Cindy Shelly is the Fiscal Associate within the Business Office at Ohio State ATI. The Business Office processes student’s tuition payments and are always available to help students with their Statement of Accounts. A Statement of Account shows what fees a student would owe for the upcoming semester. Cindy has been here for 11 years.

The faculty and staff at Ohio State ATI are very approachable, and that is Cindy’s favorite aspect of Ohio State ATI. Cindy, too, is very approachable and very willing to help. In the past, she has received the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science Staff Advisory Council “Above and Beyond Reward.”

When asked what the value of coming to college and Ohio State ATI in particular, Cindy stated “College can help students plan their future goals. ATI offers two-year degrees, which help a student figure out if they want to enter into the workforce with an Associate’s or they have the option of continuing to pursue their Bachelor’s.”

Ohio State ATI students choose from two different types of associate degrees. The Associate of Science degree is built to transition on to a bachelor’s degree at the Columbus campus. The Associate of Applied Science program is meant to be a terminal degree, for students interested in starting their career right away.

The biggest piece of advice that Cindy would give to a prospective student is, “Look for scholarships, no matter how small every little bit helps.” Scholarships and financial aid can significantly reduce the cost of coming to college. Nonetheless, if you do have questions about your Statement of Account, do not be afraid to ask the Business Office.

by Matt Roth

One thing you might ask yourself as a new student on campus is, “Where can I find a place to study?” Here at Ohio State ATI, there are many readily available places to sit down and look over your material. We also have many resources available for any kind of help you might need to succeed in your classes.

ATI Library

First, let’s talk about the library. There are many great things in the library to help you study effectively. There is a quiet study area, has a distraction-free zone (and napping station!) A computer lab with desktop computers and many study tables are for your use whether you’re studying solo or with your friends and classmates. In addition to the tables, there are two group study sets which allows you to plug in your iPad or computer and project the information onto a TV and allow your whole group to work together and be on the same page.

Directly outside of the library is a small area that has tables and couches that some students use for a study space. This is a nice place to study, as there are typically not many students so it’s usually quiet with few distractions.

Learning Lab

Another great study space is the learning lab. This is a place where students can go for any tutoring they might need or just a place to study. There are computers in the learning lab and lots of comfortable furniture that makes for good studying. You can’t concentrate if you’re not comfortable! There is also a learning lab in the housing office which is usually open later in the evenings. This is a place students can come if they cannot focus in their apartments and want a little more solitude.

Student Success Services is a great spot – and not just for studying. Here, you will find anything that you need to succeed throughout school. There are professional tutors, counseling services, computers, soundproof rooms, and more. Students can go there for any help they might need and to study with no distractions.

Skou Lounge

The most popular lounge at ATI is Skou Lounge. Here you will find lots of comfortable furniture and many places to study. It’s a good place to study for those commuting or living off campus.

When the weather is right, going outside to study is always a nice thing to do. Behind the greenhouses, there is a shade garden with benches and picnic tables. Next door to ATI is Secrest Arboretum, which has various places to study, and if you need a break, you can take a walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

If you are someone who just likes studying by themselves and can tune out distractions, studying in your apartment is also an option. You might feel most comfortable there and, with the great Wi-Fi, you can make use of all kinds of online study resources.

Discovering what type of study works best for you will help you do your best. Whatever your style is, ATI has a study location that matches.

Jodie Holava is Ohio State ATI’s new Student Activities Coordinator. Her background is in collegiate coaching, but here at ATI she facilitates many campus activities. She tries to provide a variety of options, so that everyone can find something they enjoy doing.

As Jodie says, the only way to know if you like something is to try it! Her biggest advice to a prospective student is to, “Try it all! You want to join a student group? Go for it! Go on a trip to visit someplace you’ve never been? Why not!  It may be uncomfortable and something you’ve never done before, but that’s how you learn and grow!”

Some of the activities students take part in are through campus organizations, from clubs within your major, to the Hoof-n-Hide Club, to the ATI Community Choir. Many ATI students participate in Collegiate 4-H and Collegiate FFA. We also have a variety of intramural sport leagues and tournaments, including traditional sports such as volleyball, kickball, and basketball, as well as unconventional intramurals such as laser tag and euchre.

