Jon Osika '25

Q: What is one thing you would want a prospective student to know about Lehigh?

A: Lehigh has a wide variety of opportunities available, but it's up to you to take initiative. Involving yourself in extracurriculars as a member, or hopefully a leader, is the best way to stand out and expand beyond your teachings in the classroom. When you involve yourself in a club, program, fellowship, etc. make sure you do it out of genuine interest instead of just adding lines to the resume. So many aspects of a Lehigh education are what you make of it.

Q: How has Lehigh prepared you to take on tomorrow’s challenges?

A: As a member of Lehigh's Global Social Impact Fellowship (GSIF), I'm the project leader for a team commercializing technology for desalination and wastewater purification in the water-stressed regions of the Philippines. The global water crisis is a rising issue, especially in Southeast Asia. With our project in GSIF, we can mitigate the issue through one of Lehigh's top experiential learning programs. GSIF is an incredible opportunity to apply and build upon your coursework. As someone with a background in economics, I have spent more time on engineering-related problems through GSIF than I ever would have expected. The breadth of critical thinking you do as a fellow gives you a more well-rounded education than you would otherwise have strictly in the classroom. This has made me confident I can approach a variety of industries after graduation.

Q: Do you have any advice for a prospective student that’s considering Lehigh?

A: As someone who has changed majors and minors multiple times, I’m very fortunate to have chosen a school with such strong programs across all colleges. My advice would be to not stay married to any field of study or post-graduate plan. What you learn in classes will drastically shape the way you see your available fields of study, so as a prospective student, be ready to have your perspectives changed.

Q: You participated in several study abroad programs, how was your experience, were there any unexpected challenges that you had to overcome?

A: Through Lehigh, I have participated in (or will be participating in) four different programs that include some sort of travel outside of Lehigh. Three of them were international, two of them were fully funded and one was partially funded, but all of which are among my favorite experiences at Lehigh. If you are someone looking to take full advantage of opportunities abroad and graduate with some incredible stories, Lehigh is the place for you. The programs are listed below in chronological order:

• Lehigh in Milan (Milan, Italy): May - July 2023 (fully funded through Lehigh's Tauck Scholarship)

• Global Social Impact Fellowship Fieldwork (Manila, Philippines): July - August 2023 (partially funded through the Office of Creative Inquiry and the College Business Department of Finance)

• Lehigh Silicon Valley (California's Bay Area): January 2024

• Martindale Honors Associate Program (Taiwan): May - June 2024 (fully funded by Lehigh's Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise)

Q: Where have you found support and mentorship at Lehigh? How has it shaped your experience?

A: My greatest mentors have come in the form of professors and program directors. My first would be Joshua Ehrig. I've taken several of his entrepreneurship courses and he does an incredible job making classes fun and informative. Another would be Khanjan Mehta, Vice Provost for Creative Inquiry. He has offered great guidance during my time in GSIF and has supported me in opportunities I never would have imagined having. Another would be Professor Parveen Gupta. Professor Gupta runs the Lehigh in Milan program, a summer study abroad program that I participated in over the summer of 2023 that I cannot recommend enough. Lastly, Professor Todd Watkins has taught two of my favorite classes at Lehigh (Managerial Economics and Microfinance) and runs the Martindale Honors Associate Program. As a Martindale Honors Associate, I will be traveling to Taiwan this summer to develop research topics for a paper I will publish in the following two semesters. With these opportunities and guidance, my Lehigh education allows me to stand out among the crowd.

Q: What has been your biggest passion project thus far over your college career? Has it given you any clarity about what you want to pursue after graduation?

A: I’d say the first project that deserves highlighting is the GSIF desalination and water purification project I previously mentioned. I always liked the idea of working at the intersection of the environment, entrepreneurship and economics, but this project helped me realize I could do all three. As fellows, we are encouraged to treat our projects as real startup ventures. Doing so has given me the confidence to start a venture at some point in my life. Another important project to me has been my work as the Co-Director of Lehigh's TAMID Financial Consulting chapter (TAMID VC). In TAMID VC, our group of roughly 10 students work for venture capital funds located in Israel, completing tasks revolving around due diligence, portfolio modeling, and deal sourcing. This work, in combination, with our GSIF project has given me experience on both sides of the startup venture coin: venture investing and venture building. With this experience, I'll likely end up on either side of the coin shortly after graduation.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Lehigh?

A: It has to be the architecture. There is no replacement for the feeling of walking home at night from your study spot and looking up at the buildings on campus. The scenery really drives you to work as hard as possible.

Q: Where is your favorite study spot or place to relax on campus?

A: Sorry... It's a secret!