Roots

Spring break during college can be a wonderful thing. A time to spend with friends, a time to relax, a time to live it up before the stress of the end of the semester sets in. However, spring break can also be a time to transform. For me, it was a little bit of all of these.

During my spring break I had the opportunity to go on a Buck-i-Serv trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. I had never been to New Orleans before, so I jumped at the opportunity to go and serve the community there, while having the chance to bond with other Ohio State students. New Orleans, NOLA for short, is a fascinating place. The history there is significant. With high rates of poverty and ongoing disaster recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the other awful storms they experience, the community there is strong.

The Lower 9th Ward Living Museum, pictured above, was a particularly moving place. The museum is housed in a house in the Lower 9th Ward, the area most devastated by Katrina. The museum chronicles the disaster, the political side effects, and the struggles that New Orleans has gone through before and since the hurricane. It is a place commemorating a disaster, but more importantly, it truly shows how deep the roots there run. This, to me, was incredible. From the museum, from the workers at the non-profits we volunteered for, from the waiters at restaurants and even an unsuspecting barista, we heard stories of how they experienced Katrina. We heard stories from those who left and those who stayed, but all of those we talked to came back. New Orleans was their home, and they stood with it.

The culture of New Orleans is vibrant and strong, and the people who live there are resilient. We got the chance to experience their culture through exploring the city, volunteering at places like the ARC, which recycles Mardi Gras beads, the Audubon Nature Center, a nature center destroyed during Katrina that has been recultivated and is finally reopening this spring, and The Green Project, a sort of Goodwill for housing supplies. These non-profits come together to help the community and help them stay where there roots are. To me, that’s incredible.

“Roots Run Deep Here.” It seems like a cliche sign. However, when you truly experience the culture of NOLA, when you meet the people and hear their stories, you begin to realize how undeniably true that is. I am lucky to have had a chance to experience it for myself.

Year One: Making Ohio State Home

Ohio State is a big school–all the numbers are there to prove it. As an out-of-state student from small town West Virginia, it was a bit intimidating. At the start of my journey as a buckeye, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to find my place, to make Ohio State feel like home, to truly succeed in the ways I needed to. Those fears were honest and well-founded at the time, but the reality of my time at Ohio State so far has far disbanded any doubts I might have had.

My first O-H-I-O, along with friends from my small group from the 2016 Leadership Collaborative

Just before fall semester began, I had the opportunity to participate in the First Year Leadership Collaborative, a truly transformative four-day experience where I was able to build my own skills as a leader, delve into some Buckeye traditions, network with alumni and leaders in Columbus, and make new friends amongst my peers. I went into this program absolutely terrified of the new things I was going to experience, yet left with the confidence, excitement, and eagerness to begin the semester on the right foot.

A snapshot of me swing dancing at Purdue University’s November event Whistle Stop (Photograph by Jordan Louie)

Getting involved is one of the most important aspects of having a good college experience, so I dove right into involvement from the beginning of first semester. Continuing my love of music from high school, I chose to enroll in University Band (the non-music major concert band ensemble), and was able to audition to be first chair clarinet. Additionally, I began taking mellophone lessons with a member of the marching band, as I believed that I wanted to tryout for that the following summer. Beyond playing music, I also discovered a passion for dancing to it–specifically, jazz and swing dancing. I went to the first OSU swing dance club meeting of the year and I was hooked. I became dedicated fast, and even got the chance to travel to swing dance events at other schools, like Purdue and Miami University. Second semester, I was offered a position on the swing dance club executive board as Member-at-Large, and was voted in as Secretary for the Autumn 2017-Spring 2018 school year.

Outside of my music and dance world, I also became a tutor for Adopt-a-School, a student organization that is partnered with Graham Expeditionary Middle School and allows OSU students the opportunity to tutor and help out elementary and middle school children. I was placed with a fifth grade English teacher, and each week she had me work with a sweet little girl named Chamsia, who had just moved to the States from Africa and knew very little English. I got the amazing opportunity to help her learn English and watch as she became more confident throughout the semester.

My friends and fellow German-speakers, Claudia and Kate, and I at the Columbus Oktoberfest, September 2016

Tutoring in English-as-a-second-language was very exciting for me, as a Linguistics major. I loved words and came to Ohio State with a passion for language-learning. However, during first semester, I realized that I loved so much more of the world than just language, and decided to become a double-major with International Relations & Diplomacy. Along with this, I declared a minor in German language, continuing my passion for that path I had begun in high school, and carried with me to college by attending Kaffestunde, a weekly German House event to practice speaking, and other German Club events.

Me, along with other International Affairs Scholars, in front of the CN Tower in Toronto

Around this same time, I started to become very involved in my scholars program, because I realized the theme of International Affairs was more applicable to me now than ever. During fall break, I traveled to Toronto, Ontario, with a group of other students from my scholars program, where I had my first opportunity to become truly immersed in the culture of another country, and I knew I’d made the right decision in choosing to expand my studies to a more global perspective.

My friends and I after my last Collegiate Winds concert for the spring semester

As first semester concluded, I jumped ahead to set myself up for second semester. Though I loved my time in University Band, I knew I wanted to strive to continue to get better at music, so I auditioned for Collegiate Winds, a higher level ensemble, and made it. Though music is no longer as much a part of my life as it was in high school, I still wanted to pursue my passion for playing clarinet. Additionally, I realized marching band would not be in my future, and chose to end my time with mellophone, but the experience of learning it throughout first semester was still worthwhile.

