How do you repay someone for their immeasurable guidance? This was the question Brukie Kassa grappled with after graduating from The Ohio State University last year. Rather than repay, she chose to pay forward, starting an ODI educational fund to honor her mentor, Chaka Wilson.
“Chaka has made a really big impact on me, which is why I wanted to start this scholarship. I want to help her help other students who are in my shoes—people who are active in different organizations, giving back to the community, and also a full-time student,” Kassa said. “There are a lot of accomplished students who cross Chaka’s desk who have done what I’ve done or even more, and they just need that financial assistance.”
A 2023 Ohio State graduate with a degree in accounting, Kassa met Wilson in her first year at Columbus State Community College (CSCC). The pair teamed up to create the Columbus State Buckeye Bound Program, an organization for prospective Ohio State transfer students.
“The idea was that we would create our own community, so when we did transfer, we would know somebody and already have made those connections before getting to the university,” Kassa explained.
While the organization didn’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic, Kassa and Wilson’s connection remained strong. When Kassa transferred to Ohio State in 2021, Wilson helped her find programs to aid the transition, including ODI’s James L. Moore (JLM) Scholars Program for CSCC transfer students.
“For Chaka to be a part of ODI helped me see what ODI is all about,” Kassa noted. “Staying connected with her helped me access those resources.”
During her time as a Buckeye, Kassa served as the secretary for the National Association of Black Accountants, the treasurer for Rhythm and Paint, and a JLM Social Peer Assistant. She also participated in Project THRIVE, a Fisher College of Business enrichment program for students from underserved backgrounds.
Those roles, along with Wilson’s guidance, helped Kassa gain confidence, especially in her career search as a first-generation college student of Ethiopian descent.
“I’m an introvert; I like to be the one standing in the corner unnoticed, but I realized that wasn’t getting me in the doors I wanted to be in,” Kassa commented. “It was Chaka who helped me understand that I was the only person holding me back. She always reminded me, ‘You’ll never know what you can achieve if you never try.’”
With newfound faith in herself, Kassa landed an accounting internship at Nationwide Insurance, and now works as a senior accountant on the company’s disbursement solutions team. Just a year out from graduation, Kassa is paying forward by creating a scholarship for JLM Scholars, which she hopes will spark a new tradition among recent graduates.
“You don’t have to make a lot of money or be a decade into your career to start giving back. You can start right when you graduate,” Kassa said. “Even just a couple hundred or a couple thousand dollars can make a huge difference.”
While Kassa created the award to impact students’ lives, she considers it really a tribute to Wilson.
“Chaka really advocates for all her students. She was the one who really inspired me to focus on myself, exclude all the outside noise, and just do what’s best for me. When I graduated, I didn’t know how I could thank her,” Kassa stated. “This scholarship is dedicated to her.”