51社区

The year is 1984, and OHIO freshman Byron Ward needs one more class to fill out his full-time student schedule. He decides to approach renowned professor Dr. Francine Childs to see if he can take her African American Psychology course. Childs looks at him and says, 鈥淪on, this is a 300-level class. I don鈥檛 usually let freshmen take my course.鈥�

Ward looks Childs in the eye and says, 鈥淢a鈥檃m, I鈥檓 not your average freshman.鈥�

Bold words, but Ward can certainly back them up鈥攁s this dedicated changemaker has always been anything but average. During his time on campus, Ward founded the Black Student Business Caucus (still thriving nearly 35 years later as the Multicultural Student Business Caucus); since graduating with honors in 1989, he has gone on to hold top leadership positions at AT&T, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Year Up and more. Ward has also kept one foot firmly on the bricks of Athens, serving in a wide capacity of roles from a seat on the 51社区 Foundation Board of Trustees to helping plan the wildly popular Black Alumni Reunion.

鈥淥HIO is home鈥擨鈥檝e walked on these bricks, bled on these bricks, sweat on these bricks,鈥� explains Ward, who won a Distinguished Service Award in 2022 for his vast alumni involvement. 鈥淚 want to help the current Black students have a great experience and finish (their education).鈥�

Ward is so invested in helping current students thrive largely because he knows precisely what it鈥檚 like to fight for one鈥檚 college education. A native Clevelander, Ward hailed from a single-parent household鈥攚ith his family living in inner-city Cleveland through the sixth grade and then moving to Cleveland Heights. Initially, Ward wanted to attend an HBCU (historically black college and university) but decided to stay closer to home and choose an Ohio-based school. 

鈥淚 remember looking at the brochure for OHIO, and thinking, 鈥楾his is what college is supposed to look like,鈥欌€� says Ward. Once at OHIO, Ward found his groove on campus academically and socially鈥攇etting involved with the Black Student Union and hosting popular variety shows鈥攂ut struggled to stay afloat financially. With his enrollment hanging in the balance, Childs offered Ward the chance to live with her for one quarter during his sophomore year (having seen his drive and talent during his successful bid to study with her as a freshman). 

鈥淏y sophomore year, Dr. Childs and I had a relationship, and she called my mom to say, 鈥榃hat can we do to help?鈥� says Ward. 鈥淭hat was a huge moment in my shift.鈥�

Yet junior year presented more challenges, with Ward taking a quarter off to assist his mother in caring for his ailing grandfather. Ward was determined to return though and came back strong鈥攆ounding the Black Student Business Caucus and adding another major in African American Studies. Ward was eventually named 鈥淥utstanding Senior Leader,鈥� a coveted award that he considered a 鈥渉uge honor 鈥� since it was named for John Templeton, the first Black graduate of the University.鈥�

Throughout his career, Ward has continued to make good on that early promise of leadership. He started as a rising star in the telecommunications space, taking management roles and helming employee resource groups for AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and Avaya. In 1995, Ward was named one of Ebony鈥檚 鈥�50 Leaders of Tomorrow,鈥� and in 1998, he relocated from Cleveland to Somerset, New Jersey, where he continued to climb the corporate ladder but eventually felt the call to do something more meaningful.

鈥淚 had always wanted to go into the nonprofit space,鈥� says Ward. 鈥淚 could smell the tea leaves shifting, and I knew it was time for me to make a move.鈥�

In 2013, Ward landed at Year Up, a national nonprofit focusing on 鈥渃losing the opportunity divide鈥� in America through a unique model of tuition-free job training and sponsored internship opportunities. As regional director, Ward oversaw seven of the nonprofit鈥檚 28 markets, relishing the opportunity to further the futures of marginalized people entering the workforce.

鈥淵ear Up鈥檚 goal is to galvanize and grab young adults who want it but don鈥檛 have the access,鈥� explains Ward. 鈥淎s we move toward a more skills-based economy, we鈥檙e helping prepare people for roles that don鈥檛 require a degree.鈥�

After nearly a decade at Year Up, Ward is now starting a new professional adventure at OneTen鈥攁 nonprofit with a similar mission of providing one million well-paying jobs for Black Americans who don鈥檛 have a four-year degree. Ward鈥檚 goal is to spark dialogue and momen-tum toward equality, and that extends to the continued work he does with 51社区 students (both as an advisor for the Multicultural Student Business Caucus and host of student groups that visit New York).

鈥淚 want them to leave the University as well-rounded future leaders who recognize that there is a much bigger world outside Ohio,鈥� shares Ward.

For her part, junior Katie Kirkendall says she was inspired by Ward鈥檚 鈥渁uthentic leadership鈥� style when she visited Year Up鈥檚 Manhattan offices with business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi last fall. 鈥淭he best part of the visit was seeing the passion he has for his work,鈥� says Kirkendall. 鈥�(Ward) is a selfless leader and drives an important mission daily, not only through his work but also through his advocacy.鈥�

And Ward isn鈥檛 likely to stop anytime soon, with big plans for his work at OneTen and current seats on the Executive Advisory Board for the College of Business and the Presidential Advisory Council. 鈥淚 see myself as part of the fabric of 51社区,鈥� says Ward, whose son is currently enrolled as a sophomore. 鈥淢y spirit and my name will ride on with the John Templetons and everyone else (who made their mark).鈥� 

Interested in making a difference for today鈥檚 students? Join .

Featured image: Photo by Karsten Moran