Discover Canfield BHP 2023

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On Saturday, March 25, the students and faculty of the Canfield Business Honors Program came together for Discover Canfield BHP – an annual on-campus event to welcome newly admitted students to the Canfield BHP community. Throughout the day, admitted students heard from current Canfield BHP students about academics, career development opportunities, and college life. Admitted students also participated in mock lectures with Texas McCombs professors and enjoyed a group lunch while listening to Texas McCombs Dean Lillian Mills and Mr. Phil Canfield ’89.

After lunch, admitted students took part in icebreaker activities in small groups. Mila Nenadic, a Canfield BHP freshman, was one student volunteer who led icebreaker activities. Mila said, “My favorite memory was definitely playing the icebreaker ‘Guess the song’ because it got really intense, but my team still came out on top!”

During these small groups, Mila also offered some advice to admitted students about where to live on campus their freshman year and how to maximize their college experience. “The opportunities Canfield BHP offers are unmatched,” Mila explained, “and being in the program has allowed me to learn so much and discover what I’m passionate about.”

Soumil Voma, a Texas CSB freshman, was another icebreaker leader who enjoyed volunteering at Discover Canfield BHP: “My favorite part was the opportunity to give back to the Canfield BHP community by being a part of the process of recruiting the next leaders of the future. Last year, I was on the side of receiving advice. Now, I feel like I have had the chance to give back and provide advice to incoming freshman.”

While talking about his time as a student, Soumil explained that UT Austin is a great place for finding the perfect balance between focusing on academics and spending free time with friends.

After a successful day at Discover Canfield BHP, the students and faculty of Canfield BHP are looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2027 to campus this fall! Canfield BHP Peer Mentors will have another opportunity to volunteer and meet the Canfield BHP Class of 2027 at Leadership Kickoff, a weekend outing involving outdoor activities, team-building events, and an ice cream social for the freshman class.

Student Spotlight: Kiersten Schmidt

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Kiersten Schmidt

 

When Kiersten Schmidt was a freshman, she wanted a way to get involved with the Canfield BHP community outside of the classroom. She, therefore, joined the Texas Honors Business Association (HBA), which is Canfield BHP’s official student organization. While serving as a HBA committee member, Kiersten has had the opportunity to become closer with her Canfield BHP peers, connect with alumni, and give back to the community. Now, as a junior, Kiersten serves as HBA President, and we asked her to reflect on her time in HBA.

 

Read on to learn more about Kiersten’s experience with HBA and her advice for underclassmen and prospective Canfield BHP students!

 

1.) How would you describe the mission of HBA?

HBA’s mission is to provide academic, professional, social, and philanthropic opportunities for its members. We strive to build up a strong sense of community within the Canfield Business Honors Program and to enhance the college experience for all Canfield BHP students. Ultimately, we’d like to offer a home away from home to our members and offer support in any way that we can.

2.)  Why did you choose to get involved with HBA?

I chose to become involved in HBA my freshman year so that I could get to know and connect with my fellow Canfield BHP classmates on a more intimate level through its volunteer and social events. I was originally on the external affairs committee and really enjoyed organizing HBA’s philanthropic efforts and giving back to Austin’s community. After working on and later leading the external affairs committee, I transitioned over to HBA’s internal affairs committee and now have the opportunity to act as president of the organization. Beyond why I choose to get involved within HBA, I’ve chosen to stay involved these past three years because I have seen firsthand the difference that HBA makes in the lives of its members and within the Canfield Business Honors Program.

3.) What have you learned while serving as a member and as president of HBA?

Through serving as a member and president of HBA, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of leadership and giving back to Canfield BHP. It has really been an honor to work with my current executive team and provide a welcoming environment for Canfield BHP students to grow closer with one another, learn from several recruiting companies, and connect with our alumni. 

4.)  What has been your favorite memory as a member/lead of HBA?

While it’s hard to compete with my memories of HBA’s amazing mental health and corporate events, I would have to say my favorite memory from serving as HBA President has been hosting our committee interviews this past fall semester. It was really wonderful spending the day with the executive board and getting to meet the faces of so many new Canfield BHP students. The highlight was definitely welcoming so many of our interviewees to join HBA’s committee teams at the end of the day and spreading the excitement for the start of the year together.