ATI’s Student Activities Center also hosts events such as craft nights, karaoke, and trivia. In addition, there are opportunities to grow as a leader through attending Lunch with Leaders sessions. Lastly, students have the opportunity to give back by volunteering with service activities such as the local Habitat for Humanity. You can learn more about some of the activities Ohio State ATI offers here.

Jodie has been with ATI for only about four months, and her favorite part of ATI is how welcoming everyone has been. She says, “I guess you can consider me a ‘new student’ too, and from the first time I stepped on campus, it felt warm and inviting. Every person I met said ‘Hello!’ with a smile, and it has been the same ever since. ATI definitely makes you quickly feel part of the family!”

We would love for you to be part of the ATI family! Please consider visiting campus soon!

Ohio State ATI students gave their reasons on why they love ATI; here are their responses:

14. Food in Wooster

The Guerne Drive-In is a hot place to cool down for students of ATI. Best milkshakes in Wayne County!

13. Therapy Dogs (Including Finn)

Therapy dogs are a huge hit here at ATI. Students love to interact with the animals on campus, especially Finn who can be seen walking around the campus daily.

12. Home Away from Home

Ohio State ATI is not just any college — it is a home away from home. This is a place where students get to create new friendships. With ATI being a small campus, everybody knows everybody, which adds to the comfort factor of being away from home.

11. Ladies in the Bookstore

Margie and Becky play one of the most important roles on this campus. Although they are here to sell students their books and supplies, they are also there for a great conversation and laugh. These ladies work hard to ensure that the students have what they need to succeed in the classroom.

10. Fun and Engaging Faculty

The faculty members at ATI are very outgoing. They really like to interact and mingle with the students. The faculty does a great job of ensuring that the students are succeeding and will help them find any help when it’s needed.

9. Hands-on Learning

One of the biggest perks of coming to Ohio State ATI is hands-on learning. Students learn at the farms, in the greenhouses and equipment labs, on turf plots, and lots of other locations around campus. This prepares students for real-life situations.

8. Made-to-Order Food from Café Carmen

Café Carmen is a very hot spot on campus. No cafeteria line here. Your food is made to order, so you have lots of choices! With a meal plan, ordering your chicken fingers and fries is a whole lot easier.

7. Free Laundry and Parking

Who doesn’t love free laundry? Here at ATI, we have it. A large laundry room offers multiple washers and dryers. Along with free laundry, we offer free parking. Save hundreds of dollars by not buying a parking pass. This makes taking care of everyday needs is just that much easier.

6. Small Class Sizes

The small class sizes at ATI are something that makes learning a lot easier. With small class sizes, you can focus more, and the professors notice more of the things you do (or don’t do!).

5. Because I am a Name and not a Number

This line means a lot: “Because I am a name and not a number.” Professors do not just consider you another number in their class. They take the time to learn your name and reach out to you to offer guidance or help.

4. Competitive Intramurals at the SAC

Intramurals are big here at ATI. From football to volleyball, we offer nearly everything. This gives students who have that competitive edge a chance to compete against others who have that same drive.

3. Supportive Staff and Campus Community

Ohio State ATI has such a supportive campus community. Everyone wants to see the students succeed. They are more than willing to go the extra mile for students who need help with a specific question. If someone doesn’t know the answer, they will surely find someone who does.

2. Great Foundation for a Career

Ohio State ATI is a great foundation for a career. You can enter the workforce right after graduation, or you can transition to Columbus to complete a bachelor’s degree.

1. Being Part of the Cornerstone College of The Ohio State University: 150 years of Access, Affordability, and Excellence.

Ohio State University was founded 150 years ago as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. That’s why the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science claims its spot as the Cornerstone College. From our humble beginnings providing practical education for common folk, we’ve grown to be one of the top-ranked public universities in the U.S. and remain committed to affordability and access.

