Intro to Me

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Bak and I’m in Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars. I’m from Brewster, New York, a town just about an hour north of New York City. I’m the youngest of three girls, and the first one in my family to go to THE Ohio State University. My two best friends, Mckenzie and Megan, go to The Kings College in London and University of Rhode Island, respectively. For my 16th birthday, I got my dog, Ranger, and he has been my baby ever since and we go everywhere together while I’m home. Ever since I was 3 I’ve been competitively dancing and my team has been like my family ever since. My senior year of high school, I started to do Olympic lifting program with a group of guys that like my dance group, became my family. I came to tOSU to study Athletic Training and after I’m done with my undergrad and graduate degrees, someday, I hope to work for the New York Rangers.

Year in Review

First Semester

When I first came to OSU, my biggest fear was not making friends. Since I moved 9 hours away from home, and no one from my hometown came to Ohio, I knew no one at college and hadn’t really talked to my roommates before hand, I was worried about not making friends. When I first meet people, I’m very reserved and I like to feel people out before I’m myself around them. So that first week I was very shy around everyone and didn’t really connect, so most nights I was on the phone with my mom. After the Welcome Week activities, a few trips to Target, and hanging out in the common room I was finally comfortable. One night I remember specifically, my suite mates, people on the floor, and I watched Babadook and all gathered around with our blankets and pizza and I felt like I was back home with my friends and that’s when I truly felt comfortable around the people around me. Over the semester I came to love my roommates and the people in DSWS and I know that some of them will be there for me for a long while, and I probably wouldn’t have met some of my most loved friends if it weren’t for this scholars program. By far, my hardest class my first semester was Gen Chem, a common problem for a lot of first years, and I struggled through it, staying up until the early hours of the morning studying, and going to the RPAC study room (which is one of my favorite places to do work), but I got through it with a little help from my friends. One of my most favorite classes though, was Athletic Training 2000, which seems intimidating at first but its really fun and you learn a lot about, hopefully, the profession that you want to go into. This semester has been all about growing up and I still have a long way to go but I’m on the way.

Spring Semester

The spring semester has been full of growing, ironically enough. A list of new classes, joining new clubs, trying new things, and developing new friendships, this semester was a start. In keeping with the spring theme, I decided at the beginning of this year that I would try things I hadn’t done before, I joined a club called CHAARG that is all about the wellness promotion in campuses across the nation, and I’ve learned about how to deal with stress more efficiently, participated in rock climbing and self-defense, and made friends that I probably would have never met on such a big campus. Going to weekly DSWS meetings opened up opportunities for me to learn more about what the world will throw at me once my time here at tOSU is done and to make connections with people that are in my field.
This past year I’ve been applying to my major, Athletic Training, submitting applications and doing my prereqs, it has been stressful to say the least. Doing a workshop that had all to do with applying to jobs and such was probably one of the most helpful things that DSWS, or anyone really, could have given me and it has guided me through the application process for my major. From helping me put together a presentable resume, to teaching me that being persistent and just sending a ‘thank you’ email, this scholars program has really guided me through the application process. These different lessons lead me to get an interview for my major which ended up going very well, which could have gone very differently if it hadn’t been for my scholars coordinator, Abigail Ormsby, doing a mock interview with me. DSWS also helped me add things in my interview that were crucial, volunteer hours, leadership courses, and making connections with students already in the program.
One of my favorite memories from this year is Buckeyethon. Being able to experience the environment full of support and people wanting to support others and not tear people down, with such a close knit group of friends was a life changing involvement. Doing a line dance class, talking to families affected, and struggling to stand at 7am was a bonding experience that DSWS just made better.
Thinking about what my time at tOSU could have been like without Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars is a scary thought. The friends that I’ve made this year are some of the closest I’ve ever had, the speakers some of the most determined, and the program THE most encouraging and caring there is. Like I said in the fall, I came here not knowing anyone and shy as all get out, but leaving OSU in the future, I’ll walk away with the skills, knowledge, and relationships that can get me through most anything in life.

 

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.]

Artifacts

One thing that has become very important me as time goes on, is my pillow. I know it sounds silly, but I’m very selective of my pillows, if I have a soft pillow that feels like it came straight out of a Motel 6 then I can’t sleep, and the same goes to a pillow like a rock. The first few weeks of school, I couldn’t sleep and I didn’t know why until I realized that when I moved to college, I replaced all of my bedding and pillows. I had to call my mom to ship me my pillows. I have even gone as far as bringing my pillow back home with me on the plane because it means so much to me. It may seem inconsequential to other people but a pillow is a little piece of home. I’ve traveled around a lot in my life for dance and to learn about other countries but every time I lie down in a bed that isn’t mine, there’s a sense of disappointment. You’ll travel and move around a lot in life but that one constant as soon as you go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning can mean all the difference when it comes to a place to stay and a home. I didn’t realize how important that little piece of home was until I moved to college, and it wasn’t there anymore. For some people, that one thing may different, mine is a pillow and someone else could have a watch, yet everyone has that piece of home that makes everything a little more bearable.