5.) Do you have any general advice for Canfield BHP students on how they can make the most of their CBHP experience?

My general advice for Canfield BHP students to make the most of their college experience is to get involved in anything and everything that interests you. College is an amazing time to figure out what you’re passionate about and pursue it, and there’s no other time that you’ll be exposed to such a plethora of unique individuals and ideas. Beyond that, I would definitely suggest remembering to stop and appreciate where you are in life at the moment! College passes you by fast.

Student Spotlight: Zoya Farooqui and Sumedha Gonur

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Zoya Farooqui and Sumedha Gonur

Business or computer science? When deciding what to study in college, Zoya Farooqui and Sumedha Gonur were interested in both fields. That’s why they picked a program that allows them to explore their dual interests: the Texas Honors Computer Science and Business program (Texas CSB). Once they committed to Texas CSB last spring, Zoya and Sumedha met on Instagram and decided to be roommates. Now, as they are nearing the end of their first year of college, we asked them to reflect on their experience in Texas CSB.

Read on to learn more about their courses, extracurricular activities, and career aspirations!

1. What first drew you to Texas CSB?

We were intrigued by the opportunity to receive two honors degrees simultaneously in a dual-degree program. In a world where business and technology are increasingly interconnected, we were excited by the opportunities that this combined program would give us. Additionally, we looked forward to the small community within Texas CSB that would provide a unique experience within a large university like UT.

2.) What has your Texas CSB experience been like so far?

It is a tough program, but it has been extremely rewarding so far. We have made great friends and learned a lot of different things that are applicable to the real world. Living in the honors quad, taking classes with the same small group of people, and joining student organizations with a lot of the same people have strengthened the community and made it feel like a small college. 

3.) What classes have been your favorite?

Our favorite classes are MAN 101H: Leadership Challenges & Innovation and CS 429H: Computer Organization & Architecture. MAN 101H was a great class to meet our Canfield BHP classmates and engage in fun interactive activities. On the other hand, CS 429H is a challenging class with difficult concepts to grasp. However, both of us have enjoyed digging deeper into how computers work and the intricacies of coding languages rather than just typing up programs.

4.) Do your business and computer science classes complement each other?

Our business classes emphasize how technical skills are favorable in today’s job market and briefly cover the same concepts that we dive a lot deeper into in our computer science classes. For example, MIS 301H: Intro to Information Technology Management covers several technical concepts that we also learn about in our computer science classes. Additionally, in BA 101H: Professional Development & Career Planning, we were advised to learn coding languages and practice for technical interviews, which we were already doing in our computer science classes.

5.) How would you describe the Texas CSB community?

Our classes are tough, and it’s easy to want to give up sometimes. However, the community around us is so helpful and encouraging that we always make it through struggles together. Staying in the honors quad has enhanced this community since most of our classmates live near us, making it convenient to form study groups or ask questions throughout the day.

6.) What unique networking, professional development, and social opportunities are available to Texas CSB students?

Texas CSB students are mostly involved in the CSB community through CSBA, an organization that offers CSB students with social events, networking opportunities, and a big-little system. Personally, the big-little system has been great because we can talk to a Texas CSB upperclassman about opportunities and their experiences. We also have MAGICS brunches for Marginalized Genders in Computer Science. These brunches are a great way to network with other students and find out about more opportunities in computer science, especially for women in the field. Aside from the social aspect, Texas CSB offers special networking events with companies such as Goldman Sachs. The best part is also having the opportunity to attend the Canfield BHP social and networking events, too!

7.) How do you balance work, school, and sleep?

We try to finish our computer science labs during office hours with help from our TAs, which speeds up the process. We try to spread out our MIS 301H readings throughout the week so that they don’t pile up on us right before the due date. We also try to focus in class so that we have to spend less time outside of class catching up on concepts. 

8.) How do you plan to use your Texas CSB education for your career?

