Summary of Mentorship Experience

My first-year mentee was Jillian Finkle. Jillian is a Political Science major and very determined and involved on campus! Some things that Jillian and I had in common was our passion for helping others, especially younger children and adolescents. As I am majoring in early childhood education, I plan to teach children in grades PreK-3. While teaching, I want to focus in on helping my students understand their potential and reach it. I also want to provide a safe and comfortable environment for my students and help them grasp onto just how important and special they each are. Lastly, I want to educate them not only on academic things but also on social and moral norms and standards. Jillian, being a political science major, is also very passionate about people. She wants to help people by fighting for and promoting things that have people’s best interests in mind. Jillian is very proactive in mentoring young women and fighting for their rights. On a sillier note, another thing that Jillian and I have in common is our love for old ghost stories. We both have always been intrigued by these stories and have fun learning about them!

 

Jillian has always been very involved and determined since she started, but during her second semester, the fruits of her labor really started coming to life. She was elected to a leadership position in one of her clubs and she was also selected to go on some very cool trips and meet some awesome people because of her hard work and dedication. Jillian is definitely a force to be reckoned with!

 

As for me, I found myself getting more and more comfortable with Jillian as the year went on. I was able to open up a lot more and once I did, she did the same! One thing I learned, is that in order to have a genuine relationship, you need to learn to be vulnerable and honest. I believe that without doing so, you will have no more than a surface level relationship. I also learned that your mentee doesn’t need to be best friends with you, but they do need to know that you will be there and support them no matter what. Throughout the year, I also saw myself being more diligent on time when it came to doing things with my mentee. I can be really bad at procrastinating at times, but having a mentee kept me more accountable. I had to plan ahead and make sure I gave Jillian enough of a heads up about things that we were able to get all of our interviews and explore Columbus events completed on time. This is something that has tremendously shaped me as a leader.

 

I was able to help my mentee at the beginning of her first semester with many of the questions she had about college overall, classes, workload, social groups, clubs, aces, service, and many other things. In our first interview, Jillian was great about bringing things up that she had questions about. Many of the questions were focused on academics, such as, what exams and finals are like and how much work you put in in a normal week. I was also able to walk her through some service suggestions and gave her some advice on ways to meet all of her aces requirements.

 

I think that there are many benefits to the mentorship program. One of the major benefits of it is that it forces people to experience something that may be out of their comfort zone or something that they just wouldn’t have done if they didn’t sign up for the mentoring program. Personally, I would have not gotten so close to a first-year member without the mentorship program which would be a great experience that I would have missed out on. I also would not have gone to the new places I have been to because of our explore Columbus trips. I think that the mentorship program is also great for the mentee, as it gives them someone to go to with questions and rely on. It also gives them the opportunity to explore Columbus with someone a little more experienced than them. As a previous mentee, I absolutely loved the explore Columbus experiences that I went on with my mentor. Lastly, I think that the mentorship program helps you to work on bettering your relationship and social skills. These are things that are so important in every aspect of life and it is always great to work on these skills and the mentorship program did just that!

Explore Columbus (Spring)

A few weekends ago, my mentee, Jillian, and I went to Fox in the Snow Cafe! This cafe was so cute and a place that neither of us had been to, but both have always wanted to go!

Since both Jillian and I live in Smith-Steeb hall, we met in the lobby. I ended up borrowing a car from a close friend so we were able to drive to the cafe. It was nice to be able to use a car and get off campus as Jillian and I both do not do that enough! One the car ride there, we talked about all of the other places in Columbus that we would like to visit and how nice it is to get off of campus every so often. We both decided we needed to be better about it!

Upon arriving at the cafe, we found a parking spot and headed inside! We went on a Sunday morning and it was jam-packed with people. It smelled delicious and we loved the aesthetic. We hopped in the long line and patiently waited to get up the register. We both ended up getting their huge, delicious cinnamon rolls! I then got a hot tea and Jillian got a latte. Our cinnamon rolls were almost as big as our heads and absolutely to die for! I am a big tea drinker and enjoyed my drink and Jillian loved hers as well. The swirl at the top of her latte almost looked like a heart which was adorable.

