Leadership Development

I was fortunate enough to have two first-year mentees, Jen and Anna. Jen is an athletic training major from Chicago, Illinois. She likes Ohio State because she loves sports and is very athletic herself. She enjoys attending every football and basketball games, which is also one of my favorite things to do on campus. Jen has a crazy sleep schedule that I could never have. She stays up until 3 or 4 in the morning most days and sleeps in late. I, on the other hand, am usually in bed by 10 and up by 7. Anna is a psychology major from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is also minoring in criminology. I find both of these majors very fascinating and even considered majoring in them myself at one point so it was interesting to talk to Anna and learn a little more about the classes she has to take. She enjoys art, music, and working out. All three of us are very athletic and this was something that initially helped us bond and break the ice when we all went on our first explore Columbus. 

Unfortunately, I did not get to see Jen and Anna one more time before we had to finish the semester online. However, I was able to meet up with them once early on in the semester and then FaceTime them after spring break. After talking to them again, I learned that both Anna and Jen have grown since the first semester. They have found ways to destress and made friends with people in ACES and outside of ACES through classes and clubs. As they became more comfortable with the campus and found a routine, their confidence in their ability to thrive on campus increased and I am so glad to see them succeed in accomplishing their goals.

I also grew as a mentor throughout the semester. In the beginning of the year I was nervous about being paired with a mentee because I am very shy and I get nervous meeting new people. However, once I met my Jen and Anna for the first time, we had no problem finding things to talk about. I made sure to let them know that I was available if they had any questions. I also made sure to reach out to them when I knew they were probably under a lot of stress such as for finals. I learned from being a mentee myself that knowing that you have someone to talk to discuss any questions or concerns is comforting. 

I was able to help my mentees in a few ways throughout the year. Both Jen and Anna are very responsible and independent girls who were already confident in their ability to do well at Ohio State, but I still wanted to make sure they were able to take advantage of all the great opportunities and resources Ohio State has to offer. I told them about the involvement fair, which is how I found out about all of the amazing education organizations I am in right now. I also told them not to be afraid to reach out to people in ACES or on their floor through GroupMe. That is how I made my best friends in ACES. It can be a little uncomfortable meeting up with a group of strangers, but having friends in ACES made the experience so much more fun. We loved going to service, social, and academic events together. I am so happy that Anna and Jen were able to meet some of their best friends in ACES as well. Although we never got to ride the COTA together, I also made sure they were aware of it and how to use it. I shared with them some of my favorite things to do on campus as well. They even taught me a few things along the way, which I think is great.

The mentorship experience has many benefits. The first event we do as part of the program is speed dating and I think this is such a beneficial event because it allows new ACES and second years to meet. It is like one big ice breaker that eases the pressure to talk to one another. I also learned how to use the COTA with the help of my mentor. We went to Condados for our explore Columbus in the fall and she told me about how to find the bus stops and what bus to get on. I was happy that I got the chance to ride the COTA with someone else before I had to do it by myself to get to my field placement in the spring. Finally, having a mentor as a freshman made adapting to life on campus a little easier. My mentor helped me understand things that we are not taught at orientation such as how our dining plan works, how D-Tix works, how to use the buses, where the best places to eat on campus are and so much more.                                           

Original Inquiry

In my senior year of high school, I had the privilege to complete a capstone project on any topic that I wanted to. I love dogs and I am disgusted by the fact many breeds are still being used for dog fighting. Once I began my research on the topic, I stumbled upon something that I found even more interesting, which is the stigma that is placed on pit bulls. After analyzing various articles, I realized that these dogs face so much adversity for no reason. Studies show that many other breeds are more aggressive than pit bulls and that pit bulls, with proper care, are good family pets. Below is my presentation and research paper that I wrote in order to create an awareness of the misconceptions of the breed.

Presentation

Capstone Paper

Leadership

I want to be an elementary school teacher and to do that, I believe it is important to have strong leadership skills to have a positive impact on my students’ learning. Personally, I am very quiet and to some this may seem like a quality that impedes my ability to be a leader, but its not. Leadership comes in many different forms and I am the type of person to lead by example. I strive to be a good role model for children and I want to make sure students in my future classroom understand that a good student is not necessarily the one who is always talking and participating. A good student can be quiet, but have a good work ethic. This is one skill that I believe I have and encourage others to have as well.

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]