Joe Kline
Ohio State University (Fisher)
“An observant theorist with a mediocre billiards game.”
Fun fact about yourself: I am the proud owner of a Bonsai tree named Barry.
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
High School: Eastern High School
Major: Finance
Minor: Economics
Favorite Business Course: I have two: Macroeconomics and Organizational Behavior
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Co-founder RESÜME — Career Readiness for Returning Citizens (incarcerated individuals)
Suicide Hotline Volunteer — North Central Mental Health Services
Director of Corporate Relations and Innovation Committee — Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity
Founder of the Five Years Committee — Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity
Mentor — College Mentors for Kids
Ambassador — Fisher College of Business
Member — Fisher College of Business Honors Cohort
Project Lead — Buckeye Undergraduate Consulting Club
Vice President — Romophos Class Honorary
Member — Business Honors Learning Community
Recipient — Fisher College of Business Walter M. Rudin Outstanding Junior Award
Recipient — Fisher College of Business Pace Setters Award
Recipient — Max M. Fisher Scholar
Where have you interned during your college career?
Lincoln Financial Advisors – Worthington, Ohio – Wealth Management Intern
DHL Supply Chain – Westerville, Ohio – Financial Analyst Intern – Life Sciences and Health Care
KPMG – Columbus, Ohio – Advisory Intern
Where will you be working after graduation? I will be conducting a year of service with AmeriCorps to assist communities that are recovering from the opioid crisis.
What did you enjoy most about your business school? Business students at Fisher are extremely inquisitive people who challenged me intellectually and made me see ideas and concepts from different perspectives.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Incentives are a powerful force that can easily backfire. When used properly, they can move people towards a common goal, but understanding how and why they work is essential to their appropriate utilization.
“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying… History – a vastly underappreciated major that can teach invaluable life lessons to those who take the time to study it.”
What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The people who major in business. My perception going in was that these students were trying to make it big, and some were; but others were more interested in taking their skills and applying them to formidable causes, such as working for a non-profit.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My principles of business teacher in high school, Mr. Morgan. He gave me the opportunity to run our student coffee shop, which sparked my interest in business.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Eight incredibly-talented friends and I created an organization to reduce recidivism rates in the Ohio community. It took an immense amount of time to design the curriculum and get into a correctional institution to teach returning citizens about career readiness. I am proud to say that I was a part of that team.
If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the business school? There is nothing that I would change. I would take the initiative to meet as many students as possible. I am continually amazed by the backgrounds of some of the people I meet here at Ohio State and Fisher.
Which classmate do you most admire? I cannot single out a specific person, as I have learned invaluable ideas and mannerisms from all of them. I can say that the idea of humility is heavily pronounced in those I admire most.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My peers and parents for constantly reminding me how invaluable my support system is — no matter who they may be.
What would your theme song be? “This Girl” by The Kungs (it was my top song on my 2017 Spotify playlist)
What are the top two items on your bucket list? Dramatically change someone’s life for the better and read “Infinite Jest”.
Favorite book: Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis
Favorite movie: Interstellar
Favorite vacation spot: Somewhere I can ski down a mountain.
What are your hobbies? I enjoy skiing, playing pool with my roommates and reading.
What made Joe such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?
“Joe Kline has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He challenges the status quo by questioning why the default exists in the first place. Joe is a servant leader who gives back to his community and he mentors younger year students through constantly giving his time to help others. His level of curiosity sets the benchmark for the 2018 class and it is contagious for all those who surround him.”
Ty Shepfer
Senior Lecturer & Director, Honors Cohort Program
Fisher College of Business
DON’T MISS: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2018 — THE COMPLETE LIST
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