Spring Explore Columbus

My mentees and I decided to keep the same theme from last semester’s Explore Columbus and go get ice cream together. This time, we had one more mentee join us for some fun! On a Monday night at the end of the spring semester, Lauren, Laura, Sydney, and I went to Graeter’s Ice Cream. Although it was one of the unusually cold nights we had this April, we all would never say no to ice cream. With our really busy everyday schedules, it was really great to all meet up before finals, catch up, and spend some time together.

Fortunately, one of my roommates keeps a car on campus. She was not using it that specific night and allowed me to borrow it for the occasion. This was extremely convenient because we did not have to worry about figuring out the bus system, when a bus was coming, what bus to get on, and waiting in the cold. It was also nice because having a car allowed us to go a little farther off campus, somewhere I am not even sure if a bus passes by. We all decided to head on over to Graeter’s Ice Cream in Upper Arlington. Once I picked up my roommate’s car, I drove over to Smith-Steeb to pick up Lauren, Laura, and Sydney. After I picked them up, it was about a ten-minute drive to Graeter’s Ice Cream.

Out of the four of us, all of us had not been to Graeter’s Ice Cream in a long time so we were excited to be back. Considering the extremely cold weather, the ice cream shop was surprisingly crowded. As soon as we walked through the doors, we quickly secured one of the only open tables in the entire store. We then headed to the ice cream. After taste-testing a few different kinds of ice cream, we all ordered and paid. Once we found our seats, we spent the next hour eating some delicious ice cream and catching up. It was really awesome getting to talk to Lauren and Laura since I had not seen them in a while and to talk to Sydney more, who I had yet to spend a significant amount of time with. We all got along really well and had some great conversations. We talked about our finals and final projects we had coming up, shared our plans and adventures for the summer, and what our class schedules looked like in the fall. Lauren, Laura, and Sydney each reflected on their first years at Ohio State, their first year as an ACE scholars, and asked questions and advice about the following year. Even though the four of us could have probably stayed in Upper Arlington for hours just talking, we had to head back to campus since one of my mentee’s had a floor meeting.

The Explore Columbus requirement for the ACES mentorship program is one of my favorite parts of this scholars program. Although sometimes it can be a hassle to figure out a day and time that works for everyone, especially with three mentees and finals season quickly approaching, it is so much fun once we are together. It was really difficult to find a time that worked for everyone in our little group. What I found kept happening was we would be set on a date and time about a week in advance, but then last minute something would come up for someone. Or one date and time would work for two people and another date and time would work for the other two. Finally, however, we figured out a date and time that worked for all four of us and I was so glad. Despite that confusion, it really is a great experience. One of our favorite parts about this event that Lauren, Laura, Sydney, and I discussed while driving to get ice cream was just getting off campus. We talked about how sometimes we feel somewhat trapped on campus and how it feels so nice and relaxing to spend some time away from campus, even if it is just for a few hours. I also really enjoy how this event gives my mentees and me a chance to talk and get to know each other better away from ACES and structured ACES events.

Reflecting on this Explore Columbus event and our trip to Graeter’s Ice Cream, I would definitely recommend this trip to others. It is relatively close to campus and it is easy to get to. Graeter’s also has some amazing ice cream flavors that I would encourage people to try and I even want to go back and try more! They also have a great patio to sit on outside when the weather is nice!

 

Leadership Development: Mentorship Experience

I had three first-year mentees within this mentorship experience. Two of my mentees, Lauren and Laura, I had the pleasure of mentoring all school year. My third mentee, Sydney, joined us second semester. Lauren Taraz is a communications major from Independence, Ohio. Interestingly enough, she lives about twenty minutes from my home in Cleveland and we both know many of the same people from back home. Lauren decided on the communications major because of the freedom and flexibility it gives her. Laura Yacuk is from New York and is majoring in speech and hearing. Laura has always known since high school that she wanted to study speech and hearing. Her older brother also went to Ohio State which greatly influenced her decision to come here. Sydney Klein is from Solon, Ohio, which is outside of Cleveland and also relatively close to where I live. Sydney is studying early childhood education here at Ohio State.

