For Spring Break this year I got to take a road trip to Panama City Beach, Florida. This car trip took about 12 hours from Columbus. I went with my friend Kayla who bravely drove the whole way to Florida. This trip was so exciting for me because I have never really gone far from Maryland. The first day we got there the beach was so beautiful even though it was a little chilly. I had a blast during my first trip to Florida. I got to try a lot of local restaurants and meet a lot of  new people. We met a lot of fellow Buckeyes down there and people from Southern Missouri University. The people we met really made Spring Break a fun time. I commemorated my first time in Florida and seeing a palm tree by getting a tattoo of a palm tree and waves.

My Second year project involved taking on a leadership position in the student organization in which I am involved. I am the Co-President and soon to be President when the other Co-President graduates this semester. We are a new club this year so it was a learning experience for everyone. As a part of the club leadership, I lead group discussion, run meetings, club administration: making social media posts, reserve rooms, manage club attendance, identify weekly meeting topics for discussion. Unlike the more uncommon languages taught at OSU, Arabic doesn’t have a round-table for students to practice their speaking. So, this club has given me the opportunity to practice in an informal setting. I have seen some substantial growth with my Arabic skills. Personally, Arabic club has made me love the Arabic language more. I incorporate Arabic into my daily life by listening to Arabic music and watching films in Arabic. I hope to travel around the Middle East so I can experience the culture first-hand. My favorite part of being President of this club was being able have fun while practicing my Arabic skills. The people that I have met and the opportunities that have been presented to me through the club are absolutely amazing and I am very greatful.

I have always wanted to go to a country music concert, and I finally got the chance. Country is one of my favorite music genres. Ohio State brought Brad Paisley here for a free concert. My friend and I were able to get really close to the stage. The atmosphere for this concert was electric and made this a great experience. Because of this concert I hope to attend more Country concerts in the future.

I am a huge hockey fan. I am from the DC Metropolitan area, so my hometown and favorite team is the Washington Capitals. I don’t get to see them play live often because tickets can be expensive. The Capitals came to Columbus so I had to see them play. So, my friend Kayla and I got Student Rush tickets for 30 dollars. We were seated in the second row. Sitting so close to the ice and my favorite team was such an amazing experience. The Capitals lost that game but that’s okay because it was an amazing experience.

The lovely girl on the right is my roommate Spencer. I originally met her on Facebook when everyone was doing their roommate search before fall semester. Initially I was a little nervous because some people are not the same in person, but obviously I was wrong. We get along so well. So much better than what I thought. We share the same interest in many things. Although, she doesn’t like chicken wings, apple pie (how un-American!), and Blink-182. I can excuse those lapses in judgment though because she’s such a great person.

A lot of people end up hating their roommate, but not me. I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. She watches out for me, gets food with me, and lets me wear her clothes. She has become a really great friend to me and I’m glad I get to live with her next year. I’m going miss her during summer break, but I can’t wait to see what next year brings us.

This is a picture of my first Arabic meal ever. On Friday night I went to an event sponsored by the Organization of Arab Students (OAS) called HAFLE. HAFLE translates to “party” in English. There was authentic Arabic food, dancing, and atmosphere. I listened to Arabic music before, but I heard some really great songs that night. I was able to get the playlist from the DJ. I also learned how to Dabke at this event. Dabke is a traditional Arabic dance that has many variations depending on the country. It was a really fun night dancing with everyone.

Being an Arabic major and a Middle East Studies minor, I thought this event was great. I was able to learn more about Arab culture. I was able to meet some of the Arab students on campus. I even saw some from friends from my Arabic classes. I love events like this because I enjoy Arab culture as a whole and it reminds me why I want to learn Arabic and learn as much as I can I bout the culture.

This year I was involved with Smith-Steeb’s Hall Council. I was the Wellness and Sustainability chair this year. My job was to plan events that were related to wellness and sustainability. I enjoyed planning programs for residents. It made me excited to see other people enjoy programs that I planned.

My time in BASS has been great. I have met some really great people this year on the executive board. I was also able to meet other Sustainability Chairs from other residence halls around campus. This organization has allowed me to grow as a leader and a student. I enjoyed this experience so much that I am running to be the president of BASS for the next year.

MG 5 PPT was created in October of 2015 at The Ohio State University by a group of International Affairs Scholars students; including myself. This artifact is a presentation about the United Nation’s Millennium goal number five: Maternal Health. The purpose of this goal is to reduce the maternal mortality rate during and after pregnancies as well as provide adequate health care for women and children. This artifact is worthy of my E-portfolio because of its global significance. Although the this artifact focuses on Northwest Africa, the same information is true for many other regions. Also, I think it is important for people especially in the western world to be aware of other people’s situations. Not always do we realize how lucky we are in regards to health care. From working on this presentation, I learned some values that will better help me prepare for group projects as well as how to efficiently research very specific topics. Overall, my experience with this artifact has been very positive.