When we finally sat down to eat, we got into a conversation about our spring breaks and other fun things that we had done or were planning to do this semester. I mentioned how I went to Saint Augustine, Florida for my break and that I went on a haunted ghost tour of Saint Augustine which was very interesting. Jillian ended up knowing a lot about the topic and with it came some great conversation. My mentee then went on to talk about all of the ghost stories she knew about at Ohio State – which was a lot! One that stuck out to me was the ghost of Orton Hall. It was so cool to talk about a topic we were both interested in. We then went on to talk about other things such as classes, extracurriculars, and goals. Jillian is a political science major and is very passionate about supporting minorities, so we talked about some of the things she is currently involved in right now and how she is working to support those communities. We also talked about our futures and where we see ourselves and what we see ourselves doing. Jillian is a great person and has some high aspirations, but I have no doubt that she will meet all of them. After we finished all our ghost stories, cinnamon rolls, and drinks we headed back for Smith-Steeb hall. It was such a beautiful day outside and it was when it was just at the beginning of starting to get warmer. It was nice and sunny as well, so we were glad that we picked such a perfect day to go. We then hopped in the car and started to make our way back. The cafe was only about a 10-minute drive from campus, so it wasn’t too bad of a drive at all.

I would definitely recommend going to the Fox in the Snow Cafe to other people! This is a great little place and somewhere I would like to go back. I definitely plan on doing so. It was pretty busy on this particular Sunday morning, but the line still went very fast and we were able to find a nice table pretty easily. I would like to go back sometime on a weekday and see what it is like. I think it would be a fun little study spot. I definitely plan on bringing my family and friends here as well. Overall, Jillian and I had a great experience and would both love to go back sometime in the near future!

I have loved doing all of these explore Columbus assignments as they have challenged me to get off of campus and find places that I enjoy. These experiences have been beneficial to me in so many ways. I have a feeling that my mentee loved the experience too. Columbus is such a unique city with so many cool places that I have yet to explore. This explore Columbus experience just gave me a head start on it!

Second-Semester Mentee Interview!

My mentee, Jillian Finkle, and I met up at the union to do her second-year interview! Jillian is still a Political Science major and has been getting involved on campus in a variety of ways. She is very determined and passionate about many things and has taken steps in pursuing many social justice issues. Here is an update on her!

When I asked Jillian about a class on her current schedule that is challenging, she went on to talk about a medieval history class that she is in right now that focuses on minority issues. She said that it is very heavy in reading and writing and that she also has a hard time with focusing in on what she needs to know. Some things that she mentioned having to work on is learning how to skim readings while still getting a general understanding. She said that she is learning slowly, but surely and has gotten a lot better at is! Jillian also mentioned that she is planning to pick up a double major in history. She believes that this will be a great addition to her political science degree that is currently in the works. Lastly, Jillian also spoke about a data literacy class that has been tough and is required for her major. Despite some of these challenging classes, I am confident that Jillian will give her all and thrive in them!

Jillian would definitely like to stay involved next year on campus; in fact, she mentioned that she would like to get more involved! She said that she will keep up with the same organizations that she is currently in but plans to apply for more leadership positions within them. She would also like to focus more on expanding and networking with other people and organizations. She feels like this year has rooted her in some main organizations and things that she is passionate about and she wants to focus her second year on expanding those passions and interests. She has also accepted the communications director position for college democrats here at OSU. This is something that Jillian is very proud of and she looks forward to expanding their reach and making the organization as great as it can be.

Jillian described her first semester in ACES as being good and overall positive. She went on to say that this program has created accountability for her to go out and serve her community. She has always loved service, but this is a great way to make sure that she is making time for it in her busy schedule. ACES has also encouraged her to find communities that she is very passionate about impacting and has pushed her to serve them. One of her favorite way to serve is by being a mentor to another girl. As far as recommendations go, Jillian would like to see more social justice topics and events in ACES. She would also like to see it become more discussion oriented.

Jillian has been able to do many things that align well with her major. She has been applying to internships for this upcoming summer as well. As far as experience goes, she has been part of college democrats, has met politicians, was able to go on a trip to Washington DC, and helps out with the Women’s March. All of these things have made for great experience for Jillian, and she is hoping for even better ones to come!

