My first mentee is Morgan Kovis and her major is pre-neuroscience on the pre-law track. We also discussed the following questions during our second semester interview:

1) Are you enjoying you major? Why or why not?
She really enjoys her major and the classes she is taking, but she stated that last semester was hard. This semester, she is taking more major classes which she said is more interesting and she really likes the program and her advisers.

2) Which class on your current schedule do you think will be the most challenging and why?

She is currently in 15 credit hours and her hardest class this semester is Cellular Molecular Genetics.  It is a lot of work and she did not enjoy biology last year, so she is not looking forward to this class. She said that the chemistry department is bad in general, but she doesn’t believe that the class should have been as hard as it was, but she thinks it made her a stronger person!

3) How have you gotten involved on campus?
Last semester she got involved with Student Radio and said it was super fun. She did not have a lot on her plate last semester, so she had the opportunity to meet a lot of friends which she enjoyed. This semester, she is volunteering with Buckeye PAL in the Student Wellness Center which is a non-crisis line. She also joined Undergraduate Student Government and is on the health and safety committee. Additionally, she is applying for the peer leader position and plans to be in Columbus during the summer.

4) What recommendations do you have for improving the ACES program?
Coming in to college she was expecting to be learning more about advocacy in the Columbus community and how to be a better judge of how to talk about those topics. She felt like in the ACES class, she talked about things she already knew about. She said that a lot of people in this program already have the soft skills covered in class and that there are so many other lessons that could have been discussed. She thinks it would be a good idea to have more speakers from other offices come in such as the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and International Affairs who are all trained on how to live in a community where the majority of people are different than themselves because they would have a lot to share. She said the ACES class would be great time to share all of the resources available and how to reach out to those people. She stated that community is such a big part of ACES on paper, but she still doesn’t know a lot of the people.

5) Have you enjoyed the Aces living-learning community in Smith-Steeb?
She said that everyone is cool and social and she likes talking to everyone because everyone is nice, but the fact that it is a learning community hasn’t changed anything. She loves her RA, but she is not in ACES so she said that doesn’t have anything to do with it.

6) Have your career plans changed since your first semester? Why or why not?
She is still in neuroscience, but her plans have changed. She intended to be pre-PHD and wanted to do research, but after chemistry last semester she realized she hate science and would hate being in a lab. For this reason she is thinking about pre-law and is interested in the policy side of mental health.

7) What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus?
She is from St. Louis and loves the city. She came to Columbus and had never been to Ohio before. She was surprised to see so many parallels between the two cities and said it feels and looks like home. She is happy to be able to explore a new place that’s not too different than where she grew up.

My second mentee is Alyssa Sharp and her major is Middle Childhood Education. During our second semester interview we discussed the following questions:

1)Are you enjoying you major? Why or why not?
She really enjoys Middle Childhood Education. She stated that last semester felt a lot like high school, but she is a lot busier now. She is currently working in a fourth grade class in a Columbus City School and loves it.

2) Which class on your current schedule do you think will be the most challenging and why?  Her hardest class is trigonometry because she hates math and struggles to pay attention because she gets so bored. She said she is going to try harder to stay engaged.

3)How have you gotten involved on campus?
She joined Student Alumni Council, but there are over 100 students so she hasn’t met everyone. She likes CRU a lot as well and participated in the Language Improvement Track program last semester where they did lessons on Carmen to learn more about English each week.

4) What recommendations do you have for improving the Aces program?
She was not a huge fan of class and thought that the material could have been approached in a more practical way. For example, she said that they did not need to spend an hour working on their schedule.

5)Have you enjoyed the Aces living-learning community in Smith-Steeb?
She says she talks to the girls on her side of the floor, but when they try to talk to the other side they never initiate conversations. She made friends but thinks she would have done that anyway because she does not think ACES is what connected them.

6)Have your career plans changed since your first semester? Why or why not?                             She said no because she loves her major and classes.

7)What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus?                                         The squirrels surprised her because they run in front of her and scare her. She thinks they’re a different breed here than they are in Akron.

