BGSU program supporting neurodivergent students attracts attention of JPMorganChase

Through a growing industry partnership, students in the University's FLY program gain access to internships, professional development and career connections

Bowling Green State University is one of the few universities in the nation with a program tailored to support neurodivergent students, drawing the attention of one of the world's largest financial institutions, JPMorganChase.

In its search for students who might benefit from its neurodivergent internship initiative, JPMorganChase officials reached out to Travis Brown, Ph.D., director of the Falcon Learning Your Way, or FLY program.

The FLY program serves a segment of the Bowling Green student population that experiences variations in social communication and interaction, such as dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or other forms of cognitive processing of information.

“They heard about our FLY Program and that it had an excellent reputation and that we were doing good work, so they wanted to connect with Bowling Green,” said Brown, who meets regularly with JPMorganChase officials. “There is a mutual respect for each other’s work.”

Jeffrey W. Cowgill, a vice president at JPMorganChase, said that a vital component of his company’s global strategy for students with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions is building strong partnerships with colleges and universities such as BGSU that support this community.

“These efforts strengthen career readiness, professional development, and self-advocacy among students that create more sustainable pathways from education to employment,” he said. “Bowling Green’s FLY program – recognized for its outstanding reputation – was a natural fit and an ideal partner as we build and strengthen this relationship.”

JPMorganChase sought the assistance of BGSU, Brown and other professionals in higher education as it developed a plan to assist this underserved segment of the workforce that may find it harder to gain employment.

An important element of JPMorganChase’s student strategy has been addressing the opportunity and employment gap many students face, and that emphasis meshed ideally with BGSU’s well-established FLY Program, which has been in place for more than a decade. A pair of Bowling Green students have taken part recently in the company's 10-week Neuroinclusion Emerging Talent Internship initiative.

“This internship is essential to expanding access to meaningful opportunities for students who might not otherwise have them,” Cowgill said. “Interns from the FLY program have consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and intellectual curiosity, enabling their success during the internship and showcasing the caliber of talent being developed at Bowling Green.”

Julia Sattler, a marketing and pre-law major who expects to graduate from BGSU next May, spent the past summer as a JPMorganChase intern working on the data analytics team.

“They were very willing to slow things down for me if I felt like it was going to be too much, but I wanted the full experience to train myself for the real world,” she said. “This internship taught me so much. It was really informative and broadened my perspective on jobs following graduation. The time there showed me that I am capable in a lot more areas than I might have thought.”

Catherine Stethem was the first BGSU student to participate in JPMorganChase's neurodivergent internship program in 2025. While there, she worked with the employee accessibility team, strengthened her communication skills and presented an innovative group project to senior leaders.

Brown said that is the internship experience he has been seeking for BGSU students as he works closely with JPMorganChase on a shared interest in addressing workforce challenges that certain students with learning differences face.

“It might be transportation issues, or what it is like to have ADHD and get through the workday when the work is intense,” he said. “With our industry partners, we are always looking at what we can do to help these workers fit in, and what accommodations can be provided.”

This fall, Brown took about two dozen FLY students to the Columbus offices of JPMorganChase, where they had the opportunity to meet with executives, talk about the internship program and network with staff.

“This is a chance for them to shine, and maybe line up an internship that maybe leads to employment,” he said. “We want our students to have as many opportunities as possible so they can start thinking about jobs after graduation.”

Brown said Bowling Green places a high priority on its role not only in preparing talent but also in helping employers design programs that better connect talent and industry needs.

“We don’t get students the job – they earn it,” he said. “We’re proud to help build connections as part of the process of building confident young professionals.”