On March 2, 2019, I volunteered for 5 hours alongside my fellow Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars to help run the annual Dunn Dash Indoor Triathalon. Each year my scholar’s program hosts this indoor triathlon to help support our program and promote the Ohio State community to stay sporty and well. Athletes consisting of OSU students, faculty and community members were divided into 13 heats and spent a total of 15 minutes at each station– running, biking and swimming. As a volunteer, my particular responsibility was to record the distances that the athletes rode on their stationary bikes and then run the scorecards down to the pool area so that another set of volunteers could record the athlete’s laps. I found this experience to be a very good way to give back to my scholars program and say thank you for all of the amazing opportunities that it has provided me with throughout the year. I highly enjoyed volunteering at the Dunn Dash and I am confident that I will be back next year to cheer on the athletes again!

On February 9, 2019, I joined my fellow Buckeyes to do something that was truly amazing.  For twelve hours straight we danced, sang and had a blast all while raising money for Nationwide Children Hospital. The money that we raised will be used to help put a stop to pediatric cancer and support the families of children who are fighting their brave battle with cancer every day. As a part of the Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars orange team, my friends and I decked ourselves out in orange and many of us even sported tutus– including the guys. Throughout the day I bounced around to different rooms in the Ohio Student Union and participated in fun activities like the silent disco, a pushup competition, and square dancing lessons. My two favorite parts of the experience were listening to the families of the children share their empowering stories and getting to dance on stage with the Miracle Makers. Throughout the day, multiple families stepped up to share their cancer stories with the students. Hearing the parents discuss the heartbreak that they have experienced watching their child suffer was extremely humbling and made me feel proud for having been a part of such a powerful thing. Additionally, each student who had raised $1,000 or more was given a special pass to get up on the stage and dance during Rave Hour in front of everyone. I was nervous at first but after I got up on stage I could feel the utter joy of the atmosphere around me and I had an awesome time. Overall participating in BuckeyeThon was a service experience that I will never forget. The students who participate in the dance marathon are making an amazing impact on the lives of those affected by cancer. The more that I danced, the less it felt like I was doing volunteer work. While I was up on that stage I felt empowered and grateful to be a part of such an amazing school community that provided me with an opportunity to make such a big change. During the closing ceremony, it was announced that we had raised $1,704,184 to help fight pediatric cancer. In participating in BuckeyeThon and dancing “For The Kids” it is my hope is that one day parents will no longer have to hear the dreaded three words, “Your child has cancer” and instead they will be able to hear the most amazing three words, “We have a cure.”

On November 18, I volunteered at the Columbus Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Run. The run is hosted by Allstate in various cities around the United States and the money it raises goes towards the Make a Wish Foundation. Make a Wish is a charity that grants the wishes of critically ill children and provides them with a memorable experience that raises their spirits as they flight their illness. As a volunteer I was stationed at the Chocolate Tent where we helped prepare the run’s signature goodie bag, a mug food delicious snacks complete will a steaming cup of hot chocolate and chocolate fondue. My six hours of service consisted of setting up the tent prior to the race start and filling cups of hot chocolate to be added to the end of race prize. Through my service, I learned how rewarding it can be to help support races like this that serve such a great purpose. Having had a very close friend who battled cancer at the age of 5 and had her wish to go to Disneyland granted by the Make a Wish Foundation, it felt great to be a part of such an amazing cause. Because of service learning, I am able to contribute to and say thank you to organizations that have helped my loved ones.

On Sunday, October 21st I volunteered at the 39th annual Columbus Marathon. The money raised via the marathon helps support Nationwide Children’s Hospital in both finding cures and saving the lives of sicks kids in the Columbus area and around the world. My fellow Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars and I met our volunteer coordinators, Kay and Vicki, at 7 AM and we were put to work immediately setting up our hydration station at mile 17 of the race. The first two hours were spent filling and stacking hundreds of cups with water and Gatorade in preparation for the over 7,000 runners that would later pass through our station. Once the race was in full swing, we worked for the remaining three hours by handing out drinks and cheering on the runners as they passed. Despite the early wake-up time and chilly weather conditions the smiling faces and ambient gratitude of the races made the service worth it. The level of organization and preparation exhibited by Kay and Vicki as well as the race director Darris Blackford, who spoke at our scholars meeting a few weeks after the marathon, provided me with a quality example of leadership and how the proper planning can lead to the success of any project. Because of service learning, I am able to both learn from others and learn about myself through hands-on experience and time spent bettering the lives of others.

On August 25, 2018 I participated in Ohio State’s Pay It Forward Community Commitment Day where over 1,000 students volunteered at 50 different service sites around the city of Columbus. I spent my day volunteering at the Indianola Informal K-8 Columbus City School where I tended to the school’s CommUNITY Garden. Idianola Informal School follows the Columbus City School Curriculum however the teachers work hard to fosters student’s interests and enhance their experiences by emphasizing learning through art and music as well as hands-on activities like gardening and cooking. Amy Hill, the volunteer coordinator, and teacher talked to us about these programs particularly emphasizing how students are educated about food production and food waste via the on-campus garden. She gave us a tour and even let us try some edible grasses, berries, and vegetables that grew in abundance within the garden. Over the course of six hours, I helped pull weeds and get rid of any invasive plants that were detrimental to the health of the garden. In addition, we tended to the compost bins and laid a new path of mulch. As a result of my service, I learned that even small acts such as tending to a garden can have a huge impact on the local community and the people who benefit from it. The additional parents and teachers who were assisting us in refurbishing the garden were extremely grateful for our help and emphasized how happy the students would be to see their beloved garden fresh and ready to learn in. Because of service learning, I am able to commit myself to the members of my local community and expand my leadership capabilities all while working alongside my friends.