As I stated in the above paragraph, Sydney, Lauren, and I are all from the Cleveland area. This was a great conversation starter when we first met. We were able to discuss our high schools and if we knew any of the same people from back home. Lauren and I made a connection right off the bat. I was really surprised to find out that I know her neighbors from my childhood and used to spend a lot of time with them. Obviously, all four of us had in common our involvement in ACES and our love for service. Reflecting on the conversations we had, volunteering often came up and we often shared with each other how we received our service hours and what we enjoyed doing to meet this requirement. We all also share a huge love for Ohio State and our football team. Each of us loved going to the games in the fall and dressing up in game day gear. Another similarity between the four of us that I realized during our spring Explore Columbus is how we all like to spend time with children. When together, we all shared how we used to work with kids or how we were working with kids this summer. Lauren, Sydney, and I actually all work at a summer day camp!

Reflecting on my time with Lauren and Laura first semester and who they were then, to my time with them second semester and who they are now, I notice two growths. First, just how much more comfortable they seem. This is an obvious one that comes with time for every freshman. Thinking about my first semester freshman year, I remember feeling out of place and uncomfortable at times. I noticed this in both Lauren and Laura first semester, which is completely normal. However, by the end of the second semester, I could see how comfortable they had become with Ohio State, how it truly did feel like home to them, and how they felt like they had a place here. This was something I struggled with my freshman year so it was really great to see this change and growth among Lauren and Laura. I also remember them discussing their concern of getting involved during their first semester. By the second semester, however, they both found ways to get involved on campus and things they enjoyed doing. My hope is that they continue to advance in these involvements in the following years.

Throughout this year and this mentorship experience, I think I grew as a mentor and a leader by focusing more on the one-on-one relationship I grew with my three mentees. Even though I often found myself extremely busy with school, work, and other activities and sometimes I felt that I did not have enough time, I always made a conscious effort and made this mentorship a priority. I also made sure to go out of my way to build a relationship with my mentees beyond the requirements in ACES and to reach out to my mentees every so often. Throughout this mentorship, I grew great friendships with Lauren, Laura, and Sydney that I know will not end even though I am done with ACES, but continue in the years to come. This experience has helped me learn how to use and reflect on my own experiences to help others. I am glad that I was able to help my mentees in any way that I could, whether it was questions, advice, or just someone to talk to about what was going on in their lives.

I think mentoring programs are extremely beneficial, especially to first-year college students. Thinking back to my first few weeks on Ohio State’s campus, I was nervous and did not really know what I was doing, even if I never admitted that. It is awesome to have a peer, who has literally been in the same exact shoes as you not too long ago, act as a guide and a resource. Not only this, but I think mentorship programs, especially this ACES mentorship program, provide opportunities to build unique and meaningful friendships, just like my friendships with Lauren, Laura, and Sydney.

Mentor/Mentee Second-Semester Interview

My first mentee’s name is Laura Yacuk. Laura is a speech and hearing major here at Ohio State. Over the past semester, Laura and I have grown in our mentorship and it is always nice catching up with her and hearing about her life. This interview, the questions I asked, and the answers I received are helpful just to continue to learn more about my mentee. I know she is continuing on the right track with her major and is happy with her current involvement at Ohio State. Throughout this semester, I plan to continue to catch up with Laura every so often to make sure she is doing well and offer help, advice, or guidance if she needs it.

Laura loves her major. She has been set on speech and hearing long before she arrived to Ohio State and has not changed her mind about it. She enjoys most of her classes because they are all specific to her major. She finds them really interesting and loves learning more about speech and hearing. The most challenging class for her this semester is the introduction to biology course she is taking. Laura dislikes biology and does not find this subject interesting at all. Since it does not relate to her major and she is just taking it to fulfill a general education requirement, she finds it difficult to stay motivated and make her work for this class a priority. Despite her lack of interest in biology, she does like her professor and her lab group which makes the class bearable.

