Junior Year:
Over the summer, I worked with Battelle to decontaminate N-95 masks for healthcare workers. While it was a very rewarding opportunity, the 12 hour shifts were certainly a big commitment. After 8 weeks, I was ready to head back to campus. Not being able to attend football games took away one of my favorite things about the fall, but I still followed the Buckeyes (happily) and Patriots (less happily) throughout the year. Having all virtual classes was very difficult for me. For the first time in my life, I decided to keep a calendar of all my assignments and events, which helped me stay on top of everything in place of in-person check ins. I also took advantage of the Zoom environment by being more proactive in reaching out to my professors and professional contacts. Overall, I enjoyed my courses, especially Professor Kogan’s Governing Urban America and the Global Environment in Planning with Professor Contreras. I also got take a very interesting course about international conflict, which was guest taught every week by an expert from a different university. This would not be possible in normal times, so I appreciate that Zoom has created some new opportunities.
On a similar note, the virtual environment allowed me to intern at the State Department, despite being in Columbus for classes. While they are normally very strict about living in DC, there is much more flexibility given the current circumstances. I likely would not have been able to intern this semester otherwise, but I am very grateful for the opportunity. In addition, I have continued researching in Israel, despite being sent home over a year ago.
My spring courses have been very focused on my interests, which is fantastic. I am currently taking Rapid Innovation for Public Impact. As part of this course, I am working with DriveOhio on transportation solutions to spatial mismatch. I am also enrolled in Land Use Transportation Planning, and GIS for Planning. Both courses have really engaged me and developed my interest in transportation planning. This has been very helpful as I look towards going to grad school in the field.
Over the summer, I will be researching at Polytechnique Montreal as a Fulbright-Mitacs Globalink intern. My project will explore the social impacts of transportation during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Canada and China. I am disappointed I will not be able to go to Montreal for the project (mainly because it means I have to keep waiting to get poutine again…), but the topic seems like a great fit for my interests.
Sophomore Year:
Well, sophomore year certainly did not go as planned!
The year started off well, with a summer in Europe. I started with an OSU Global May program in Budapest, Hungary, with a week long excursion to Warsaw and Krakow, Poland. During the program, I spent a weekend in Madrid by myself. After the program, I headed to Bucharest and Iasi, Romania on a family genealogy mission. I ended up in Podu Ilaoiei, Romania, a small village where my great grandfather was born. It was possibly the most unique place I have ever been! I then traded in the small country city of Iasi for the lights of Paris, before heading through Dortmund (home of my favorite soccer team), Berlin, Munich, and Nuremberg in Germany. I then spent a couple days in Prague before taking a sleeper train to Warsaw. Back in Poland, I spent two weeks teaching English to Polish middle/high schoolers at hotels in two rural areas. Upon the conclusion of my program, I headed to Kyiv, Ukraine for a quick 2 day trip, before flying to LA via Warsaw to visit my grandma in California. Not content with being back in the US, I quickly headed to Tel Aviv, via Vienna, for a heritage trip to Israel. After the trip, I headed back to LA, via Vienna again, and then connected to Minneapolis and eventually Chicago. Still not done, I then went on a move in weekend trip with my dad, where we caught baseball games in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati before (finally) settling in on campus.
The fall was very successful, and I enjoyed taking some interesting classes, such as Honors Supreme Court Decision Making and Public Policy Analysis. As always, football was a highlight, and I got to follow the team as they played TTUN and to Phoenix for the heartbreaking fiesta bowl loss to Clemson (and the refs!). I also had the opportunity to further develop the Eminence Service Project, PowerHouse, including our first community event “Understanding your Bills”.
Over winter break, my girlfriend came to visit me in Chicago. Shortly after, I headed to California to spend the holidays with my grandma. I then took the train to Cleveland to visit my girlfriend, before hopping over to Europe for a quick trip. I blew through Brussels, Amsterdam, Cardiff, Copenhagen, and Malmö, before returning to the US. I then returned to Columbus for a weekend to say my final goodbyes, then began packing for my semester abroad in Jerusalem. On my way to Jerusalem, I spent a day in Madrid and a weekend in Istanbul. Istanbul was a gem, and might be my new favorite city!
Once in Jerusalem, I undertook an intensive Hebrew study course, called Ulpan, which helped me build on my strong base of knowledge of the language. Once coursework started, I was able to explore topics like international law and nuclear policy. I also began researching with Dr. Michael Tanchum at the Truman Center, where I wrote on topics ranging from ISIS and Al Qaeda to Moroccan infrastructure development.
Before I could even get settled in Jerusalem, I was heading back to the US. Due to the pandemic, OSU recommend I come home early. While I was bummed to miss out on the full experience, I will treasure my few months in Israel and hope to be back soon.
While my plans to return to Poland were also cancelled, I managed to find something else to do over the summer. Working with Battelle’s CCDS technology, I joined the COVID-19 relief effort to help decontaminate used N95 masks to return to healthcare providers. I spent 6 weeks in Waukegan, IL with Chicago based HCPs, then headed to Indianapolis, IN for my final 2 weeks. It was a vast departure from my prior experiences, but I am truly grateful to have been able to make a difference during an unprecedented challenge.