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Name: Haris Ali ’22
Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan
Major: Quantitative Economics
Minor: Accounting
OWU Connection Experience: Virtual internship with Chicago, Illinois-based Upkey Corp., a career guidance service, where he is working as an entrepreneurial finance and global leadership intern
Ali’s two-month summer internship is designed to help him develop the business, financial, and analytical skills he will need for a career in the financial services industry. His work includes performing market research and providing marketing and sales support. He also is participating in workshops to support career planning, effective communication, and building social capital.
“My favorite part is that I get to work with a cohort of diverse students and professionals from across different states in the U.S.A. and also a number of other countries,” said Ali, who has been named both a Latham Entrepreneurial Scholar and a Corns Business and Entrepreneurial Scholar at Ohio Wesleyan.
“Upkey’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness provides a safe environment for everyone to work in, which is especially important to me given our current situation. I also enjoy our weekly workshops, which are basically crash courses on different subject areas delivered by professors from different universities including Stanford.”
“This experience has and continues to prepare me for life after college. It has been Upkey’s goal since the beginning of the internship to provide the interns with valuable career-related skills to prepare us for life after graduation.
“Upkey, just like OWU, practices a liberal arts approach in its internship program, where I don’t focus on only one thing, but am able to learn across disciplines. I work on group projects with students from different majors including computer science, psychology, and neuroscience (just to name a few).
“I plan to work as a research analyst in the financial services sector, and I am able to get hands-on experience to prepare me for this career path. As part of the internship's capstone project, I will be conducting company research to inform on a stock pitch.
“Additionally, I am able to get out of my comfort zone, as each week I work with a different group of students and professionals. It teaches me how important communication is and how easily miscommunication can take place.”
“I chose OWU because of its diverse liberal arts program and its amazing faculty. I have really enjoyed the small class sizes and getting to work with the professors one-on-one.”
“I plan to work as a research analyst in the financial services sector after graduation before returning to college to get my Ph.D. in Economics.”