This year I fulfilled my service requirement by raising money and dancing at BuckeyeThon. I was there for 10 of the 12 hours. I knew about this event because I had participated in it last year and loved everything the event stood for. The whole purpose of BuckeyeThon is to gives kids who have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer the ability to act like kids. This is done by setting up games for the kids and volunteers to play as well as having music playing all over the student union for kids to dance to, to let loose and have fun. As a dancer, I volunteered my time to hang out with some of the kids at the event and give them a day they would never forget. I met some kids and learned their stories about how they were diagnosed with cancer and how they fought it. In some cases, I learned how they were able to overcome their cancer, which was an incredibly exciting thing to witness. This had a huge impact on the kids because I was able to help them be kids again. It also had a huge impact on myself because I was a part of a project much bigger than any one individual, so seeing all of the positive change that came about as a result of BuckeyeThon was humbling to witness. As a result of this service, I realized how important it is to give back to those who are in the hospital or those who have been in the hospital. Unless you go to the hospital yourself, you tend to forget about the people who spend their days fighting diseases. This does not diminish their importance, however. We need to remind ourselves that these people often need our help and support to get them through tough times. This volunteering has impacted me as a leader because it has shown me the power of organizing people under one banner. At BuckeyeThon, all of the students were there to raise awareness for pediatric cancer and give their time up for the kids who were there. As a future leader, I can use this knowledge if I ever want to organize my own event to raise awareness for a good cause. Becaue of this service learning, I am more connected with my community. Not only did this event bring me closer with other Ohio State students, it also brought me closer to the families that live nearby the University. We as a University opened our doors to these people to provide them with financial and emotional support in their times of need, which ties our community very closely together.

Hours: 5

This semester I participated in the DSWS day of service to help give back to the city of Columbus. My group volunteered at the Goodwill store, where we spent four hours sorting clothes by size in all departments, organizing shoes, and pulling clothing with specific tags to be set elsewhere. The impact we had was geared more towards the staff who worked at Goodwill than the customers who shop there because we did tasks that they would have had to do themselves. By organizing the merchandise for the employees, we gave them the opportunity to work on more important things that are necessary to keep the store running. As a result of this service, I learned just how much stores and businesses can use volunteers in addition to their full time and part time staff. If we were not volunteering at Goodwill that day, the employees would have had to sort through all the clothes and shoes themselves to get them ordered by size as well as to pull the appropriate clothes from the racks. Because we were able to give up some of our time to do this, however, the Goodwill employees could focus their attention elsewhere. While volunteering, I learned that I like to make an impact in areas that the community revolves around. This goodwill store was always busy and full of customers from around the area, looking for clothes, appliances, and other home goods at affordable prices. Some people depend on stores such as these, and by volunteering I was able to make their shopping experience as easy as possible. It was easier for them to find clothes and shoes in their size after we sorted through them, which made for a less frustrating shopping experience for the customers. This experience also impacted me as a leader because I helped delegate jobs to other volunteers. For example, if there were too many volunteers in a small area, I would encourage them to split up to cover more ground and work more efficiently. In addition, I actively looked for areas that had not been sorted through and began searching them to move items to their appropriate racks. Because of service learning, I am more willing to give back to my community and help them in any way I can. Volunteering at the Goodwill store at first may not seem like that large of a benefit for the community, but when you take into account all of the customers who shop there and the employees who work there, it is clear that this store was an integral part of the neighborhood that benefited from our volunteering.

Hours: 5

This semester I helped volunteer at the Columbus Marathon.  This volunteer opportunity was offered through the Scholars program to provide the Columbus Marathon with a large group of volunteers, which helped them facilitate their race and give the support their runners needed. I was stationed with other DSWS scholars at the water stop between Fyfe road and Coffey road, where we helped set up tables, mix Gatorade, and fill cups with water and Gatorade. For the majority of the 5 hours we were handing out cups to runners and encouraging them to finish out their marathon strong. I think this had a very positive impact on the runners because they had a large cheering section that helped motivate them to keep running, despite the cold temperature. In addition, by giving them water and Gatorade we were ensuring that they were keeping hydrated so they could run at peak performance. As a result of this service, I have learned that I love volunteering even when it’s early in the morning and cold outside. My passion for volunteering has no boundaries which is good for me because it opens up more volunteering opportunities for me to participate in. I also learned that I like volunteering in ways that impact the city of Columbus. It’s a great way for me to become more acquainted with the city and to give back to it at the same time. This opportunity has also illuminated that I like to step up into a leader role when volunteering. While at the water stop, I saw jobs that needed to be done and I helped complete them or suggested to others that they should help out as well. Doing this made sure that everyone was busy and that the Columbus Marathon ran as smoothly as possible. Because of the service learning we participate in as a member of DSWS, I am better equipped to interact with people in my community and to work with them to accomplish a common goal. Running this water station proved this because I worked with some people I had never met before to give the runners in the marathon the best experience possible, which was great to be a part of.

An artifact that represents my experience on the field at the Horseshoe is the picture taken of my scholars family. This picture reminds me of all the fun I had on the field during welcome week, especially with my family. I am so grateful for having such a great scholars family. The second year parents in my family have been so helpful in getting me acclimated to life here at Ohio State. My “siblings” have also made life here at OSU fun, as we talk on the floor and go out together to do explore the University and all that it has to offer. The picture taken of my family and I also reminds me of the friendships I created with other first and second year scholars at this welcome week event. While on the field, I had the opportunity to meet other students in my scholars program, which has led to great friendships with a lot of them. Because of the time we spent on the field, I met people who are my closest friends at OSU so far, which I am very grateful for. I’m glad that I was given this picture of my scholars family because it reminds me of how great the Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars group is. Without this program, I do not think I would be as successful as I have been in making friends and in making Ohio State University my home away from home. All of these thoughts come to mind when I look at this picture, which ends up reminding me that I made the best choice of my life in attending The Ohio State University.