Tyler "Ty" Shepfer
Director of the Honors Cohort Program and the Academic Director of the Master of Human Resource Management Program
I'm the director of the Honors Cohort Program at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business. It's a two year MBA-like experience for the undergraduates during their junior and senior year.
What led you to the path of teaching at Ohio State?
I’m a born and bred Buckeye. I did my undergrad and master’s degree here at Ohio State. I did about 7 years in the (business) industry and then came back to Ohio State in a teaching capacity in 2015 and have been here ever sense.
Being a born and bred buckeye, I grew up loving Ohio State mostly for the athletics. What I didn’t realize once I came here was just the broad exposure I would have to so many opportunities. Opportunities I didn’t know existed before coming to Ohio State being from small town Ohio and ever since I’ve been here, having that exposure -these opportunities just opened doors to things I didn’t know existed.
What advice do you have for Ohio State students and their success in Honors?
I always encourage students to give themselves grace and patience as they’re navigating this new sea of ambiguity at Ohio State and to remember that there isn’t growth without failure so identifying those failures and looking at them as an opportunity to grow is incredibly important to build that resilience muscle so they can take on the next challenge.
Share your favorite Ohio State tradition.
One of the most underrated Ohio State traditions is commencement. I make it a priority every year to go to commencement to see the students. I saw them at the beginning of their journey and now they’re getting ready to go on to the next thing. It’s just so rewarding to experience the growth they achieve during their time at Ohio State and then staying in touch with them for years to come.