By Miranda Koewler
Fourth-year operations management student Ari Vandersluis has his sights set on medical school, but plans to make a positive impact on the student experience here at Ohio State first.
Miranda: What are you studying and why?
Ari: I’m a business operations management major in the Fisher College of Business. I’m also pre-med. I know that’s a bit different, but I think the business degree will allow me to look at medicine more holistically. It fosters people-oriented thinking.
What are you involved with on campus and in the Columbus community?
I have been in BuckeyeThon since freshman year and am currently serving as the vice president of outreach and engagement. I oversee events throughout the year and our year-long engagement strategy. I am a member of the Mount Leadership Scholars Society, Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, and the 111th Class of SPHINX Senior Honorary.
Lastly, I serve as a clinical research coordinator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where I work on quality improvement studies in the hemophilia department. In this role I focus on what will have the best results for consumers rather than what is the most “groundbreaking.” My current project looks at assessing and providing knowledge for patients with hemophilia to ensure they are medically independent by 19 to 20 years old.
What are three words to describe you?
First, I would say ambitious. I’m very goal and achievement oriented, and I am driven by a specific idea of what I want an outcome to be. For the next two, I would say creative and analytical. I put these two together because most personality tests would say they are very conflicting – but I like to look at and solve problems in creative ways that are also actionable. Putting these two mindsets together works best in real-life applications, because I can look at things from both perspectives.
Why are you inspired by providing opportunity for others to make change?
Ohio State has shown me that regardless of your passion or interest, there is always someone who shares that passion and will help you thrive. People harness these opportunities and resources to prove that anyone can do anything they want. We all have the same opportunities to grow here. This campus is filled with ambitious people ready to change the world, and it motivates me to know that I can do the same.
Who has empowered you to become a positive change maker?
More often than not, it’s the people I work with in BuckeyeThon. They’ve shown me the way my actions can make a larger impact. Before I was on the executive board, I felt like my impact was within the small circle of work I was doing as a committee member. My more recent positions have allowed me to think bigger to see how my interactions change the way students think about philanthropy.
What has been the result of the empowerment you’ve found in BuckeyeThon?
It has proven over and over throughout my college career that I can make a strong impact in the world around me by working with people and sharing my ideas. A group of people working toward a common goal can have a larger impact than individuals on their own, and the mind power at Ohio State has so much potential.
During my sophomore year, I took a service-learning class where my service site tasked me with organizing the community free store. When I first walked in, it seemed like a mountain of clothing, so I worked with a classmate to research how we could make it a sustainable resource that would help the community access clothing and other daily necessities. We ended up creating an efficient system for long term success. Working together for a clear purpose is what drove us to find what was best for this community.
What advice do you want to pass along to your fellow Buckeyes?
There is always more to learn on this campus. Take advantage of opportunities outside of the classroom. Get involved, find new passions, learn new things – people and experiences change as you grow, so push yourself out there. Any passion you have, you can find an opportunity here at Ohio State to grow it.
Keep up the great work, Ari! You are an inspiration and role model for past, present, and future Buckeyes.