My mentees and I chose to explore local food favorites during our second Explore Columbus. I texted them to see what kind of food they like and if they had any places in mind, and I found out that they both had never been to Joy’s Village so we decided to go to a Chinese restaurant on High Street that is hidden and very few people know about. I had been to the restaurant before and we all like Chinese so it was a perfect place to explore with them. We planned on going on a Saturday, but then something came up so we went for lunch because we all had a break between classes.

During our last Explore Columbus we had to take the COTA, but since this restaurant is directly across from my dorm on north campus, we met at my dorm and then walked across the street together. It was nice to be able to show them my dorm and what the rooms on north campus look like compared to the rooms on south.  While we were there, we had a very friendly waitress who answered all of our questions. There were so many options and I wasn’t expecting the menu to be so long. We were happily surprised to see the low prices of all the items and took our time reading the extensive list of options. Once we ordered, we bonded. We talked about what they’ve been doing and I heard about Morgan’s trip to New York for her birthday. We talked about life and home and what they are most looking forward to this year. They told me all about the different bands and concerts that they saw since the last time we were together. I told them all about my winter break and then we started talking about Bubble Tea because it turns out they both love it! Ironically, there is a bubble tea shop connected to the restaurant so we had to make a quick stop there after lunch as well.

We all loved our food and ate so much. My favorite thing was the Crab Rangoon. Alyssa got Pad Tai and they gave her so much food she had to take most of it home with her and Morgan got a tofu meal. It all looked amazing. After we paid, we ate fortune cookies and went and sat down and chatted some more in the Bubble Tea restaurant. It was really cute and clean in there. I wish I liked bubble tea because it looked really good. After they got their tea, they headed back to south campus and I headed to my dorm because we all had to get to class.

All three of us talked about going back to get food again at 1126 soon because we loved it so much during our first Explore Columbus. It is definitely still my favorite off-campus restaurant. If I go back to Joy’s Village, I will try something new next time because I regret not getting Lo Main.  I would recommend this place to any friend who likes Chinese because its conveniently close, and they have a multitude of options. I would recommend it because the inside it very authentic, it was clean, and the food was good. They have so many unique entrees and the prices are also fairly low, plus they take BuckID Cash!

After having the opportunity to show them the hidden Chinese restaurant under Dunkin’ Donuts,  there are so many other places that I want to go explore. We all know about places that others haven’t been so it is really fun to share this knowledge and learn about all of the fun places around. I never leave campus because everything I need is right here, but I learned about how many other experiences there are just down the street. It was fun to hear about all of the places they have already been during their one semester on campus, and I wish I would have known about them earlier. We went to a bubble tea shop on high street across from campus for my Explore Columbus, so it came full circle ending my Explore Columbus experiences in ACES where I started with my mentor as a first- year. If someone was going to complete the same experience, I would recommend getting the crab rangoon because it was amazing and venturing over to the bubble tea places next door because they are cute little hang out spots. I would also recommend looking at the menu before going because it is long and can be overwhelming.

I had an amazing time hanging out with my mentees and I hope to continue going to get food with them this semester and checking out new places. I love trying new things and wish I would have spent more time doing so last year, but I am thankful to have had such a good experience at 1126 last semester and at Joy’s Village this semester with Morgan and Alyssa.

My mentees and I chose to explore local food favorites during our first Explore Columbus. During the Autumn Retreat, I found out that they both loved sushi so we decided to go to a sushi restaurant in the Short North called 1126. I had heard many great things about this restaurant so we were looking forward to trying sushi from a popular restaurant that was close to campus. To our surprise, we even lucked out and unknowingly went during happy hour so the rolls were cheap.

We decided to take the Cota bus since it was a quick ride to the Short North. The Cota is always an experience as we were crammed in with a bunch of strangers. We also ran into a group of fellow students that I recognized. I am not an experienced Cora rider but luckily my mentees knew where to get on and off and how to navigate the buses. While we were there, we had a very friendly waitress who answered all of our questions since none of us had ever been to 1126. We were happily surprised to see the low prices of all the items on the happy hour menu and took our time reading the extensive list of options. Once we ordered, we bonded. We talked about about life and where they are from and what they are most looking forward to this year. They told me all about the different bands and concerts that they have already seen and the ones they are planning on seeing this year. I told them all about my freshman year and some of the difficulties I had and how I got through them. They were so easy and fun to talk to and they were very appreciative of me taking them to this restaurant and sharing about myself.

