Personal Development

Throughout my first semester at Ohio State University, I was involved in the process of founding a Christian fraternity on campus. At the start of the semester, a group of 12 men were committed to founding a chapter of Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX), the largest Christian fraternity in the country, at Ohio State. I was lucky enough to be one of those 12 men. In order to be initiated as an official chapter, we needed to have at least 15 guys committed to joining the fraternity. The first 6-8 weeks of the semester were spent meeting with potential recruits and explaining the purpose of bringing BYX to Ohio State and what it would look like once it is officially initiated. Once we finally had 15 men who were committed, it was time to fund raise. As a group, we needed to come up with $3,500 to cover the expenses of actually becoming an initiated chapter. This proved to be difficult, but we eventually succeeded and were finally ready to be initiated. On November 6th, 2018, the Alpha Omega Chapter of Beta Upsilon Chi was founded at The Ohio State University.

The process of founding BYX was a catalyst for my maturing during this semester. I experienced obstacles that I will face as I take on more responsibility in different aspects of my life. My interpersonal skills were challenged and developed during the recruiting process and into the fundraising process. I was most refined by the relationships I formed with the other guys in the fraternity. There is something unique about a Christian atmosphere that allows brotherhood to be vulnerable and good. Having these kinds of relationships has matured me because it is the first time I was able to experience vulnerability, but, at the same time, have a great time spreading the love of God to the people around us.

Employment at The Manor House

During the summer of 2017, I interviewed with a banquet hall called The Manor House. Later that week, I was notified that I had been accepted for the server position. My first few shifts were spent shadowing a veteran employee who taught me how to do everything from setting and busing tables to building a dance floor and locking the facility. Working 15-20 hours a week, I quickly became proficient at performing most of the tasks associated with every event held at The Manor House.

One week before the holiday party rush started, the head manger announced that they were looking to promote two people to “Room Leaders” because one had just left for another employment opportunity. She listed the responsibilities that came with the promotion and said that if anyone was interested, they should let her know. I knew that I would do well in this role because I had been working closely with the one remaining room leader for almost six months at that point, but I felt like I didn’t deserve the promotion. There were a lot of other people who had been working at The Manor House for much longer than I had been working there. This fact initially kept me from talking to my manager. I told the then current room leader I was thinking about asking for the promotion and then thought against it and he told me that I should go for it. He said that I deserved the position because of my work ethic and that my relatively short employment shouldn’t keep me from asking for the promotion. Feeling a new sense of confidence, I asked my manager about the promotion during my next shift. She said that she had been hoping I would want the position and that it was mine after I completed a formal training.

Along with the title, the position of “Room Leader” came with a whole new set of responsibilities. Instead of completing a task that needs to be done and moving onto the next, I was now tasked with greeting the client and making sure everything they needed was done. I was also in charge of the servers that were assigned to my room and had to make sure they were staying on top of their tasks during the event. After an event ended, I had to orchestrate the flipping of the room for the next event. This meant I had to do less physical labor and more figuring out what needed to be done and assigning someone to do it.

I still hold this position today and have become well accustomed in it. During my time as a room leader I have learned how to lead a team of people to accomplish a complex task. I have also learned how to improve upon the logistics of an operation through communication and organization. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to gain skills like these while working with the management team of The Manor House.

 

What I found in Monterrey, Mexico

I went to Monterrey, Mexico on a mission trip in the summer of 2014 and 2016. Both of these trips were designed to bring high schools students to an orphanage that could be greatly improved by manual labor projects. At the same time, students were able to develop relationships with the children living in the orphanage while trying to show them what it looks like to live for God. These mission trips were the first and only times that I left the country. I experienced a sense of disbelief when I saw a poverty that I had not previously acknowledge existed anywhere in the world.

During these mission trips, I did not realize the impact that they would eventually have on my life. After visiting Monterrey, I knew I wanted to help people living in poverty, but it was not until after high school that I finally realized how I could do that. Humanitarian engineering grabbed my attention when I first read about it while researching different career paths post undergrad. I knew that humanitarian engineering could allow me to create solutions to problems faced in poverty stricken countries around the world.

Looking back on my experiences in Mexico, I recognize how much I was able to mature. First, it was a huge accomplishment for me to raise the money to pay for the trip when I was still 13 years old. Doing that introduced me to networking and establishing good relationships with people with various connections to me. Secondly, leaving the country for the first time and going to a country that spoke a different language with a group of people I was not all that familiar with was way out of my comfort zone. I do not know how I was able to convince myself to do that, but I am very glad I did because I grew a lot spiritually and socially as well as in maturity. Going on these mission trips to Monterrey have successfully provided a path for me to grow in so many ways while also providing my life with a newfound sense of purpose.

About Me

Ever since I visited the city of Monterrey, Mexico I have desired to help improve the lives of those living in poverty. At the time, I was not exactly sure how I would be able to do that. Since then, I have taken steps that move me closer to my aspirations. I am not claiming to know exactly how I can create an impact yet, but I know that I want to do it through STEM, and more specifically, engineering. There will always be short term solutions that are helpful, but I want to create solutions that are lasting. For this reason, I am on the pre-major track to study mechanical engineering at The Ohio State University. I am Microsoft Certified and have already found those skills to be very useful in analysis and communication. Additionally, I am striving to obtain technical skills used by engineers such as coding. Over the course of my college career, I am looking forward to acquiring the knowledge and skills I need to pursue my ambitions wherever they take me.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

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 guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. 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 guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]