Neeloo Fathi

On an unseasonably warm Monday afternoon, Neeloo met with our communications team and shared her even warmer personality with us. We hope you will find her experience as extraordinary as we do.

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Neeloo Fathi is from Northbrook, Illinois – a small suburb near Chicago. She actually attended the high school where Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was filmed! A fourth year strategic communications major with a minor in women’s, gender and sexuality studies, she hopes to have a career in event planning or public relations in the apparel industry. She is still exploring her options, but her style is a great indication of a bright future.

Neeloo has been heavily involved in her sorority, Delta Gamma. She lived in the house last year, served on the executive board and also as director of social events. When she first toured campus, it was a rainy day but the Buckeye spirit was present everywhere she went. That’s when she knew that if she could love it at its worst, she would definitely love it at its best. Her favorite spot on campus is the architecture building’s garden rooftop, and she has grown to love Columbus – specifically the Short North’s Forno restaurant. And, shopping tip: she loves the boutique Bink Davies on High Street. She always mistakenly calls the store “Brooke Davies” due to her love for the show One Tree Hill and the fashion-forward character Brooke Davis.

Reflecting on her time as a student, Greek life has made her experience at Ohio State extraordinary. “When I was a freshman, my seniors were so excited to welcome me, and I always remember to live their legacy and pass that along. My best friends are in Delta Gamma and we all live together now. I just love it.”

“I would say I’m adventurous,” Neeloo giggled as she talked to her fellow interns Erin and Taylor. “I try to be pretty optimistic. I’m a very caring person.”

Working in the Office of Student Life, Neeloo appreciates that the culture of the interns is a support system. Planning Buck-I-Frenzy has provided her with real life work experience along with the opportunity to bond with her peers and mentors. “I look up to my boss Kellie Uhrig,” Neeloo shared. “She’s so successful and respected as a female, and she inspires me a little bit. A lot a bit! And that she didn’t change her last name after she got married, but that’s my women’s studies minor coming out.”

We wish Neeloo the best as she closes out her career at Ohio State. She will always be a Buckeye for Life!

 

 

Jeffery Koebel

Time to sit down with this well-traveled student Jeffery Koebel. He spent some time with the communications team to tell us about his journey here at Ohio State and around the world.

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Let’s meet this third-year strategic communications major with two minors (two!) in nonprofit studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Jeffery Koebel was born in Fremont, Ohio and soon relocated to Old Fort, Ohio where he graduated with just 30 people. Jeffery aspires to work in the non-profit arena, focusing on social justice and community engagement. Along with his busy schedule, Jeffery amazingly maintains three jobs working for the Office of Student Life as a development intern, an associate for Lush Cosmetics and an associate for the popular retailer Fossil.

Aside from his work, Jeffery is a very active participant within the Buckeye community across the country. On the advisory board for Buck-I-SERV, he is responsible for alternative break trips. Jeffery’s first exposure to Buck-I-SERV was with his trip to New Jersey with the Boys and Girls Club of Newark. Jeffery has led trips to both Florida and Nashville, Tennessee. Jeffery has also been to New York working with the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. He even went with the Vice President of Student Life – Dr. J – all the way to Cape Town, South Africa! And, he will be returning as a leader in May. When asked why he has dedicated so much of his limited spare time to service, Jeffery thought for a moment. “In my hometown,” he shared, “there weren’t many opportunities to do outreach and service, and there wasn’t a diverse population where I grew up. It matters to me now that I have the opportunity to work in that space.”

He shared:  “I have used my queer identity as a catalyst in dealing with a lot of social justice issues and with this I have learned to understand and acknowledge my own privilege.” One interesting thing about Jeffery is that he makes it his responsibility to be conscientious of social justice, specifically concerning the respective Queer and Muslim communities. As an intern for the Office of Student Life, Jeffery is most passionate about engaging with other identities that he does not claim as his own. One change that he would like to make at Ohio State is to shorten the distance between students, because some students don’t feel comfortable engaging with others. Jeffery described himself in three words: authentic, light-hearted and passionate. His extensive service and work with various social justice issues explains his choice of words.

Here at the university, his favorite spot on campus is within Thompson Library on the fourth floor overlooking Neil Avenue and the RPAC. As for his favorite spot off campus, Jeffery speaks highly of a park near Polaris that he enjoys going to in order to clear his mind.

