Michaela Trawick at Maria Alm in Austria
Ohio University alumna Michaela Trawick ’20 arrived in Athens as a first-generation college student from out of state. She says it took a semester to get her feet under her, and now she’s off to the races with a great start to her career.
At OHIO, she earned a B.A. in Economics and a minor in German and interned at Five Guys.
Now she’s a corporate analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Q: Who were your favorite professors and how did they make an impact on your life?
A. I was very fortunate to have a number of professors who had left a positive impact on me. A few of the standouts were Dr. Julia Paxton, Dr. Harold Winter, and Dr. Jeremy Morris. Both Dr. Paxton and Dr. Winter were responsible for teaching me the fundamentals of Economics and how it can be used. They both helped to solidify my interest in Economics. Professor Morris taught me to question everything, a skill that has proved very useful in my personal life as well as my professional career.
Q: Do you still keep in touch with any of your faculty?
A. I still keep in touch with a few of my professors as well my mentors from the Cutler Scholars Program.
Q: What was your ah-ha moment at OHIO—that point where you said to yourself, “I’ve got this!”?
A. When I received my grades after finishing my first semester. I worked really hard and was able to finish my first semester with a 4.0 GPA.
Q: What was the hardest hill you had to climb (not counting Jeff Hill) at OHIO? And how did you overcome challenges or obstacles in your path?
A. I was an out-of-state and first-generation college student. I remember when I first arrived to campus, I had high expectations to meet my best friends and make exciting memories as soon as I get to campus, and that wasn’t the case for me. My first semester, I really struggled to connect with others and make lasting friendships. I also really missed my family and felt like I was navigating through the struggles of being a student all by myself.
My solution was to get involved in things that interested me. I joined intramurals, ROTC, student government, and got an on-campus job, and eventually I found my people. Getting involved helped me feel connected, and I finally felt like I was a part of the OHIO community.
Michaela Trawick in Berlin
Q: What are your favorite OHIO memories?
A. Running for Student Senate was an extremely rewarding and fun experience. I also really enjoyed becoming an RA, studying abroad, and attending the International Street Fair each year.
Q: What’s the one thing you would tell a new OHIO student not to miss?
A: If you have the opportunity to study abroad, DO IT. I studied abroad in Salzburg, Austria, for a semester—and it was life changing. I learned so much about myself and the world around me through that experience, and it helped shaped who I am today.
Editor’s Note: The Happy Beginnings series features recent College of Arts & Sciences graduates who are getting started in careers, graduate school and service.
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