By Hunter Sandwisch

I’m a member of the 2019 Ohio State ATI Homecoming Court. The Homecoming Court members are required to participate in one community service project. This year, we took part in Night to Shine. Night to Shine is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. The foundation’s web site says “Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs ages 14 and older. This February 7, 2020, Night to Shine celebrated its sixth anniversary! On one night, 721 churches from around the world will come together to host Night to Shine for approximately 115,000 honored guests through the support of 215,000 volunteers!”

The Grace Church in Wooster, Ohio was the home for the Wooster Night to Shine, where we had around 270 guests as well as more than 300 volunteers. Guests could get their photo taken, go for a ride in a limo, play a variety of games, and walk the red carpet. There was also a caricature artist and a room for karaoke. I volunteered in the game room where we had a variety of different games to play. Players earned tickets for each game they played and were able to use the tickets to “purchase” prizes. There was dinner provided and participants were able to go out and dance on the dance floor. At the end of the night, the guests were called onto the dance floor and crowned either King or Queen.

Every program at Ohio State ATI is full of hands-on experiences. Whatever students choose to study, they will gain experience in their given areas through experiential learning. For Heather Bauder, our staff floriculturist, the hands-on experiences were one of her favorite parts of her education at Ohio State ATI and are a big part of her current role.

Heather graduated from Ohio State ATI with Associate of Applied Science Degrees in both Floral Design and Marketing and in Nursery Production Management (now titled Greenhouse and Nursery Management). After graduation, she worked in the floral industry, including a role as manager of a floral shop for six years. Then she returned to Ohio State ATI in her current role.

Heather oversees our on-campus floral shop. Our floral students receive real-life, hands-on experience working in the flower shop by designing, merchandising, and providing customer service. The second-year students progress to becoming the managers for the first-year students, which allows them to have a whole new experience of managing others.

Strawberry Kisses Floral Arrangement

One of the experiences our floral students have is organizing specials around Valentine’s Day. The floral students design and market different types of Valentine’s Day floral arrangements which are sold to the campus and community. These flowers vary from traditional long-stemmed roses to less traditional arrangements such as “Strawberry Kisses.”

Another part of Heather’s role is being a member of the horticulture gardening team that plans, designs, installs, and maintains the campus’s learning gardens. She harvests many of the plants that are grown on campus for use in ATI’s design classes. Floral students have the opportunity to design with flowers and foliage that greenhouse students started as seeds or cuttings and that Ohio State ATI students took care of throughout the growing season.

The Floral Design and Marketing major and the Greenhouse and Nursery Management major are only two of the thirty programs that Ohio State ATI offers. Students in all programs have experiential learning opportunities. According to Heather, the best part of coming to Ohio State ATI is, “Students who come here get real-life experience and hands-on practical experience in their field of study.”

You asked, I answered: What high school students want to know about college.

I work as a student ambassador for Ohio State ATI, which is part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science Wooster, Ohio campus. As part of my job, I must find a way to connect with prospective students and help them navigate the path to enrolling at Ohio State ATI. At first, I struggled to conjure up the questions that I once asked as a high school student, so I decided to ask some friends that are still in high school; “What are some big questions that you have about college?” Here is what they asked:

Is it difficult making new friends in college?

Not seeing your friends from high school every day can be a big change, but there are a multitude of ways to get involved and make friends in college. Ohio State ATI’s apartment village has large courtyards for barbeques, kick ball games, corn hole tournaments, and bonfires. I met my best friend by participating in activities like these. Our Student Activities Center holds events like painting parties, tailgates, dances, and intramural sports, which helped me get to know a lot of my classmates outside of class. My classmates and I carpooled to our labs at the farm, restaurants, grocery stores, and study-group meetings.
Every freshman in college is moving into an unknown atmosphere. They are all trying to make friends and find their niche. Don’t be afraid to talk to the person next to you in the lounge or the cafeteria line; they may be looking for a friend too!

Are the classes hard?