Laura enjoys being involved on campus and meeting new people. Besides for ACES, Laura is involved in two organizations on campus. She is a member of the Deaf and Hearing Club and The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. Both of these organizations are specific to her major which will help her improve and strengthen her resume. With the Deaf and Hearing Club, Laura gets the opportunity to practice her American Sign Language. She participates in regular meetings which include various speakers, social opportunities, and educational opportunities. Laura especially likes this club because she has met many of her peers that are also speech and hearing majors. Through The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, Laura has the opportunity to get her foot in the door with the further education and career paths for speech pathologists. During regular meetings, she learns more about the profession and graduate programs, how to make herself a better candidate, hear from professionals in the field and their experience, and network. Laura enjoys how involved she is on campus. Her involvement in extracurriculars is manageable with the amount of school work she has.

Laura has really enjoyed her time in ACES thus far and is happy she made the decision to join ACES before coming to Ohio State. She loves living in the ACES living-learning community. The ACES community on floor five of Smith Steeb has grown really close and Laura has met some of her best friends through this community. She also enjoys living in this environment because everyone around her is involved in similar things. The ACES events are fun and convenient to go to because there is always someone that lives close that is also going to the event.  

Laura’s career plans still have not changed from her plans first semester. She is positive she wants to become a speech pathologist. Through the classes she is taking currently that are geared toward speech and hearing, the major and field of work has become more and more interesting to her with everything she learns. She especially has enjoyed learning about speech sounds through her classes. Although she has not had a chance to explore her desired career more through internships or field experience, she plans to do this over the summer whether it be through a job, internship, or shadowing a professional.

Laura has set two goals for herself this semester. Her first goal is an academic goal. Laura was happy with her final GPA last year but knows there is always room to grow. This semester, her goal is to work to get a higher GPA than last semester. Laura’s second goal or hope for this semester is to get the housing her and her friends want for next year. She really hopes to live on north campus in a suite-style room.

 

My second mentee’s name is Lauren Taras. Lauren is a communications major. Lauren and I have become really great friends throughout this mentorship and ACES. After conducting this interview and hearing her answers, I plan on continuing to check in with her, ask her about what is going on in her life, and helping her in any way I can.

Lauren is liking her major so far. She has learned that there are three different specializations within the communications major. She chose to take the strategic communications route and really enjoys it. Lauren is also considering picking up a minor, possibly something dealing with business, to help her in the future. One class in her current schedule that she really enjoys is her business entrepreneurship class. She finds it interesting because she has never taken a class like it before. Two classes that she has been finding difficult this semester are her persuasive communications class and food science class. Her persuasive communications class requires a ton of writing which is hard for her to sometimes stay on top of. Her food science class is a lot of information to learn. Laura also finds it hard to stay motivated to work hard in this class because it is just a general education requirement and she is not really interested in the topic.

Lauren is involved in many things on campus. She recently joined a business fraternity. When she first signed up, she was somewhat on edge about it and just thought she might as well try and see if she would get in. Fortunately, she ended up getting in and has really connected with many of the members in the fraternity. Through the fraternity, she has many professional development and networking opportunities. This will also be great to have on a resume. Lauren has also joined PRSSA, Public Relations Student Society of America. This organization has been enjoyable and beneficial to her because she has met many people in her major. She also has a mentor through this organization who has a job in a communications department. Through her mentor, she learns more about her job possibilities with a communications major. Lauren is also a member of A Kid Again, where she fulfills most of her service hour requirement. She loves working with this group and spending time with kids. As for involvement next year, Lauren is considering becoming a group fitness instructor here at Ohio State.

Lauren has loved her time with ACES so far. She has really enjoyed living in the living-learning community and meeting so many great friends. Before coming to Ohio State, she was unsure about joining a scholars group but is really happy she made the decision to join ACES. She loves all of the events she gets to attend, especially the volunteer opportunities. She is also considering applying to become a leadership council member for next year!

Lauren’s career plans are still the same as first semester. She hopes to use her communications major to do something in sales. However, she wants to keep her options open and continue to learn about different paths she can take with her degree. She is hoping that as she becomes more involved on campus, more opportunities become available to her, and she gets more exposure to different areas, she will be able to make a final decision on a career path to take.

Lauren’s favorite memory from last semester is football season. She comes from a small high school that did not have that much school spirit. She loves how much school pride Ohio State students have and how much passion everyone has towards Ohio State football. She can not wait until next years football season!

