Alexis Cheek

I used to have a hard time with Math, in fourth and fifth grade. It really bothered me that I wasn’t doing well & I began to resent the subject because I was having such a hard time. However, I persevered, developed my skills and began to really enjoy the subject. In 6th grade, I was actually invited to the “gifted” math course which I thoroughly enjoyed. I went on to take honors & AP courses from 8th Grade through High School. Though beginning at a young age, my experiences with mathematics empowered me to apply to Ohio State with the desire to pursue my passion for Math and the goal to have a career in a STEM field.

My love for mathematics, as well as my skill in math made it seem like a no brainer that I would study math in college. I also was aware that Ohio State is such an awesome school & so well-known academically (and for Sports- Go Bucks!). In addition, it was just close enough, yet far enough away from home. I was fortunate enough to have a parent working with the university at the time and was able to receive a generous discount as well- so selecting OSU was an easy choice.

My degree drove me to seek out a profession that allowed me to actively use my education in my day to day. I started my career as an analyst at Abercrombie & Fitch working in operations and performing analyses to make better business decisions. I have since moved on to Sherwin-Williams as an analyst on the marketing data analytics team and have been able to get even more aligned with doing what I love!

During college, I really struggled with Abstract Algebra (both 1 & 2) and utilized all of my resources to help me with that course- Office Hours, Tutoring, Study partners, meetings with my TA & completing all homework as well as studying, but still struggled quite a bit with the course. At the end of each semester, I received a passing grade which was the biggest relief because I gave all of my effort to those classes & had many sleepless nights studying for those courses which paid off with good results. It truly felt like I had won a gold medal! After graduation, my most proud accomplishment would have to be my career & advancements through different roles thus far. I've been lucky to work with some fantastic people and continue learning post-grad within my career. It has been really rewarding to further my knowledge, keep growing professionally and challenging myself in new & stimulating ways. These experiences have shaped me into a successful & strong analyst.