Some of Jillian’s favorite memories from last semester include winning the communications director position for college democrats and being very well received in the organization, going to Washington DC, and meeting Sherrod Brown. As far as goals go, Jillian would like to focus more on her own mental health, balancing things while staying involved, and doing the things that she loves.

Explore Columbus!

A few weekends ago, my mentee, Jillian, and I went to the North Market downtown! We also went with another mentor, Braylee, and her mentee, Molly. We had a great time hanging out together and Jillian and I had such a great time getting to know Braylee and Molly better.

We all met at Smith-Steeb hall and then walked to the Cota bus stop. This was my mentee’s first time riding a Cota bus, so we showed her the ins and outs of how it works. We rode all the way down until we reached the market. After we got off of the bus, we walked the rest of the way to the market, which wasn’t far away.

Upon arrival, we did one lap around the market to start, as it is such a big place that is filled with so many cool shops, knick-knacks, and food. After we walked our lap to get an idea of what was there and what we all wanted, we decided on what to get. I ended up getting Belgium waffles that were absolutely delicious. My mentee went to the same place and she got a banana and Nutella filled crepe. Braylee’s mentee, Molly, got a donut that looked great too! We were happy with our treats, to say the least. After getting out treats, we walked around a little bit more before heading upstairs to find a place to eat. We headed into the Hot Chicken Takeover place that was upstairs. Molly had never been to Hot Chicken Takeover so she wanted to try it out. We also ate our treats up there too. After Molly got her Hot Chicken Takeover, we all sat down to eat our food and we shared our treats around the table. I then decided to get some Hot Chicken Takeover as well because the temptation was too great. We all then continued to talk and get to know each other better. We talked about some of the clubs and extracurricular activities that we were all involved in. My mentee, Jillian, talked about her clubs and all she is doing in them currently, as she is very involved on campus. We had so much fun just visiting and hanging out. We also talked to our mentees about how they were enjoying their first semester and what classes they were taking next year as well as what they were looking forward to. After that, we did one more quick look around at the shops on the lower floor before heading to the bus stop. We then hopped on a bus and headed back to campus. Then we got off at Smith-Steeb and went our separate ways. Overall, we had an amazing time hanging out and getting to know each other better. Our mentees also really seemed to enjoy the North Market and going someplace that they have never been.

I would definitely recommend going to the North Market to other people! It is such a super fun and cute place. Definitely a great place to bring people that have never been to Columbus. I am planning on taking my parents to the North Market the next time they are in Columbus! I also want to bring my friends from back home when they come down. I would also love to go back as well. I would love to go back because there are so many cool little shops in the North Market. I aspire to go there more to get more unique gifts and treats for people.

Overall, I learned a lot about Columbus in general and I hope that my mentee did too. I learned that Columbus is full of many little sweet spots that are super fun and ever-changing. We also learned that it is so fun to take the time to go to places like this every once in a while. I also think it encouraged us all to do things like this more often. It is so nice to get off of campus sometimes and be reminded that there are cool places in Columbus outside of campus. I personally love to explore new places and this was a great way to do it. This is also a nice place to go because it is free, unlike other places. There are still many places in Columbus that I would like to go to! I talked with my mentee about this and we are already thinking about ideas for our next explore Columbus! We talked about possibly going to German Village, Franklin Park Conservatory, Cosi, the Columbus Zoo, and much more.

First Semester Mentee Interview

My mentee is Jillian Finkle. She is a first year political science major. When I asked her how and why she decided on her major, she responded so enthusiastically. It was so cool to see how much joy and passion she had talking about her major. One thing she said that really stuck out to me was that she loves helping people. She is very interested in activism, politics, and understanding government and policies. She mentioned how her AP government class had a lot to do with her decision, as she took it the same year as the presidential election and was very involved in it. Also, Jillian was part of at her high school that advocated for women’s rights. They would go around to pharmacies and places and make sure that things for women were easily accessible and not hidden behind counters or in places that were hard to find or retrieve.

Jillian is already very involved on campus. I believe this speaks volumes about the person that she is. She is very caring and is not afraid to step out and make a difference! One of the things that she does, is she mentors 4th and 5th graders. The mentorship program she is involved with focuses on young women and empowering them. Two of the main concepts that are crucial to their program is bridging the leadership gap and raising confidence in young women. When talking about this, she says that she loves volunteering for things that she is passionate about. She is also a part of College Democrats here at Ohio State. For this, she is involved with voter registration and focuses on civic engagement.  

