This year for my ACES mentoring program, I was matched up with Eugene Seok. On September 26th, Eugene and I met in the Smith-Steeb lounge to discuss how college has been going for him so far. Through this conversation, I was able to learn a lot more about my mentee than before. Eugene is an Actuarial Science major, and he plans on following that major into a career as an actuary. Eugene’s mother is an actuary, and it was her recommendation of the field that inspired Eugene to pursue this major. He was considering entering his freshman year as “Undecided”, but ultimately decided to go the route of Actuarial Science. Eugene told me that if all goes well, he would prefer to enter into the workforce right after he graduates; however, he hasn’t ruled out graduate school just yet. When it comes to his academics, Eugene seems to have settled in quite well, which is impressive this early in the year. When I asked him if any class was particularly challenging, he told me that all of them are about the same level of difficulty for him, despite his class schedule consisting of a variety of different classes, all at different skill levels. This displays Eugene’s admirable work ethic, and how he has been able to use studying to make certain classes easier for himself. The systemic, allocative approach to studying that Eugene follows is a great example of his proficiency as a student. Speaking of studying, Eugene told me he studies the most at Thompson Library. However, he really could study in restaurants, his dorm room, and basically any moderately quiet environment. When it comes to life outside of school. Eugene definitely plans on getting involved on or around campus this year. In high school, he participated in a variety of extracurricular activities. Eugene was a member of many academic-based clubs, such as the math, physics, and Spanish clubs. He played the trumpet in his school’s marching band. He was also a member of the National Honor Society, or NHS, which again speaks to his continued success as a student. He is also very big on service: he loves to help others and wants to make a positive impact in the community. Lucky for him, there are hundreds of service-based organizations here at Ohio State. Eugene hasn’t found any club or clubs just yet that he is looking to join, but after seeing his passion and drive to serve the community, I’m confident Eugene will quickly settle into a club where he can apply this enthusiasm towards the community’s benefit. It is this passion for service that pushed Eugene to choose ACES as one of his top choices among all of the Scholars programs. He is looking forward to a year of fun and rewarding service. Outside of service organizations such as ACES, Eugene isn’t sure as of yet about how he wants to get involved, but he plans on looking into the many OSU clubs and joining the ones that catch his eye. Since he hasn’t been able to get as involved as he would like yet, Eugene is yet to come up with a way to balance his academic and involvement responsibilities. But from what I’ve seen, he hasn’t had an issue juggling the various commitments he already has, so I’m sure he won’t have any trouble picking up a few more.
Eugene could use some guidance in terms of involvement and finding something that interests him, and I’m ready to help him in this process. I learned a lot during my own freshman year that I think will help Eugene with his, and I hope to successfully impart this knowledge. I also think I might pick up a few things myself through our mentor/mentee relationship, specifically about how to improve upon the way I study as well as how I can handle multiple responsibilities in a more efficient way that reduces stress and increases productivity. I can’t wait to get to know Eugene better this year both as a mentor and as a friend. He seems to be enjoying life here at Ohio State so far, and I want to see what I can do for Eugene that allows him to continue his current success while also assisting him where he needs help. All in all, I’m looking forward to a fun and productive year with Eugene.