At Oberlin, success is around every corner

When Jesse Cruz ’25 joined the Ashby Business Scholars Program last year, it opened his eyes to a new way of kicking off his career journey. Even for those who aren’t business majors, the organization provides countless opportunities to all Obies joining the workforce.

“It completely changed my approach to applying and interviewing,” he says. “I realize now utilizing the alumni from Oberlin is a path that has the highest success. I’ve met a ton of alumni now and they have all been incredibly supportive, some even telling all of us in Ashby, ‘Talk to me, get a line of communication going, we’ll refer you into the company and get you a better shot.’”

When Jesse begins working at Synchrony–a consumer financial services company–after he graduates in May, he’ll take this networking knowledge with him into the business world. As a math and computer science double major, he’s also excited to apply his Oberlin coursework to his new position.

“Majoring in math was an expansion of not only analytical thinking but also just a new perspective on how to view the world, which I thought was very awesome,” he says. “I think the class that changed a lot of my perspective on things in general was called Linear Optimization, and it was taught by Bob Bosch.”

Jesse explains that this course taught him how to apply logic, organization, and problem-solving skills to a wide variety of situations, both academic and professional:

“There is a lot of room for me to explore that in my new job. In my internship last semester, Synchrony did these things called IP sprints where we were able to work on our own skills and interests, and so during that sprint I actually worked on optimizing something related to my work and they gave me opportunities to explore that more.”

He also emphasizes that this skillset is transferable and an “important tool regardless of field,” encouraging his fellow Obies to explore all their interests to give their careers flexibility.

In addition to Ashby and an invigorating curriculum, Jesse credits the accomplished faculty for creating a valuable and enriching experience at Oberlin.

“My professors have made a significant impact on my education, especially coming from my high school where I felt like a little fish in a big pond,” he says. “I had a phenomenal experience with having such a strong line of communication with my Oberlin professors, and any time I struggled or was confused about something, there was always an outlet for me to go talk to them.”

Jesse looks forward to continuing the skill development he began during his software engineering internship at Synchrony. He returns to the company as a full-time employee this July, and is excited to use software development and mathematical modeling to create innovative solutions that transcend industries. 

If you’re excited about everything the future has in store, check out Career Exploration and Development to learn how Oberlin can help you turn your passions into a fulfilling career.