When I asked Jillian why she chose to be involved in ACES, she said that she wanted to get involved in the community to humanize the population that she will be serving some day. She plans on working in politics and with civil rights possibly even here in Columbus, so getting to know the community is very important to her.

After graduation, Jillian is planning on going to law school. After that, she would like to focus her career on either, civil rights, women’s rights, or the criminal justice system. She is also considering working on a campaign, non-profit work, or being civil rights attorney.

In order to balance academics and involvement, Jillian organizes everything. She says that she likes to stay ahead to keep leisure time. This also is very beneficial for when things come up last minute or if there is an emergency. She says that she likes to have wiggle room.

Jillian is very passionate about what she is involved in and what she is aspiring to be. You can tell by the way she talks about such things. It is so nice to see someone so overjoyed and committed. Throughout the year, I am planning on using this information to help me mentor Jillian. I am very passionate about education, so one thing that we really connect on is the politics of the education system. I am a very organized person as well. I thought that we could share organization tips and maybe even take some time to organize our planners and things.  I also am very involved with other things like she is. I think that I will be able to help her to manage her time and also to encourage her to take time to herself, as these are things that I have had to learn over the years. I believe that Jillian will do great things in this program and beyond. She is enjoyable to be around and always has a smile on her face. She also gives off such a passionate and positive vibe.

 

Global Awareness

To me, global awareness means being concerned with and being informed about what is going on in the world around you. I plan to work on making myself more aware, by going to more events and info sessions about places worldwide. For one of my FYSS classes, I went to one about worldwide service. I would also like to take a service trip somewhere around the world to learn about the needs of others from different places. I think that doing that will also help me to be more globally aware.

 

Academic Engagement

To me, academic engagement is what prepares you for your future and sets you apart. This next semester I am taking FEEP. FEEP is a class where I will be in a classroom three days a week aiding a teacher in a classroom. I am really excited for FEEP and I think it will help put me ahead. This semester, I took an Ethics of Teaching class too. This was a class that challenged my thoughts and helped me to think about the choices I will be making in the classroom.

Artifact 2: Explore Columbus

Picture from: drinkupcolumbus.com

This artifact is the experience of going out with my mentor and her other mentee. It was a really fun experience! My mentor is also named Emma and her other mentee is named Brea. We went out to eat at Condados and the food was delicious! We also walked into some of the shops and just explored around the short north.

From this experience, I learned to branch out and meet new people. It was so fun getting to know Emma and Brea. We talked about many different experiences and where we came from. Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to meet new people and make friends, but this really encouraged me. It also made me realize how easy it is to make connections with new people.

I will use this experience to help me to branch out when I am in a situation with a bunch of new people. It will help me to make new friends and connections!

Artifact 1: ACES Film Project

Picture from: Netflix.com

This artifact represents a project I did for my ACES Seminar Class. For this project, we had to watch a documentary and work with four to five other people and create a presentation to share with the class about it. We made a powerpoint that described the movie and then we related the movie back to the pillars we have in out ACES program.

This artifact taught me a lot about how minors are charged with murderous crimes. The movie went into depth about what was going through the minds of the criminals and the pain that their choices have caused their families and the families of the victims. It also helped me to learn to work together with people better.

This experience will help me in the when I have to do more group projects. It will also help me to collaborate with my group members and coordinate schedules in the future.

About Me

Hello, my name is Emma Babcock! I am originally from Northwest Ohio and I am pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. I am an Advocates for Communities and Education (ACES) Scholar and also a member of Ohio Students Education Association (OSEA) here on campus. I currently have a job on campus working as an office assistant for the Department of Teaching and Learning for graduate students. I am here at Ohio State because I believe that this is the best place to get a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. I believe that I will be well prepared and that going here will set me apart from others. My goal is to teach the second grade. I hope to make a lasting impression on my students and make them into lifelong learners. I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in third grade. I had a whole classroom set up in my basement and would spend hours on end down there. I am excited to see all that will come out of my next few years here at Ohio State!