We all loved our food and ate so much. My favorite thing was the crunchy California roll. Alyssa also got a crunchy California roll and an avocado roll and Morgan got an avocado roll and sweet potato roll. It all looked amazing. After we paid, we went outside and looked around at some of the cute restaurants nearby. There is so much in the Short North that I never even knew about! When we got on the Cota to go back to their dorm, there was another ACE student so we talked to her about where we went and heard about her evening as well.

All three of us talked about going back to 1126 because we loved it so much. It is definitely my new favorite off campus restaurant. I’m planning on going back with them sometime this semester. I will definitely recommend this place to any friend who likes sushi, and even those who don’t because they have a variety of Hibachi as well. I would recommend it because the inside it very cute, it was clean, and the food was amazing. They have so many unique rolls that I have not seen anywhere else, including one with peach. They’re prices are also fairly low, especially during happy hour.

After going to eat in the Short North for the first time, I learned how easy it is to take a Cota and try out so many new places. There are so many things and places I saw that I want to go explore. I never leave campus because everything I need is right here, but I learned about how many other experiences there are just down the street. I jokingly said that my mentees need to take me on an Explore Columbus because they were more knowledgeable about the area than I was. It was fun to learn about all of the cute little places, and I wish I would have known about them earlier. We went to a bubble tea shop on high street across from campus for my Explore Columbus, so I had never taken the Cota to the Short North before. If someone was going to complete the same experience, I would recommend going with someone who knows about the bus system because I never know which Cota bus to get on. I would also recommend looking at the menu before going because it is long and can be overwhelming.

I had an amazing time hanging out with my mentees and I hope to continue going to the Short North this semester and checking out new places. I love trying new things and wish I would have spent more time doing so last year, but I am thankful to have had such a good experience at 1126 with Morgan and Alyssa.

I first mentee is Alyssa Sharp and her major is middle childhood education. During our interview we discussed the following questions:

1) How did you decide on the major that you have chosen?
After talking about this question I learned that she has always wanted to do education and most enjoys the age group she has chosen. She believes that middle schoolers will suite her best and she knows she loves kids which is another reason she chose education.

2) Where do you like to study on campus?
She does not a have super specific place she always goes to study. She really likes18th Avenue Library but her roommate typically studies in hall so she tends to study in her room alone. She can focus and get stuff done in her room without getting distracted.

3) What kind of involvement are you interested in on campus?
She participates in Cru on Sunday nights and is actively looking to join an environmentalist club because she really likes the environment. She is also trying to learn Japanese on her own so she might want to join a club that will help her do that. She is also part of the English conversation program through the office of international affairs because she thinks it is good practice since she wants to teach English abroad in the future.

4) What type of volunteering and involvement were you involved with in high school?
She was involved with theater as well as speech and debate. She also mentioned that she was on Student Council. She has participated in a lot of mission trips both in the United States and abroad which was very interesting to hear about.

5) Why did you choose ACES and what are you most looking forward to in the ACES program?
She chose ACES because she wanted to do education and likes service. She talked a lot about how much she likes the planned service events, and she especially liked community commitment. She likes that ACES does a good job of allowing her to balance service and college life.

6) What do you plan to do with your major after graduation?
She plans on becoming a teacher as soon as she graduates. She will first work in a low income school as part of a grant she received but would like to do teaching abroad after that which will allow her to live in many places which is what she is hoping for.

7) What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus?
She talked about how it was easier to find community than she thought it would be. She thinks this is mainly because she has found a community in ACES and really likes the people she lives with.

My second mentee is Morgan Kovis and her major is pre-neuroscience on the pre-law track. We also discussed the following questions during our interview:

1) How did you decide on the major that you have chosen?
I learned that she is very passionate about mental health so she knew that she wanted to go into that field. She also really likes science and the brain and recently decided on pre-law because she thinks it’s the best way to get an interdisciplinary education. It also allows her to see mental health and neuroscience from many different angles. She also mentioned that she didn’t want to do research and is interested in politics.

