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.

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.