Caroline Booth
Jess Stein is my mentee and the major that she plans on applying to is nursing.
How did you decide on the major you have chosen?
Jess has always been interested in medicine, the human body, and helping people. She said that anatomy was one of her favorite classes in high school. Originally becoming a surgeon was on the radar for her so she was studying biology, and her plan was to eventually apply to med school. The schooling necessary to fulfill this dream seemed overwhelming and becoming a surgeon would take many years. She mentioned that she would like a family and wanted to be able to make that a priority. Nursing seemed like a happy medium. She would still be involved in medicine, but it has a flexible schedule and requires fewer years of school. Nursing also allows one to have a very personal relationship with patients which is a quality that she liked about it.
How do you plan to get involved on campus?
Jess is already very involved around Ohio State. Aside from being in ACES, she started rowing for OSU this year which has kept her very busy, but she is enjoying it. She is also in the bioethics society; in which she is applying to be vice president. Jess holds a job off campus in addition to her activities on campus.
What are you most looking forward to in the ACES program?
Jess is excited about the service aspect of ACES. She is excited to get involved in her Columbus community. She mentioned that having the opportunities in front of her made it much easier to pick one that fit her passions and schedule. Sometimes it is hard to organize volunteer work on one’s own, but ACES makes it easier.
What is your dream job and why?
After some time nursing, Jess would like to either serve on an ethical committee in a hospital, or become a medical ethicist. In order to achieve this goal, she is thinking about adding a bioethical minor so that she can learn more about it.
What is one of the most important things you have learned so far at Ohio State?
Because of her busy schedule, Jess has become hyperaware of how to schedule. She has had to work out time conflicts with her job because sometimes the work she has to do takes longer than she expects. The type of work she does makes it hard to predict how long it will take for her to complete her tasks. It has been an adjustment learning to take into account how long it takes to get places or do things at Ohio State.
I am excited for Jess because she seems to have found a great major that fits the goals she has for herself in her life. I told her that I am undecided on what I should major in and it is okay to get a few semesters down the road and decide that a different area is a better fit for her. I will try to help Jess figure out a great spot to volunteer at because she is passionate and excited about it, and I want it to be a great experience for her. Ideally she will get involved in something that she wants to continue for years to come.
I think it is important for Jess to know that lots of college students from all years find scheduling overwhelming. Work, school, extracurricular activities, and social time are all very important and it is difficult to split the time up so that no area suffers. I think another one of the ways that I can be a helpful mentor to Jess this year is to help her find time for herself. She is so busy and very involved, which is awesome, but it is very important to take time to relax and have fun with friends as well. All of things she is involved with will suffer if she is not getting enough sleep and taking care of herself.
Mentee Check – In
Jess Stein – Pre-Nursing
Are you enjoying your major? Why or why not?
My mentee, Jess, and I decided to get dinner together in the union marketplace after the ACES service event we had making door decks. I asked her if she was enjoying her major and she said that she was, but her classes are proving to be very difficult. As a pre-nursing major, there are a few difficult classes that she must do very well in in order to be accepted into the major which is very competitive. Her stress is very understandable.
Have you gotten involved on campus? How do you manage your time between your involvement and your academics?
Jess is very involved on campus; she is on the rowing team which is very time consuming. Jess also has a job that involves making calls and dealing with people which requires great interpersonal skills. She is also involved in a ACES and a couple other clubs on campus. She expressed to me how getting enough sleep is very challenging at times for her because she is so busy. She said that her roommates comment on how little she seems to sleep. It can be very difficult managing one’s time while being involved in this many things. I hope that she is able to find a way to fit it all in and get plenty of rest and time for herself.
Have you enjoyed the ACES living-learning community in Smith-Steeb? Why or why not?
Unfortunately, Jess’s housing got a little messed up and she is living in the towers on west campus instead of in Smith-Steeb. I think she feels that has put her at a disadvantage when it comes to bonding with fellow ACES. She said she does not know a lot of other ACES in the program. I am glad that she and I can go to events together. I know when I was a freshman, I loved living with my fellow ACES. I met almost all of my friends through the program and am still friends with them to this day. I think the living together aspect of ACES is invaluable.
Have your career plans changed since your first semester? Why or why not?
Jess is still planning on going into nursing and still taking her pre-nursing classes. She did, however, add on a bioethics minor. She hopes to serve on a committee that makes ethical determinations regarding how hospitals handle various situations. This sounds extremely interesting. Since the nursing major is very difficult to get into, Jess has a backup plan of majoring in environmental policy (she referred to herself as a bit of a “tree hugger” and law with a focus on ethics. All of her options sound very interesting and exciting. I am impressed by how she knows what she wants to do and it so interested in ethics as an area of study.
What is your favorite memory from last semester? What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus?
Jess’ favorite memory was running out to the field after the game that OSU won against Michigan. It was a very close and exciting game; she is glad that she got to be there. Jess is still surprised about how big Ohio State feels to her. There are so many fellow buckeyes walking around at any given time. It feels like a city. Perhaps, the longer she is here, the more it will start to feel smaller and homier. I have really enjoyed getting to know Jess. She is very sweet and funny and she will make be fantastic in whatever area of study she chooses.