Samantha Tumala says the Fox School of Business has offered her unique opportunities to meet with other students, professors and industry leaders. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Tumala)

Now that her first year as a full-time college student has come to an end, Samantha Tumala has made her mark at the Fox School of Business.  

Between her coursework and involvement with multiple student organizations, Tumala is eagerly setting herself up for success in the world of business.  

“I really want to stay in business because I grew up learning how to run one,” she says. “My family owned a gourmet store in the Reading Terminal Market for 30 years and I was taught how to help manage it.”  

Before enrolling as a business management major at Temple University, Tumala became acclimated to the university’s Main Campus during her time in its B4USoar program. Offered through the Fox School, B4USoar provides juniors and seniors from Philadelphia’s public and charter high schools with the opportunity to attend Temple classes alongside college students and earn up to six college credits at no cost.. 

Tumala was attending William W. Bodine High School for International Affairs when Hilda Bacon, director of B4USoar, came to speak about the program. Understanding that this was a unique opportunity to launch her path to college, Tumala jumped at the chance. 

“When I first interviewed Samantha, I could tell immediately that she had a strong drive,” says Bacon. “She was really committed to reaching out and finding things that would help her become successful in her path to and through college.

Samantha Tumala’s journey to Temple’s Fox School of Business began in the B4USoar program. (Photo by Joseph V. Labolito) 

Tumala says Fox has offered her unique opportunities to meet with other students, professors and industry leaders. Through student organizations that support her interests, Tumala has begun to connect with others and grow.  

Now that she’s fully become part of the Temple community, Tumala is ready to help high school students embark on similar college journeys. She will work as a peer mentor with the B4USoar program this fall, helping students navigate their assignments for the very same Creativity and Organizational Innovation course she had taken in high school.  

“I love Temple, and I’m proud to represent it,” Tumala says. 

After being featured in a 2023 Temple Now article about the B4USoar program,  Tumala says her experience has encouraged other high school students of similar backgrounds to enroll in the program.  

“I’ve really helped other people out here and that was the goal,” she says. “I’m proud to represent the program, and I'm so thankful that Miss Hilda [Bacon] came to my high school that day.”  

To Bacon, Tumala is a shining example of the program’s success.  

“I think Sam is a great example of the possibility of it all,” she says. “She knows she may not be deciding on what she wants to ultimately do in life, but she’s taken some steps. She’s made some decisions, and she’s going ahead full blast.” 

For more information about the B4USoar program, visit fox.temple.edu/b4usoar.