At Ohio Northern University, Drew Elfers found a Polar Bear Sweetheart, a professional pathway, and a sense of purpose. He’s graduating beyond grateful for the ONU community.
“I’m really going to miss the connections I’ve made,” he says.
Drew jokes about being drawn to ONU in middle school because “orange was my favorite color.” Ultimately, however, he chose ONU to play lacrosse and because he found the academic opportunities to be “second to none.”
His first signature moment occurred during Welcome Weekend, when he met Rylie Kocik, a fellow business student. “The rest, as they say, is history,” he laughs. Now engaged, they have both have landed positions in Columbus: Drew at GBQ Partners and Rylie at Blue & Co., LLC.
ONU also led Drew to his profession. His professors guided him toward an accounting major, with minors in management and leadership studies, because they recognized his deep-seated interest in financial integrity.
“It’s important to hold publicly-traded companies accountable because investors rely on this information,” he says. “Keeping the record straight is what drives me.”
One of Drew’s biggest revelations, however, was finding fulfillment in helping others. Coming from a large high school near Cincinnati, he arrived at ONU with a competitive mentality, initially seeing peers as rivals. In ONU’s supportive environment, he soon internalized the “Bears help Bears” philosophy.
“I now try to be a servant leader, putting others before myself, and helping others in whatever ways I can,” he says.
But his competitive spirit isn’t entirely extinguished. This spring, he represented ONU at four professional conferences, taking top honors in competitions, including a first-place finish at the Beta Alpha Psi conference, and a best paper award at the Northern American Management Society conference for a collaborative research project with a fellow student and Dr. Kristie McHugh.
As he prepares for his next chapter, Drew plans to keep in touch with his alma mater. “I now understand why ONU’s alumni network is so strong,” he says, “everyone has an amazing experience here.”
