Caleb Wooddell
The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business
“Food and film enthusiast striving to learn, push myself, and be a friend to all.”
Fun fact about yourself: I love learning to play new instruments, from the piano and alto saxophone to the ukulele and didgeridoo.
Hometown: Dublin, OH
High School: The Wellington School
Major: Finance
Minor: Engineering Sciences and Film Studies
Favorite Business Course: Applied Fundamental Investing (BUSFIN 4235)
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
- The Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) Honors Program Member
- IBE Product Design Pitch Competition “Top in Class” Award Recipient
- IBE Video Game Software Design Competition Finalist
- Student Ambassador Captain for the Fisher College of Business
- Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity Member and Vice President of Chapter Operations
- Ohio State University Honors Program
- Dean’s List (all semesters)
- 2026 Pace Setters S. Maurice Bostic and Birch S.M. Bostic Memorial Award for outstanding member of the senior class
- 2025 Pace Setters Award Recipient
- Bethel Presbyterian Church Volunteer
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Chipotle Mexican Grill in Columbus, OH as a Payroll and Licensing Intern
- The Wendy’s Company in Dublin, OH as a Finance Intern
Where will you be working after graduation? After graduating, I will be working as a Financial Analyst on the Marketing and Digital Finance team at The Wendy’s Company in Dublin, OH.
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite professor is Kristina Kennedy, who leads the Integrated Business and Engineering Honors Program. The IBE program is designed to teach the intersection of the business and engineering disciplines. It lasts for all four years of college, and I have had the pleasure of getting to learn from Professor Kennedy since my freshman year. She is committed to the growth of every student and wants to see them succeed, both in and out of the classroom. Whether it is by providing her industry expertise for a project or sharing countless opportunities, Professor Kennedy is invested in everyone she encounters. Additionally, she challenges us to think of things from a different perspective to help us develop proper solutions and improve our critical thinking. Professor Kennedy’s dedication and leadership in the IBE program have left a lasting impact on my personal and professional development.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson that I have gained studying business is the incomparable value of having strong relationships. Your networks and communities are often your biggest assets as the people you surround yourself with guide and shape your career and personal development. From learning new skills to getting endless support, it is the relationships you make that can open doors and lead you to success. Investing in the people around you is the best investment you can make, and the one with the highest return.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? When deciding what you want to major in, it is necessary to study something that genuinely interests you rather than something you feel obligated to pursue. Growing up, my mom would always tell me to “put the blinders on,” meaning that I needed to stop comparing myself and focusing on what everyone else was doing. Find something (the functional area, the industry, the location, the community, etc.) that really excites you about business so that you can evolve with your interests.
In business, a great way to truly find and foster your passions is by trying different things. Whether that is taking a class, joining an extracurricular activity, or getting an internship, there are many great ways to get involved in college. These will reveal if you enjoy the subject, or if you do not, which I would argue is equally valuable. If you take a class in a certain subject and do not enjoy it, it is unlikely that that is something you want to pursue full time after graduating.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? If I could start over in my experience at Fisher, I would push myself to take more risks. This could look like joining more organizations, raising my hand more often in large lecture halls, and pursuing ideas even if they were not fully formed. I would not overthink my actions and decisions, and continuously get outside of my comfort zone so I could fail fast and fail forward. Even if things do not go according to plan or I do not get the right answer, I would learn from my mistakes and come back stronger the next time.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? Artificial intelligence is continuously being incorporated into the curriculum at the Fisher College of Business. Students are encouraged to use AI as a tool that should complement the learning process, such as by helping create flashcards when studying or providing further examples and explanations of concepts. Also, many classes in Fisher involve the evaluation of AI responses. A professor may ask for the students to run a problem through AI, but then also ask them to argue whether the response is fully accurate. This has revealed the insight that AI can often provide false or incomplete information, and even if the response is accurate, human perspective and critical thinking are needed to fully take advantage of this tool. Fisher has shown that AI can boost learning and not completely replace it.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? An achievement I am extremely proud of is becoming the Captain Ambassador for the Fisher College of Business. As ambassadors, we provide tours of the college and share our personal experiences on panels for prospective students and their families. When I became a captain for the program, I also began managing the team and giving presentations about the college’s resources and academics in front of hundreds of people. This experience is something I am proud of because, truth be told, I am absolutely terrified of public speaking.
