Sahil sat down with the communications team in the Ohio Union, with love on his mind, to talk about his journey so far at The Ohio State University.

The contagious Buckeye love and energy is what captured Sahil Sharma’s heart and led hi to transfer from the University of Cincinnati to Ohio State.

“Those who do not believe in magic will not find it,” he said. “To me, love is the closest thing we have to magic, and that’s what we have here at Ohio State.”

When asked about his passions, all Sahil could talk about was love. The Greek word agapē resonates with Sahil. It means “unconditional love without circumstance” and Sahil said that love is one of his core values. Currently majoring in Psychology and Leadership Studies, Sahil plans to live out his passion for serving people with love after graduation.

“I am hopeful for the future of this world and our capacity to change,” Sahil said. “If I take this approach in loving everyone, I think that will truly change the world one day.”

Sahil is currently an Ambassador and Supervisor for the Department of Recreational Sports. As Crew Chief, Sahil oversees other student employees within his department and enjoys watching students grow into leaders. In addition to his involvement in Rec Sports, Sahil is a Facilitator for the Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI). ELI is a cohort comprised of 20 students who focus on personal leadership development, but more importantly, aspects of servant-leadership.

“Being able to watch them grow outside of their academics is a humbling experience,” Sahil said of the cohort.

Having the confidence to lead your own journey is one thing Sahil wishes to impart to new Buckeyes when they are struggling to find their way. Full of inspiration, Sahil also wanted to pass down the wisdom that students shouldn’t be afraid to be bold, and to be okay with doing something different, even in a new environment. He told us one of the hardest lessons was learning to believe in himself.

“With brilliant people here at Ohio State, it’s so easy to compare yourself to others, and I had to learn that I am running my own race,” he said. “When I look back on my experience, the hardest thing has been for me to believe in myself, and luckily the older you get, you learn to practice love.”

Working on his bucket list, Sahil has just a few things to complete before graduation. One of those things is a surprise for his parents.

“I would really like to do something for my parents because they came from a different country, and they did everything for me,” he explains. “Most importantly, they did everything with love.”

One thing he definitely wishes to do is show them how thankful he is for their support: “I really just owe them so much because they accept me for who I am.”

Sahil shared what he is most proud of so far here at Ohio State. This past summer, he had the opportunity to attend Leadershape. It was important to Sahil to learn that the best way to lead people is to walk behind them.

“It’s amazing to look back and say that I had a genuine and authentic experience here at Ohio State, and I didn’t let anyone create that space for me,” he said.

For the rest of his time at Ohio State, we wish him the best and hope you fell in love with his story – just as we did.

By Erin Lee

Looking forward to law school, third year student and Canton native Brooklyn McDaniels sat down with the Communications Team in the Ohio Union Market to talk about her time here at Ohio State. We guarantee you’ll find her experience as extraordinary as we do.

You’ve probably seen communications major (and legal foundations minor) Brooklyn McDaniels’ friendly face around campus and perhaps even in her favorite role, as President of the Black Student Association (BSA).

Brooklyn spends the majority of her time in Hale Hall because of the comfortable environment and knowledge that she’ll always find a familiar face there. In her third year as an Ohio State student, Brooklyn is working tirelessly to leave her mark.

“I am a big people person. I enjoy doing big things and I enjoy being at the forefront of different endeavors,” she said. Brooklyn isn’t just known for her involvement, though – she’s also well known for her positive spirit. “Positivity is my passion because I enjoy starting my day with a positive mindset, and I hope that I can inspire others to do the same.”

With a big smile on her face, Brooklyn excitedly talked about her involvement with several student organizations on campus. Aside from being President of BSA, she is also a fellow in both the Buckeye Leadership Fellows Program and the Management Leadership for Tomorrow organization.

Alongside her involvements in these organizations, Brooklyn works in the Commencement Office under the Office of the President. With her hands and schedule full, Brooklyn still finds time to eat the best cornbread in Columbus at her favorite off-campus spot, the Philco Diner in the Short North.

In her third year, Brooklyn has just begun to think about life after graduation. For now, all roads lead to law school because of her favorite class, Intro to Law and Society. For Brooklyn, it was her first opportunity to take a class focused on the law, and she enjoyed the professor and class material.

“I want to go into law because I have a huge desire for knowledge and learning, and law school will provide me with an opportunity to do just that,” she said.

Ohio State has provided Brooklyn with numerous opportunities and she is proud to have taken advantage of so many of them so far. Though not everything turns out to be a success, Brooklyn said, “I pride myself in trying different things and am proud that I have been able to try so much here at Ohio State.”

When thinking about her initial reason for coming to school here, Brooklyn said that she chose Ohio State because of Go Buckeye Day. This day gave her the opportunity to learn more about what Ohio State had to offer and was the perfect time to see how her big personality could fit into a big university.

Like many, Brooklyn received a reality check during her first year at Ohio State. The hardest lesson she had to learn was that things would not always go as planned.

“This is a huge university with many talented people and I came to school thinking that everything was going to go my way. Of course it didn’t, but I learned how to move on and work harder for what I wanted,” Brooklyn explained. Incoming freshman should take time to adjust to this large university, she advised. “Don’t just dive into things because they seem super cool, do your research and remain open-minded because there are endless opportunities.”

Her love for Ohio State knows no bounds, but Brooklyn sees opportunities for improvement, too. “I want there to be a level playing field for students to access the invaluable resources here on campus. I really just want everyone to feel like they can easily find the resources they need,” she said. Brooklyn plans to continue to be a resource for students after her.

Gregarious, charismatic and genuine are the three words Brooklyn used to describe her infectious spirit, and after our time with her, we had to agree. Our glimpse into Brooklyn’s life showed us just how extraordinary she is – and we hope it showed you the same!

By Erin Lee