For Jeffery, Buck-I-SERV has created the extraordinary experience for him because of the endless possibilities, amazing people and even work opportunities. When asked what he wishes to be remembered for, Jeffery shared: “I want to be the person who stands up for other people because they don’t feel like they can stand up for themselves—especially within the queer community because you always have to prove that you should be who you are every day.”

Bravo, Jeffery! We certainly benefit from your serving heart.

Written by: Erin Lee

Jasmin Weideling

Jasmin Weideling sat down with the communications team in the Ohio Union to discuss her career at Ohio State. Beginning with her childhood, Jasmin delved into her journey leading up to her extraordinary experience here. We hope you enjoy her story as much as we do.

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This third year from Strongsville, Ohio – Jasmin Weideling – is majoring in strategic communications with a minor in professional writing. With the nickname “Pepper Jack Jas”, her first career goal is to work in events promotion and marketing with the Oscar Mayer Company. Her primary responsibility as a Hot Dogger would be to partake in driving the Wiener mobile around the country as a brand ambassador. Her dreams of this role began when she was just three years old when she won a contest with Oscar Mayer. Jasmin shared how the Hot Doggers made her experience memorable even at such a young age, and she wants to create that experience for other children as well.

Until those dreams come true, Jasmin is currently an intern for the Office of Student Life for the Marketing and Communications department. A collection of Dr. J’s events along with the large-scale Buck-I-Frenzy are several things Jasmin has had a hand in planning for the university. “Ultimately, I want to work in the entertainment industry utilizing the event planning skills I have gained at my internship,” Jasmin shared, though she often jokes she will end up working at Ohio State someday. Along with her internship, she is heavily involved with the Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB) as a part of the Comedy Committee and says that she gets to work with the most fun people like Key & Peele, Nick Offerman and several Saturday Night Live cast members, just to name a few. Along with serving OUAB, Jasmin is also involved with the student organization Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which helps students network in the world of PR.

Spontaneous, communicative and empathetic are three words Jasmin chose to describe herself as she explained how she knew that Ohio State was right for her. As a Morrill Scholar, Jasmin received a full tuition scholarship to attend this university. One reason Jasmin chose Ohio State is because she liked how in the university is a city of its own. As for her favorite spot on campus, she believes that the Browning Amphitheater doesn’t receive as much recognition as it should for being such a beautiful spot on campus. As for off campus favorites, Kafe Kerouac is the place for her because she enjoys people watching while studying.

Jasmin admires foodie blogger Nicholas “Mr. Breakfast” Dekker for his success with his blog Breakfast with Nick. Jasmin wants to be remembered for not only leaving a significant impact on this university and fellow Buckeyes, but to the entire network of Buckeyes around the world. “I have a year and a half to make my mark,” she proclaimed. When it comes to the Office of Student Life, Jasmin is extremely excited about ensuring students are aware of the various resources available to them. One thing that she would like to change about Ohio State is the perception that the school is too big. Jasmin shared the following: “I have never lost my place at Ohio State. You find your niche very quickly and it becomes small.” For Jasmin, the people that she works with have created the extraordinary experience for her journey here.

We wish Jasmin the best as she journeys down her path towards hot dogs, her future career in entertainment events and her inevitable return to Columbus!

Written by: Erin Lee

Catie Sack

Meet Catie Sack, a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in business. She is known around campus as one of Brutus Buckeye’s best buds for her work in planning his 50th birthday bash. She shared conversation and insight into her extraordinary journey at Ohio State with us. We hope you enjoy Catie’s story!

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Catie came to us from Toledo, Ohio with dreams of one day starting a life after Columbus in a big city like New York or Chicago. Far as she may travel, her Buckeye roots will always run deep. Catie’s parents and older sister all attended The Ohio State University, and she always knew she would follow in their footsteps. “It was important for me to remember where I came from and give back. It really is home.”

And made it her home she has. Catie serves as the special events and alumni chair for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, is deeply involved in BuckeyeThon and has served as a recruitment guide for Sorority and Fraternity Life. Her favorite spot on campus is the Great Hall of the Ohio Union because it is so full of life and energy, especially during events like the BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon fundraising reveal.