When I started giving presentations, I thought that I lacked the confidence needed and could not truly portray how much I love THE Ohio State University. However, through the encouragement of my team and countless practice sessions, I have been able to have fun with the presentations and show my personality on stage. I appreciate being able to have an impact on students making the difficult situation of where they want to go to college and will always remember when a (now current) student approaches me and says that I helped them know they wanted to come to OSU. I am forever grateful for this program and the community it has provided because it supported me and helped me grow in more ways than I can say.
Which classmate do you most admire? The past four years at OSU would not have been the same without the amazing people I was able to be with and meet. The classmate that I admire the most is Jacob Tartabini. I met Jacob during my Junior year of college when he was going through the recruitment process for my business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. Now, not only is he my “little” in the fraternity, but also one of my best friends. It is impossible to be around Jacob without having a smile on your face because he radiates positivity and truly cares about everyone he encounters. It is no surprise that we cannot walk anywhere on campus without running into someone he knows. Even though he is younger than me, I look up to him like he is my older brother. He works extremely hard at everything he does, follows through with his passions, and has the tenacity that I know will take him far. I cannot wait to see all that Jacob accomplishes.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my entire family for their continuous support, and in particular, I am grateful for my older brother Josh. Josh has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. He has always been there to support me in my successes and encourage me when I fail. Josh knows me probably better than I even know myself, and he always knows exactly how to make my day better. Josh and I took different paths when it came to academics; he studied Neuroscience at OSU and is currently in medical school, whereas I faint at the sight of blood and went the business route. No one is more dedicated and determined than my brother. Not only does he spend his time studying medicine, but he works as a personal trainer and volunteers at various locations. Josh can balance all his involvements and still thrives in his classes. His drive and focus to become a doctor consistently inspire me to be a better version of myself.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first goal on my professional bucket list is to obtain positions of leadership and manage a team. I want to be able to mentor a group of people within the company towards a common goal and give back by helping the future generations of the organization. A second goal of mine is to intentionally expand my professional network with leaders in the industry. I aim to learn from their experiences, gain insights from various perspectives, and build upon this knowledge to grow professionally.
What made Caleb such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“Caleb Wooddell exemplifies the very best of the Fisher senior class through a rare combination of academic excellence, leadership depth, and service-minded impact. Caleb has consistently distinguished himself as someone who elevates every community he joins. His selection as a Fisher College of Business Pace Setter—an honor reserved for the top 1% of Fisher students based on academics, leadership, and service—speaks to the sustained excellence he has demonstrated throughout his undergraduate career. This commitment was further recognized when he received the S. Maurice Bostic and Birch S.M. Bostic Memorial Award earlier this year, honoring an outstanding member of the graduating class for academic achievement and leadership.
Beyond accolades, Caleb’s leadership has had tangible, lasting impact within Fisher. As Captain of the Fisher Student Ambassadors, Vice President of Chapter Operations for Delta Sigma Pi, and an active member of the Integrated Business and Engineering Honors Program, he has taken on roles that require not just initiative, butHowdy, Jeff Schmitt
What ultimately sets Caleb apart is his strong sense of responsibility to both campus and community. His long-standing volunteer work with youth-focused and service organizations reflects a genuine commitment to using his skills and time in service of others, not simply as a résumé line but as a core value. Caleb brings together intellectual rigor, humility, and a collaborative spirit that embodies the Fisher ethos. He is a principled, high-impact leader; one whose influence will extend well beyond graduation and into the business world and broader community.”
Jana Lithgow
Executive Director of Undergraduate Programs
Fisher College of Business
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