 

Autumn Explore Columbus

For the explore Columbus event in the autumn semester, my mentees and I went to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. Despite the extremely cold weather, we decided we wanted to make a trip to the Short North for some delicious ice cream. We were deciding between going to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream or Simply Rolled, a new ice cream place in the Short North. Since both of my mentees had been to Simply Rolled before and Lauren had never been to Jeni’s, we decided to visit Jeni’s. This was the same thing I did with my mentor last autumn for our explore Columbus outing! Prior to leaving, I was most excited to see my mentees and spend time with them!

On a Thursday night after classes, all three of us met in the Smith Steeb lobby. We walked to the bus stop together and waited for a COTA bus. I am not the best at working the bus system, and neither of my mentees had ever rode a COTA bus. Because of this, I was a little worried about getting on the right bus. We unfortunately had to wait quite a while and it was extremely cold and windy outside. Eventually, we got on the right bus that brought us down High Street. The COTA bus can sometimes be a little sketchy so it was good that we were together to ride the bus. Once we got to Jeni’s, we had the chance to try a bunch of their original flavors. One of the best parts about Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is that they create flavors that you do not find at just any ice cream shop. Once we ordered our cones, we found a seat and got to catch up as we ate our ice cream.

It was really nice getting to talk with Lauren and Laura as we ate our ice cream. It had been a long time since I had the chance to talk and spend time with them. Our discussion consisted of how our semesters were going, what classes we were scheduled for next semester, what we dressed up as for Halloween, what are plans are for break, and other fun stories from our semester. They also had some questions about things coming up in the future for them. For example, housing next year, how I obtain my service hours, and other clubs and organizations I am involved in on campus. I was happy to help them with their questions! I got to check in with how their semesters have been going, what they have been getting more involved in, and what they are interested in getting involved in next semester. Also, Lauren and I discovered that we have a lot of mutual friends from the Cleveland area. It was really funny and surprising to find out how many people we both knew from home!

After we finished our ice cream, we used the COTA bus app to figure out when the next bus was coming. Fortunately, the next bus was only two minutes away so we hurried outside and walked to the nearest bus stop. I really enjoyed our time together and am excited for our next explore Columbus outing.

Being that I am an ice cream enthusiast, I am always eager to go get ice cream and would for sure go back to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream with my mentees. I would recommend Jeni’s to other ACES mentors for something to do with their mentees and to other friends who are not in ACES. Jeni’s is close to campus, easy to get there through the COTA bus system, and they have a bunch of unique and delicious flavors. There is one reason, however, that I would not recommend Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream to others. The ice cream at Jeni’s is extremely over priced. The child’s scoop that I ordered when I went with my mentees was over $4. Jeni’s is a great ice cream shop to go to every once in awhile when you want to treat yourself and need to spend some time off of campus. Although Jeni’s is really good, if someone was looking for a cheap ice cream place, close to campus, and good ice cream, I would suggest United Dairy Farmers instead.

For our spring explore Columbus event, I have a few ideas in mind. This semester we all had busy schedules so we decided to do something easy and close to campus. Next semester, however, we want to do something maybe farther off campus. Last year, my mentee and I went to the North Market. This was the first time I went there while at OSU and I really enjoyed it. The food we ate was great and it was fun to look around at all of the booths. We also went on a nice spring day which made the outing even better. I would like to do something similar with my mentees next semester. My top idea is visiting German Village because both of my mentees and I have not been there.

Columbus is a great city to explore with hundreds of things to do all the time. It is nice and relaxing to get off of campus and go somewhere with friends. I would suggest to any Ohio State student to make time to go somewhere in Columbus and get away from campus for a bit!

Mentor/Mentee First-Semester Interview

My first mentees name is Laura Yacuk. Laura is a Speech and Hearing Science major. She has known this is what she wanted to study since she was in eighth grade. After her mother suggested this major to her, she decided to look more into it. Throughout high school, she had the opportunity to shadow individuals in her school and in her community that worked in this field. Her experiences shadowing really helped her solidify her decision. One of the most challenging classes for Laura so far has been Introduction to Communication Disorders. This class requires a great amount of time and memorization which makes it difficult.