Although I hate this answer, it depends. Many of the classes will be specific to a major, which makes them more interesting and easier to understand for a lot of our students. Other classes are easy for some students, and others find it very difficult. If you find that a class is hard, there is a good chance that other people find it difficult, too. At Ohio State ATI, we have a Learning Lab for students to work through that material with a tutor — for free! Making friends in those difficult classes can result in impromptu study groups, and working with your academic advisor can help you navigate the course material. A student support program called Program Excel pairs students with an advisor to help with class work, balancing school and work, scheduling classes, and other essentials. Never be afraid to speak with your professor. Professors put their office hours and office location on the syllabus for a reason. Almost all my professors are willing to answer emails, take phone calls, and visit in person to help me. Librarians are awesome for almost any subject or research project. Although a few classes may seem difficult, there are plenty of resources to use to overcome those obstacles.

How long does it take to get used college life?

This depends on the person, but for me, it did not take long. Getting involved in school events and making friends eases the transition into college life. Living on campus is a new experience for some of your roommates and your neighbors, so you are not alone in this process. Resident Advisors (RAs) are a great resource for any housing need. RAs help you understand housing rules; they hold social events; and they always have your back. It’s okay to miss home. Call your family and friends and let them know how you are doing. Bring some things from home to make your apartment feel more inviting. Ask your mom for the recipe for your favorite meal that she makes. Call your siblings because they probably miss you too. Remember that college is a period of growth and maturing. Let yourself experience this next step into your future. Your family and friends will always be there for you. College has changed me in a few ways since high school. My diet is interesting (I eat a lot of cereal!), my sleep schedule is a bit erratic, and my studying abilities are advanced, but I am mature, I am a stronger student, and I have two of the best friends a person could ask for. How you experience college is up to you.

Go Bucks!
Olivia Hoffman

L-R: Our librarians – Abby, Kathy, and Kris – are here to help!

Ohio State ATI’s library is all about finding ways to help students succeed academically. Our library team of Kathy Yoder, Kris Purdy, and Abagail Burkey have a combined 37 years at ATI and truly love helping our students.

Their biggest piece of advice for a prospective student is, “Don’t be shy about asking questions.  That is why we are here. We love helping students figure out what they really need.”

They point out that a benefit of Ohio State ATI’s smaller size is that students can meet with a librarian any day of the school week. Librarians can help with research and so much more. Students can use the Library Help Desk to ask questions, and the librarians are happy to point them in the correct direction.

The library also has many resources to help students succeed academically. First, they keep a copy of all the textbooks that a student may need for class, so a student can use the library edition while they are in the library. They offer all sorts of technology, from laptops and headphones to phone chargers and printers/copiers. Lastly, they have various types of study spaces for every learning style, including group study and quiet individual spaces.

Since we are part of The Ohio State University, if our library does not have what a student needs, our librarians can obtain it from the Columbus campus or one of the other regional campuses. We are also connected to other university libraries in Ohio through OhioLink.

Kathy, Kris, and Abby look forward to welcoming new ATI students to the library. Ohio State ATI’s library is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 in the morning to 8:00 in the evening, except Fridays when they close at 5:00 p.m.

by Olivia Rinesmith

This Saturday, four other Ohio State ATI students and I attended the Regional Student Leadership Retreat, held on the Columbus campus in the Ohio Union and presented by the Office of Student Life.

During our time at the retreat, we participated in several activities to build our leadership, communication and professional skills. We started off by doing icebreakers to get everyone in the room comfortable with each other. One of the activities we did was taking a survey on our love language. Love languages are how we can communicate with others and show our love in a way that others can understand. There are five different languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. If you know a person’s love language, it makes it easier to communicate with them on an emotional level.

Next, we held conversations about what makes a good communicator, how to network, and how to present yourself in the best way possible. Then we had an hour to go and explore the Columbus campus and enjoy lunch.

Our last activity dealt with conflict resolution. We got into groups and discussed things that we are bothering us within our lives and received feedback on how to address these issues.

The retreat gave me many knew skills as well as enhancing the ones I already had. It opened my eyes to take others’ wellbeing into consideration and to make sure everyone feels included. I truly believe that I have started new friendships and have made connections with students from the regional campuses. Looking at this picture truly shows that it doesn’t matter who you are or what campus you go to. We all are Ohio State Buckeyes.