivated to absorb all she can while she’s here: “I aim to comprise this rich portfolio of knowledge, and take it with me always.”
David Welch (BBA ’17)
Growing up in Rockville, Maryland, David Welch (BBA ’17) had always envisioned attending college close to his hometown, and knew little about UW-Madison. David’s journey to the University began when a high school teacher identified his leadership talent and nominated him to the Posse Program, which offers students in the nation’s largest cities 32 weeks of pre-college training with a “posse” of students from their own metropolitan area.
During the program’s extensive interview process in the Washington, D.C., area, he met with UW alumni who impressed him with their sense of pride and commitment to the University. In choosing to attend the UW, David knew he’d be joining a passionate network of students and alumni.
Networking and skill sharing come naturally to David, who opted to join a First Year Interest Group (FIG), a UW-Madison learning community that connects freshmen with similar interests in classrooms and through extracurricular activities. Through the FIG, he discovered the Wisconsin School of Business. Now a sophomore, David continues his involvement in the Posse Program and serves as a BBA Ambassador, connecting with and acting as a resource for prospective UW–Madison students considering the School of Business.
In addition, David loves basketball (both playing and cheering on the Badgers on the court) and hopes to merge his passions by using his finance degree in the sports world. He fondly remembers the phone call from a UW alum in which he learned of his acceptance into the University. The alum shared the news by asking, “Do you have a lot of red in your closet?” He certainly does, and wears it with great pride.
In 2014, more than
2,600
business students received financial support.
Alex Pham (BBA ’16)
(Photo courtesy of Alex Pham)
Alex Pham (BBA ’16) never thought she would go to college. Although academically talented, she couldn’t envision a way to reconcile her commitment to caring for her younger brothers with the demands of a college education.
An encouraging teacher and the offer of a Chancellor’s Scholarship at UW-Madison helped her recognize that by first investing in her education, she could make a better life not only for herself, but also for her family and community. The Chancellor’s Scholarship Program offers merit-based awards to enrich the collegiate experience for students from underrepresented minority groups and disadvantaged backgrounds. A semester abroad in London has expanded Alex’s perspective even further, through exposure to the world economy and an even broader variety of cultures.
A summer internship with Kohl’s, the nation’s largest department store chain, will allow Alex to learn more about her field of study: management and human resources. She’s eager to test her leadership skills by helping develop new programs at Kohl’s, a corporation she admires for its innovative practices. Alex is committed to a career path that will allow her to help create more inclusive workplaces for women throughout their careers. Overcoming personal adversity, she says, has prepared her to apply her own unique perspective globally.
Noe Vital Jr. (BBA ’15)
Milwaukee native Noe Vital Jr. (BBA ’15) knew about UW-Madison—but as a first-generation college student, he was wary of its large campus and wasn’t sure the University would suit him. A guidance counselor—and UW-Madison alumnus—encouraged him to apply anyway. Once he visited campus, all his doubts disappeared.
At an internship with Bridgestone last summer, Noe honed his management skills and discovered a passion for marketing—particularly social media networking—he didn’t know he had. He returned to school energized by the idea of pursuing marketing, but concerned as he was quickly depleting the funds he needed to finish his degree. Within months, Noe received a Ford Scholarship.
The award was “huge for me,” Noe says with a look of sober gratitude. Since then, he’s added marketing to his management and human resources major, and will receive a degree in both fields this May.
Noe says the Wisconsin School of Business provided the encouragement and opportunity that inspired him to develop a social media app with friends, along with a business plan and strategy for bringing the app to market. He is bursting with enthusiasm to see the plan through, pointing out he has “worked harder knowing that others are invested.” The support of the School of Business and the scholarship money, he notes, have made both his studies and his plans for the future possible.