With the beginning of second semester, I began to reevaluate where I really wanted my path to go. Linguistics wasn’t making me happy; I truly didn’t enjoy the classes that were focused in the area I had chosen to dedicate my degree to. With that in mind, I kept the IRD major, but chose to change my second major from Linguistics to Geography, a subject I had been passionate about in high school and felt that I could enjoy more than the technical aspects of studying the science of language.

I took on a much heavier course load second semester, causing me to have to cut back on my involvement, which meant unfortunately I could not continue my time with Adopt-a-School. Though I had enjoyed it, my classes conflicted with their class times and there was no compromise that could be made. My more dedicated involvement to swing dance club, Collegiate Winds, and IA Scholars was a sufficient coutnerpart to my slightly overloaded course schedule.

My OSU New Orleans Buck-i-Serv group

With second semester began time to think about spring break and summer. I applied for a Buck-i-Serv trip for spring break, and was offered the opportunity to go to New Orleans and volunteer with the Break-a-Difference Alternative Spring Break program. It was a very worthwhile trip, filled with various service projects, leadership reflection activities, typical tourist activities, and new friends from Ohio State and several other colleges. With the question of what I would do during summer, I made the choice to apply for an intensive German language study abroad opportunity in Dresden, Germany, and was ecstatic to find out I got accepted. I will be spending four weeks of my summer studying at the Goethe Institut, an internationally-recognized German school, and then traveling for two weeks afterwards, taking full advantage of the freshman to sophomore transition summer, when true responsibilities are few, but learning opportunities and life experiences abound.

My experience in Buck-i-Serv also prompted me to get more involved in service at Ohio State and in the Columbus community. I applied and was accepted in the Romophos Sophomore Class Honorary, a service-based organization for sophomores on campus, and I had the honor of being elected Vice President for the 2017-2018 academic year. I also interviewed to be a mentor with CRIS, Community Refugee and Immigration Services, where I will begin in the fall as a mentor and friend for a refugee student at a local middle school or high school.

Some of my closest IA Scholars friends & I at an end-of-the-year day trip to Hocking Hills

As the semester comes to an end, I am nothing but excited for what my future holds, both immediate and distant. What terrified me at the onset turned into something I was a part of, both on campus and off, both in the classroom and outside of it. I didn’t know my place at first, and I’ve already changed my mind about a few things. I’m still figuring out exactly where I belong in this world, and I’ve also learned that is okay. No one has it figured out yet, but the important part is making Ohio State what you want it to be, and feeling that sense of home that gives you the comfort to pursue the things you want to do. I end my first year far from where I started, but most assuredly on the right path to where I want to go.

Lights

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As someone who hadn’t had the chance to travel abroad prior to coming to Ohio State, it was amazing that in my first semester I had the chance to spend Fall Break in Toronto, one of the most international cities in the world. Our first night there, free time resulted in a group of us aimlessly wandering around the city. We ended up in Nathan Phillips Square, which, much to our delight, had this super cool Toronto sign. Being that it was late, dark, and cold, our group of International Affairs Scholars were some of the only people there, so we promptly took over and began a photo shoot in front of the neon lights. It was fun to hang out with friends, even though at that point I barely knew many of them. For me, the Toronto sign symbolizes the entire trip. Being there was a pivotal moment in my friendships with many of the other IA scholars, and also a pivotal moment in my international experience. This was the first great memory I made in a city outside of the US. The entire trip was such an exciting whirlwind of both educational moments and fun times. The Aga Khan Museum was eye-opening, Casa Loma was beautiful, and swing dancing was delightful. Being the language nerd that I am, it was awesome to eat the hotel breakfast while a family on one side of me spoke Spanish and a family on the other side spoke German. Toronto was amazing for my first time abroad, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to experience it.

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

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Hello! My name is Elena Akers, and I am a freshman at the Ohio State University. My hometown is Wheeling, West Virginia, a small town in WV’s northern panhandle. While I love the mountains of home, I chose Ohio State for all the opportunities it had to offer that I wasn’t able to have if I stayed at an in-state school.

It’s a dream of mine to be able to live and work abroad. This is why I chose to be a part of the International Affairs Scholars program, so that I can be around like-minded individuals and become more aware of global situations. I have never traveled outside of the United States, but I hope that I will receive many chances as a part of IA and with various study abroad programs at OSU.

As I have always been fond of words, I chose to major in linguistics. I enjoy learning languages and learning about languages. I would like to teach English as a Second Language someday. I am currently in my fourth year of studying German and hope to pick up a third language next semester. I would love to be able to join the Peace Corps to teach English, and eventually I would like to work for the Department of State in the Foreign Service. I believe that being a part of IA now will help me get there.

Outside of the classroom, I am passionate about music, and being a musician has always been an important part of me. I have played clarinet for nine years and continue to enjoy it in University Band. I am currently also learning mellophone in hopes of being a part of the Best Damn Band in the Land next year. I also plan on picking up a music minor, as I couldn’t imagine my life without music.

These things come together to make me who I am. I am a learner, I am an achiever, I am an open-minded individual. I want to explore the world while also helping to make it a better place, and I believe there is no better way to do that than by connecting people through the arts of language and music. I believe in communication, and learning and teaching languages is a key way to enable that. However, I also know that when words fail, there is so much we can convey and understand through music. The combination of the two is what drives me towards my goals and inspires me every day.