Having a degree in both computer science and business gives us more flexibility and job opportunities. We both plan to start off our careers in software engineering and then transition into more business-oriented roles in the future. Hopefully, our Texas CSB degrees allow us to make this transition more efficiently.

Student Spotlight: Ashley Omehe

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Canfield BHP senior Ashley Omehe lives by the belief that people should leave a place better than they found it. During her time on the 40 Acres, she has applied this belief to her work as the lead of the BlackHP affinity group.

“I would say that BlackHP’s mission is to cultivate a unified, safe space for black CBHP students to be their authentic selves and to establish camaraderie through mentorship and social events,” Ashley explained. 

When she was a freshman, Ashley wished there was a community of black Canfield BHP students to help ease her transition to college. She, therefore, jumped at the opportunity to lead BlackHP during her junior year, and she worked to build connections between black Canfield BHP students across all graduating classes. 

“By really making an effort to create the space we wanted for ourselves,” Ashley recalled, “my co-lead Michael and I transformed BlackHP from just a group on GroupMe that shares the occasional message to a group that can call each other friends and can seek solace in each other.” 

Ashley’s favorite memory in BlackHP was the Friendsgiving celebration in the fall of 2021. Ashley and her co-lead, Michael, hoped to use the social event to spark some new interest in their affinity group. “We were both really nervous about the turnout and how the event would go, but it ended up being really fun!” Ashley remembered. In fact, Ashley said that this Friendsgiving event “rejuvenated BlackHP and paved the way for where we are today.”

As Ashley prepares to graduate this spring, she has some advice for younger Canfield BHP students: “Get involved! I would say attend Honors Business Association meetings, go to networking events, volunteer within the program, go on company trips, and get to know the administration! It will only enhance your college experience and leave you with incredible memories.”

With her own college experience coming to a close, Ashley is looking forward to staying in Austin to work at DISCO in its Emerging Leaders Rotational Program.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Canfield Business Honors Program will be showcasing some of our Black/African American students and alumni for the month of February.

Student Spotlight: Annika Hesse

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Annika Hesse arrived on the 40 Acres with a mission—to find a way to explore her dual interests in business and healthcare. As a high school senior, Annika decided to study in the Canfield Business Honors Program because of its flexible degree plan that would allow her to gain a comprehensive business education while also learning about other fields of interest. Now in her first year at Canfield BHP, Annika is taking a mix of business classes like MAN 101H: Leadership Challenges and Innovations and STEM classes like CH 301: Principles of Chemistry I.

As part of the Canfield BHP community, Annika receives personalized advising attention from the program’s academic advisors, who can help her map out her four-year degree plan. (Stop by the Canfield BHP office, and there is a good chance you will find Annika at the peer advisor desk or completing her homework!) At the same time, Annika has had the opportunity to join Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health honor society where she has met other students passionate about healthcare. 

 

Outside of the classroom, Annika is exploring her dual passions by working with other Canfield BHP students to restart a student organization. “When I first got to UT, I began looking for an organization that combined my interests in both business and healthcare,”

Annika and her Canfield BHP peers decided to restart the Texas Business Healthcare Association (TXBHA), an organization “focused on filling in the gap between business and healthcare by exposing students to the financial, managerial, legal, and consulting aspects of the healthcare industry.”

TXBHA had become inactive during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Annika and her Canfield BHP peers were motivated to create a unique space where like-minded students could engage in career development: “We believe hearing about real-world experiences from industry professionals not only opens our members up to possible careers at the intersection of business and healthcare but also empowers them to pursue a relatively niche passion.”

 

Going forward, Annika has ambitious plans to incorporate community service opportunities and socials into TXBHA as well as develop a curriculum to teach members about the unique financial and managerial challenges within the healthcare industry.

 

As for Annika’s individual goals, she hopes to become a business-minded physician who can tackle broad issues within the healthcare industry. Additionally, she advises prospective Canfield BHP students with dual interests—whether in healthcare, computer science, or any other field—to get in touch with like-minded upperclassmen to learn more about the vast opportunities available on the 40 Acres.