Just within these first few weeks on campus, Laura has already been able to show her desire to become involved on campus. She is involved in ACES and is a member of the speech and hearing club. Laura is interested in furthering her involvement as she gets more adjusted here through a deaf club and maybe a dog walking club.

ACES was appealing to Laura for many reasons. When choosing what scholars she wanted to be a part of, she noticed that many Speech and Hearing majors were members of ACES. She also really liked the idea of living in a living-learning community, especially during her first year at Ohio State. She thought it would be a great way to make friends and thought it might help her as she transitioned from high school to college life. Laura is really happy with the decision she made and is enjoying her time with ACES thus far. She has made some quality friends that she otherwise would probably not have met.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing and graduating from Ohio State, Laura plans on continuing her education to obtain her master’s. After the two year master’s program, she plans to enter the workforce as a speech pathologist. Laura has a passion for working with children and hopes to work somewhere that will allow her to live this out. Although she is pretty set on working with children, she likes the freedom that the speech and hearing major gives her. With this profession, she can work in multiple settings like schools and hospitals and she can work with multiple groups, young and old. As for right now, Laura is positive she wants to study speech and hearing science. With this being said, she does not have a back-up plan.

In order for Laura to balance everything in her life and be successful here at Ohio State, she understands that time management is crucial. Laura plans to make an effort at setting aside time for all aspects of her life. While making time to work on homework, study for tests, and be involved on campus is important to her, she also wants to make sure she saves some time in her day for herself, to relax, and to spend time with friends.

As a mentor, this first-semester interview was really helpful. It was an easy way to break the ice and get to know each other a little better without it being awkward. Now that I know a little bit more about Laura and her life, I feel confident in my ability to be her mentor throughout her first year at Ohio State. Some of these questions and the answers she gave me helped me get a gauge on what are areas she might need support or encouragement. For example, I know some of her classes this semester are challenging. As a mentor, I can offer tips for studying, invite her to study with me before midterms and finals, and reassure her that she is intelligent and capable of doing well. As the weeks go on, I hope to get to know Laura more and that she becomes comfortable enough to know that she come to me if she needs anything!

 

My second mentees name is Lauren Taraz. Lauren is a communications major. She made this decision because she likes how broad the major is and because of this, how much freedom it gives her once once she graduates. Lauren is considering possibly changing her major or adding a minor.

Laruen’s most challenging class so far at Ohio State has been her comparative studies class. This course is an Introduction to Science and Technology. When she made her schedule in the fall, she chose this course because it counted as a general education course she needed and it fit into her schedule. She originally did not really know what to expect of this class. She was surprised to find that it is about the culture of science and technology. This is a weird and unfamiliar topic to her. This class requires her to be open minded and she often has a lot of work to do for it. Lauren enjoys the class, however, and finds it pretty interesting.

During high school, Lauren was involved in a wide variety of activities and organizations. Being involved was important to her and she made it a priority to be an active member of the school community. Athletics were a big part of her high school career. Throughout her four years, Laura was on the cross country and track team, played soccer, and cheered for her high school basketball team. Sports and fitness have always been an important aspect of Laura’s life and she plans to continue this at Ohio State, even though she is not on a sports team. To do so, Laura is considering becoming a fitness instructor at Ohio State through Recreational Sports. Lauren also was a member of a few clubs at her school and held some leadership positions. She was a member of the Drug Prevention Club and Yearbook Club. During her senior year, Lauren served as the senior class secretary, a position on the student council board. She was also a member of National Honors Society near the end of her junior year and throughout her senior year. As a member of NHS, Lauren volunteered in various ways. On top of this, she volunteered at her church and local middle school track meets.

As for right now, Lauren is only involved in ACES. As the year progresses, she wants to become more involved with ACES and the events provided through our scholars. She is interested in becoming a Honors and Scholars Ambassador in the future. Although ACES was not Lauren’s first choice of scholars, she is really pleased with it so far and is excited to attend more events. She loves living in Smith-Steeb with the ACES. She is also really excited for the mentorship program and the opportunity to connect with a second year student.

Although Lauren is not exactly sure what she wants to do after graduation and does not have much of a plan yet, she has a few ideas. She loves interacting with people, being social, and likes the idea of working somewhere in the business field.