Sack described herself right away as excitable, extroverted and easy-going. True to her Buckeye spirit, she looks up to the legendary Woody Hayes. Her favorite quote comes from when he was asked why he went for a two-point conversion by responding “because I couldn’t go for three!” This quote reminds Catie to constantly strive for the next level in all endeavors.

In reflecting on her own legacy, Catie would like to be remembered for how she has made others feel. “Whether I make them feel special or worth it or like they always have a friend, I want others to remember that I made them feel good about themselves.”

Catie works as an advancement intern in the Office of Student Life, and feels she has gained a great deal of real world experience. “I see both sides of Student Life: I see the benefit side and I see the work and effort that goes in. It has made me really grateful. Even if there are services or resources that I don’t always use or haven’t used yet – programming through the Multicultural Center, Disability Services, the Health Center, Younkin, the list goes on and on – I am grateful for others that they are there. This is part of what makes Ohio State so special.” Catie told us that she often takes a step back from her own meaningful experience in Greek life to think about the needs of her peers, seeing all that Ohio State has to offer. Catie has witnessed how her sisters have supported and rallied around one another through the hardest of times in life, and recognizes that many of her peers receive help and support through the campus community in many other ways.

“I wouldn’t change my experience at Ohio State for anything.”

Tyler Moore

Sitting down with the communications team in the Administrative Suite of the Ohio Union, Tyler sat anxiously awaiting the many questions we had for him. Coming directly from another interview, Tyler was in the perfect mood to tell us about his extraordinary experience here at The Ohio State University—we hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed listening.

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Determined, innovative and Chipotle-connoisseur are the three words fourth-year Tyler Moore used to describe himself. Beginning his journey as an incoming freshman, Tyler declared a Mechanical Engineering major and slowly transitioned to Computer Science Engineering. Tyler has taken his many talents to the development of an app we all know and love. “The coolest part of seeing other people on campus using the Ohio State app is knowing that I was a part of it.”

Tyler’s love for technology was showcased by his infectious smile as he shared his experience over the summer working for Amazon. “I like the fast paced movement of the software world.” As a software developer for Amazon, Tyler spent his entire summer in Seattle and will be interning there again next summer. Tyler has also spent a lot of time traveling the world throughout his years here at Ohio State. Building relationships, strengthening his ability to give of himself and focusing on the constant pursuit of learning are three things Tyler said he has taken away from three Buck-I-SERV trips he has been on. From Costa Rica, to Cape Town, South Africa and back to the states in Lake Sumter, Florida, Tyler can’t select his favorite trip because they are all so memorable. Leading these trips has allowed Tyler to share in the amazing opportunity to shape others’ experiences on the trip, as well as his own.

Tyler chose to come to Ohio State for the wide breadth of opportunities here. “Anything that I wanted to do, I knew I could do here at this university.” Tyler knew that Ohio State was the right choice for him growing up. Born and raised as a Buckeye in Powell, Ohio, his choice stemmed from the large university events and football games he attended as a child. A true Buckeye at heart, Tyler revealed his favorite spot on campus: the roof of Pomerene Hall overlooking Mirror Lake. “I could go to the library, but with the few study tables up there, it’s such a quiet place to focus.” As for locations off campus, Tyler shared that his favorite spot and first instinct is to go home to his parents’ house, where his love for OSU first began.

Not only is he a Computer Science Engineering major, but Tyler is heavily involved in our community as a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Sitting on the executive board of his fraternity as the Vice President of Communications, Tyler is also a member of Buckeye Leadership Fellows. Through Buckeye Leadership Fellows, Tyler has gained the ability to “understand a person as they truly are,” something that has impacted his overall experience here.

For Tyler, the amazing thing about Ohio State is that “you can meet a new, fantastic person every day for four years.” The new, fantastic people Tyler spoke of are often his fellow students, but he also dreams of meeting Senator John Glenn and Elon Musk – the two people who inspire him most. Tyler looks up to Senator Glenn for the ways in which he has challenged Americans to commit their lives to serving others. As for Elon Musk, Tyler says that as the CEO of both Tesla and the company Space X, he is one of the biggest change drivers of this world. With these great men in mind, Tyler paused before telling us that he wishes most for people to remember their experiences with him positively. Citing his role leading trips for Buck-I-SERV, Tyler pondered, “I hope that I impact their experience enough for other people to remember our time together and smile.”

Written by: Erin Lee