About Me

Hey there! My name is Alexandra Coyne, and I am a first year student at the Ohio State University. Currently, I am enrolled in the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences as a Health Science major. My goal is to go to graduate school to receive at least a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy and work with children who have disabilities! I am very involved at Ohio State, and I absolutely love it here. Some of the things I’m involved in include the Mount Leadership Scholars Society, the Morrill Scholarship program, Pre-PT/Pre-OT club, and I hope to rush a medical sorority in the spring.

I also do a lot of other extracurriculars such as volunteering through the Wishing Well, Miracle League, many nursing homes, and I was president of a club in high school that donated baked goods to children in inner city Columbus schools.

It is because of my heavy involvement with volunteering that I decided to pursue a degree where I can help children with disabilities. My passion is to help others in general, so I am so excited to find more communities to join that will allow me to be an active participant in service.

Artifact: The Miracle League

I choose my volunteering experience with the Miracle League as a specific event to signify one of my artifacts. Ever since I was a child, I have participated in disability related services, therefore, it is an extremely relevant part of my childhood and even into my adulthood. Miracle League is a baseball league that helps children with disabilities play the sport.

While Miracle League has been a great opportunity for volunteering, it is much more than just a service. Through this organization, I have made friends and learned the importance of teamwork, positivity, and selflessness. My collaboration skills have increased, because in order to be a successful volunteer, you must work with the child instead of against him/her. One of the kids may miss the bat, but instead of ridiculing him/her, you work with them to show them the right way to swing. Moving forward, positivity is significant during Miracle League, because it is important to show the child that when they do miss a ball, it’s okay to fail sometimes. As volunteers, we explain to them that they still have a chance to hit the ball next time and to focus on improvement rather than the failure. Not only that, but the volunteers must learn to be there for the players, not for themselves. For example, if a kid would rather throw a ball back and forth with you instead of actually participating in the game, then that’s exactly what we’ll do. People may claim that Miracle League is such a simple service and doesn’t help the participants that much, however, this organization does indeed make a difference in the lives of the children and teaches them collaboration, determination and positivity.