As Lauren continues throughout her first semester, she wants to work on not procrastinating as much as she usually does. In order to do so, she plans to improve her time management and work ahead in her classes. It is sometimes difficult for her because she gets distracted with friends and people on her floor. However, she is making it a goal of hers to learn how to set aside time for studying, for being involved on campus, for herself, and for being social.

It has been great so far getting to know Lauren and I am so pumped to grow a closer relationship with her throughout this mentorship program. As her mentor, I am making it my responsibility to check in with her periodically about how she is, how her classes are going, how she is continuing to adjust to campus, and how she is managing her time. My hope is that she will become comfortable with coming to me if she needs anything, whether that be help with academics or advice about life.

G.O.A.L.S.

Service Engagement

I have attended a Catholic school my entire life. With this being said, service has always been a part of my life. In junior high and high school, I was required to do a certain number of service hours. When I was younger, this was always a requirement that I dreaded. I would reach the minimum amount of hours and be done with that assignment. It was not until I went on a mission trip going into my junior year of high school that this outlook of mine had changed. I had the opportunity to travel to Kermit, WV with other students at my school. We planned a week-long summer camp for the kids in Kermit that included fun and educational games and activities. I will hold close to my heart forever all of the people I met on this trip, the poverty, sense of community, and love I witnessed, and the memories I made. I went on this mission trip with the intention of changing someone else’s life but it was my life that changed for the better. I developed a new and stronger drive for helping others. The following year I was able to travel back to Kermit on another mission trip and even hosted the kids from Kermit in my home town. This summer, I am also planning another trip to Kermit with some alumnae from my school. I hope to find something here at OSU like this that I really connect with and enjoy. One of my biggest goals for this upcoming semester is to become more involved with volunteer opportunities with the intention of finding something I really like.

Artifacts

I am currently in digital artmaking that is also a service-learning class. Within the first few weeks of the semester, we explored what socially engaged art was and different examples of it. We got a chance to work with GIMP, a free program to edit and photoshop photographs. After a few weeks, we started meeting at a middle school close to OSU’s campus. We were partnered up with one or two middle schoolers and made our own socially engaged art. Our project we made was inspired by the Obama “Hope” poster and based off the theme everyday heroes. Together, my partners and I brainstormed who their “everyday hero” was. We then took a picture of this person and edited it in GIMP to look like the Obama “Hope” poster. The students then chose a word to put under their image that described how the person they chose was a hero. Throughout this whole process, we learned from each other how to use GIMP. After we finished, all of the posters were hung in the hallway of the school with the overarching question to the school, “who is your everyday hero?”

This experience was so awesome and I am sad that it is over. The main goal of this service-learning wasn’t to finish the project, but to build a relationship with our partners and to be a role model to them. Over the weeks I was at the middle school, I really got to know my two partners. They were the sweetest girls ever and I am grateful to have met them. Just having simple conversations with them every week and learning about their lives made my day. It was not only exciting to finish our project and see our work come together, but more importantly, to grow in a relationship with them.

niyah-wolfe teacher

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

Leadership Development

The goal of leadership development is extremely important to me. Throughout the next four years at Ohio State, I hope that I discover something that I can use the leadership skills I already have and enhance them. Not just in a program or an extracurricular activity, but I hope to use the skills with whatever I major I declare. In high school, I had numerous leadership positions but two that were the most prominent in my life. The first was the student council position I held for three consecutive years. With this role, it was my job to plan and organize class events, create unity among my class, and encourage my classmates to get involved and meet school requirements. My junior and senior year of high school, I also held the position as a team captain for my rowing team. My coach counted on me to be a role model for my entire team, direct my team when getting ready for practice, plan activities for team bonding, and encourage my team during workouts. With this position, my coaches held me responsible for how the team behaved and got our work done. My entire life, I have been a leader rather than a follower. Through these two leadership positions and the experiences I had because of them, I developed and strengthened my leadership skills. I have learned how to lead by example, how to effectively be in charge, how to encourage my peers, and be someone they can come to in any situation. I am eager to continue being a leader here at Ohio State.