2) Where do you like to study on campus?
She likes to study anywhere that isn’t her room. Unlike my other mentee, she needs to keep her study space separate from her room because she doesn’t want to associate her room with stress.

3) What kind of involvement are you interested in on campus?
She is involved in Arouse which is the student radio where she will be broadcasting once a week. She really enjoys this because the group goes to many different shows and concerts together. She wants to get in a neuroscience organization as well as something focused on Suicide prevention so she is looking to volunteer with the Buckeye peer access line.

4) What type of volunteering and involvement were you involved with in high school?
In high school she helped with the youth crisis help line and spoke with teens in crisis. She also volunteered with a suicide prevention and mental health community outreach club.
During her junior and senior year she was her class secretary and she started a mental health advocacy group at her school. Like Alysssa, she was involved in theater where she deigned hair and makeup.

5) Why did you choose ACES and what are you most looking forward to in the ACES program?
She is passionate about advocacy, especially when focused on mental health. She is looking forward to learning more about how to get involved at Ohio State and in the Columbus community. She likes how ACES allows her to dedicate her time to causes she’s passionate about and she likes how the class is talking about how to be an advocate.

6) What do you plan to do with your major after graduation?
She plans on going to law school and then erasing the stigma on mental illness. She wants to educate people on the importance of well being and create a more open environment.

7) What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus?
She was nervous about coming from out of state since it was pegged as a big football school. She knew she wasn’t interested in that and was scared she wouldn’t find people similar to herself. She was happy to realize that, since it’s such a big school, there are lots of different people with ideas similar to her own.

I plan on using this information to mentor Alyssa and Morgan throughout the year by incorporating their interests into what we do. I will try to provide them with information about the clubs they are interesting in finding as well as continue to answer any questions they have. I am excited to continue to get together with the two fun, caring girls throughout the remainder of the semester.

ACES Pillar Film Project

Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County

The ACES Pillar Film group project is a good representation of one of my academic achievements as a Scholars student at Ohio State.  In the Scholars Seminar, we have spent a large amount of time discussing the four ACES Pillars which include: Postive Social Change, Advocacy, Community, and Service. One of our biggest assignments in the class was to select a documentary, watch it with our assigned group, and create a presentation that focused on where these four pillars were relevant in the film. Our documentary of choice was “Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County” which focused on families living in motels in Orange County, California. The lives of the children were followed while they were at the motel and at school, and children were interviewed about some of their experiences.  It was interesting to hear about homelessness from a child’s perspective because they have a slightly different outlook on the topic compared to adults. This film raises awareness of life in motels and what kids experience and see when they do not have the safety of a house. It encourages us to be more aware of life outside of our little bubble, and it shows us that we can make a difference in the lives of the homeless by simple donations and acts of service. Not only did this project allow me to learn more about the importance of positive social change and community, but it also allowed me to improve my communication skills while working in a group setting. Group projects have the ability to teach students not only the topic at hand,  but also transferable skills that are necessary in any job or career path in the future.

Children at the Orphanage

55585A59-F430-4764-8BB3-9F456D380A1F-2aupf9h

In January of 2018, I was selected to participate in was a seven-day medical mission trip to Honduras where I immersed in the local culture while engaging in Christian service with the people. The team was made up of doctors, dentists, eye doctors, nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, and a group of students from my high school. My job was to assist with English-Spanish translation for an American nurse who did not speak any Spanish. Throughout the week, we traveled to five rural mountain villages in Honduras to provide healthcare to over a thousand people. While staying in the guest quarters of Sociedad Amigo de los Niños, we interacted with the children of the nearby orphanage. We saw the living conditions of the children and learned about their “house mothers,” the adult living with the children in each house since most of the children were orphaned or abandoned.

This immersion experience opened my eyes to the daily challenges of the residents of third world countries. While focusing my concern on the needs of others for an entire week in a foreign land, I found a new love of serving and giving back to others. After using my spanish skills to translate the symptoms of the Honduran people to the American doctors, I learned how important it is to use the abundance of resources we are so fortunate to have in the United States to impact the lives of those who are less fortunate. F06BCFB8-D0EC-4D6A-BF90-571633DD5BB6-1nj2maz