Fowler College of Business Fowler Scholars Program Spotlight: Faith Goh

Faith Goh, Fowler Scholar Class of 2022

The Fowler Scholars Program was created to educate and prepare a select group of Fowler College of Business students for accelerated and lasting leadership roles in global business and society. Each year, the college selects a new group of freshmen from the local San Diego area to become Fowler Scholars. The students who are selected for the program have demonstrated leadership, ethical conduct, and finally, exceptional academic and collaborative abilities. 

Faith Goh, a class of 2022 Fowler Scholar, is a junior majoring in accounting and minoring in interdisciplinary studies. Goh has been involved in several on-campus organizations, including: Student Accounting Society, where she was the VP of Communications and on the Internal Audit Committee; Students Against Human Trafficking, where she served as Treasurer and Graphics Officer; and Intern with Brightside Produce. After graduation, Goh aspires to specialize in the nonprofit industry as an auditor working at a public accounting firm. Goh shares her college experience, what being a Fowler scholar means to her, advice for current Fowler students, and more.

Q: What does it mean to you to be a Fowler Scholar? 

Before I even entered college, a world of uncertainty, the one certainty I had was the Fowler Scholar Program. It framed what would become my college experience, with peers by my side, mentors, and a purpose for the next 4 years -- to develop as an ethical business leader. Being a Fowler Scholar is the bedrock of who I have become and will continue to grow into until I graduate. Instead of focusing on this semester, or next semester, this program has made me envision who I want to become even beyond college as I establish my career and even beyond that. Having a long-term perspective makes my every action more thoughtful and goal-oriented. Being a Fowler Scholar means growth and development -- in every meeting, we are presented with challenging topics with questions that may not have answers, similar to how the “real world” is. Being a Fowler Scholar is not what I am now -- but who I aspire to and will be in the future.

Q: Can you describe a little bit about yourself and how/when you decided to pursue accounting as an area of study?

The Fowler Scholars Program inaugural class joined SDSU in the Fall of 2018. Goh and her 3 classmates have all studied alongside one another and grown over the last 3 academic years.

I like to say business has always been in my blood -- my paternal grandparents, who moved to Singapore from Malaysia with truly nothing but the shirts on their backs, built a life for themselves from scratch. They first opened carpentry shops, then a clothing shop; on my mother’s side, my grandparents ran a dessert shop that still successfully stands today. Business was their way of life, and I chose to pursue a career in business because creativity, hard work, and a strong drive are necessary to thrive. Accounting, often known as the language of business, stands as its backbone, and I wanted to understand every transaction, line in financial statements, and ultimately, what makes businesses run. 

Q: If you’re involved in SDSU student organizations on campus or affiliated with any organizations off campus, can you share why you got involved and what your experience has been like so far?

Coming into college, I knew that I wanted to get involved on campus as much as possible. I wanted that rich college life I had heard so much about, and I had a vision of what I wanted to be in 4 years. I wanted to be someone who had lived their college life to the fullest. I became involved immediately in the Student Accounting Society where I served in various positions to date such as Internal Audit Committee and serving as VP of Communications and helped accounting majors at SDSU recruit and network with firms. I was also one of the founding members for Students Against Human Trafficking and served as Treasurer and Graphics Officer where I was able to spread awareness of an often invisible issue in San Diego by bringing in speakers. The opportunity to intern with the nonprofit organization, Brightside Produce, which is dedicated to ending food insecurity, sparked a passion in me for nonprofits and my goal to specialize in the nonprofit industry in the future as an auditor. 

My experiences so far have been so rich with learning moments, failures, bonding with others, and realizing my passions. 

Goh with Natalie Soriano, another Fowler Scholar, outside of Eureka before their meeting with John Wills, one of the Fowler Scholars' frequent guest speakers.

Q: What experience in the Fowler Scholars Program has been the most impactful?

The most impactful experience was meeting Jim Sinegal, founder of Costco. His principles, obeying the law, protecting customers and employees, and respecting suppliers, which ultimately rewards the shareholders, framed for me what I believe to be the ideal culture at a business. As Sinegal said, culture is not the most important thing but the most important thing. His emphasis on building relationships with not only shareholders, but also stakeholders, being transparent, and sticking to one’s values are all attributes I aspire to. 

Q: Who inspires you and why?

I am greatly inspired by my parents, who grew up with nothing, but ended with everything by successfully immigrating from Singapore to the U.S. to build a life for themselves here. They taught me that perseverance can truly lead to great things, and I have sought to embody these values through her time here. SDSU has greatly impacted me to think how I can serve the community, and I now believe time is best spent serving others rather than focusing solely on oneself.

Q: What has been your favorite SDSU memory so far? 

My favorite memory at SDSU was definitely serving on the board as VP of Communications for the Student Accounting Society. We were working hard together during multiple executive board meetings, calls, etc. to make Meet the Firms for Fall 2019 happen, and it was difficult. However, all those late night texts, discussions, and meetings helped grow our friendships with each other. I felt like I wasn’t just working as VP, but I was truly helping make a difference for accounting students at SDSU by helping them network with professionals and accounting firms. 

Q: If you could go back to your freshman year, what advice would you give yourself?

I would give myself the advice to enjoy the simple moments in college more. I was constantly rushing around, trying to stay involved in organizations that I never really enjoyed the moments such as studying in the Starbucks at the Student Union, or simply hanging out with friends at the library. I would tell myself to enjoy my free time more.

Goh posing for the Student Accounting Society's officer photos with the rest of the board where she served as VP of Communications.

Q: What is the best advice you have received during your time at SDSU?

The best advice I received was “a failure is not a failure unless you haven’t learned from a mistake.” I often get so caught up in the mistakes I made, and focus too much on them instead of learning and growing from them. I have become a much more forgiving person towards myself since then and realize what is important isn’t perfection, but learning.

Q: What career aspirations do you have following your time at SDSU?

I would like to specialize in the nonprofit industry as an auditor working at a public accounting firm. Learning how nonprofits function and supporting that are my current goal.

*All images with groups of people were taken prior to COVID-19.