Designing a future: How BGSU and Life Design helped Sasha Jordan secure a career in fraud analysis

Through coaching and design thinking, the BGSU senior redefined her goals and secured a full-time role at Fifth Third Bank

By Branden Ferguson

Bowling Green State University differentiates undergraduate education by integrating Life Design into almost every aspect of the student experience, helping students turn uncertainty into opportunity. With support from Life Design coaches and the principles of design thinking, senior Sasha Jordan refined her career goals and secured a full-time fraud analyst position at Fifth Third Bank before graduation.

The second of five children, Jordan is the first in her family to attend college. Looking for support and a strong academic community, she valued the level of personalized support she found through Life Design. The innovative program launched in 2020 to empower students to shape their college experience and career goals through design thinking principles.

Jordan originally applied to BGSU to study forensics, but began questioning if that degree path aligned with her future career goals.

“I happened to stop in the Radbill Center while looking for a new place to study, when I met a Life Design ambassador and began talking about my concerns and my struggles with adjusting to being away from home," Jordan said. "Soon after, I connected with a Life Design coach, enrolled in BGSU 1910 and changed my major to criminal justice.”

Anchored by two centers – the Geoffrey H. Radbill Center for the College of Life Design and the Michael and Sara Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections - Life Design empowered Jordan to explore her options, reframe her goals and take action with confidence and intention.

Through the program, she discovered a passion for human services. Working with her Life Design and Career Design coaches, Jordan secured internships with the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office and Wood County Child Protective Services. These experiences, combined with design thinking mindsets, helped Jordan realize she wanted to apply her investigative skills in a corporate setting focused on advocacy and protection.

“Being from Cincinnati, I am very familiar with Fifth Third Bank, as they are headquartered in my hometown,” Jordan said. "I know they value a strong community, provide financial stability and offer opportunities for professional growth, so I applied for an entry-level fraud analyst position. I was contacted by a recruiter the next day and offered the position a week later.”

As a full-time fraud analyst, Jordan will analyze spending patterns to detect suspected fraud and protect customers. After a few years of experience, she'll be qualified to move into advanced roles in anti-money laundering and financial crimes: positions she feels she is prepared for thanks to the foundation built at BGSU.

“BGSU gave me hands-on experience and multiple professional opportunities that provided transferable skills for my future career,” Jordan said. “Outside the classroom, Life Design offered unwavering support, celebrated my wins and introduced me to new experiences.”

Jordan will graduate this spring and return home to Cincinnati, ready to launch her criminal justice career as a fraud analyst with Fifth Third Bank, empowered by the tools and mentorship she found at BGSU and in Life Design.