My mentee and I decided to take a short bus ride to the North Market right off of High Street. Both Kaitlyn and I had previously visited here multiple times, but we thought it would be fun to see what new things they had to offer this autumn. We rode the COTA, because the parking lot a the market is always full, and because it is not more than a ten-minute ride to get there. When we arrived, we noticed a farm stand outside the market, and I admired the fresh organic fruits and vegetables they displayed, which made me miss living at home and being able to buy and cook my own produce without the addition of chemicals and preservatives to my food. I bought a bag of Honeycrisp apples (my favorite), not only because they were organic, but because I love to support local farmers whenever I can.

Kaitlyn and I spent about an hour exploring the market, and we were both in awe and in love with the variety of vendors giving of their time and talents to provide quality products to Columbus locals. I find it extremely important to support local businesses, and this market is a place where a bunch of them come together under one roof. I believe the quality of the local business products are better than big business products, the people selling local products are hardworking, and the creativity put into the idea of some of the items is brilliant. Some of our favorites were the donut shop, where they make their donuts behind a glass barrier so customers can ooh and ahh at the process, the Italian kiosk, where they sold freshly made pastas and pastries which made me drool from only looking at them, the cake pop stand, which had about fifty different flavors varying from pumpkin spice to triple chocolate and everything in between, and of course, the fresh produce area, which included not only organic fruits and vegetables, but also fresh juices, nut butters, and jams. Kaitlyn ended up buying a huge cinnamon roll from a baked goods stand, and I bought some yummy lavender and lemon ice cream from Jeni’s Ice Cream, and a berry tea from the Bubble Tea company.

We then went to sit down upstairs in their seating area, and I began to ask Kaitlyn how college was going thus far. I asked her how her exams have been going, if she has found a good study area and/or a good study habit, if her career plans have started to change at all, and about her social situation. She told me that Chemistry was by far her most difficult course (big surprise…not), that she likes to study in her dorm at her desk, or at the library, and that she has made several friends through the ACES program. She commented that living on the same floor with people she does service with, attends events with, and has her seminar class with, has given her the opportunity to form quick friendships with people who have her same interests. She told me that her RA is very supportive and interactive with all of the residents on her floor (something I sadly did not experience my freshman year), and that her and her roommate’s room seems to be the “host room”, meaning that all of her floor friends seem to end up in their room when they hang out. To me, this sounds like Kaitlyn is off to a great start with her first semester of college. I reminded her that I am available to her as a resource for advice, not only because I am her mentor, but because I experienced many of the same things that she is going through during my freshman year, only one year ago.

I would highly recommend any Ohio State student, as well as any member of the Columbus community to visit the North Market. Not only does food unite people, but there is so much to learn about the diversity within this city, and it is easily visible through the variety of products displayed and sold at each little kiosk. Baked goods, fresh produce, fresh seafood, homemade ethnic foods, and even handmade crafts and products are sold inside this bustling little market. This is a perfect place where all cultures found within the many streets of Columbus come together between four walls, and experience and enjoy each other. So much can be taught and learned about diversity, and whether you are a kid growing up in Columbus, a student at Ohio State, or an adult living here, the North Market has something for everyone.

As a part of the 2nd year mentorship program for ACES, I interviewed my freshman mentee to get to know her a bit better. My mentee’s name is Kaitlyn Smith, and she is a biology major on the pre-optometry track. From what I learned through the interview, she and I are much alike, and I had many of the same perspectives and questions as she did when I was a freshman.

To start off, I asked her how she likes to study and if she had found a good place to study yet, only having been at OSU for about a month. She said she likes to review her lecture notes and read the textbook only if it is needed for clarification, and then also do practice problems and look over the problems worked out in class for subjects such as calculus and chemistry. Since this is how I approach studying, I will be able to give her study tips, and let her know how I got over some of my study struggles last year.

I then asked her what her most challenging class was so far, and she said, without hesitation, chemistry. Everyone struggles with chemistry during their first semester of college. As did I. She told me it was difficult for her because of the large amount of content, and the small amount of time that is expected for the student to learn it in. She said that it takes a lot of practice, but she is willing to put in the extra work to earn a good grade. Since I had the same professor last year, I can help her study for her first exam, because I know how the tests are formatted, and what the professor deemed important.

Changing topics, I asked Kaitlyn what type of volunteering she did in high school, to which she responded that she volunteered in her church nursery, and also tutored an 11-year old girl and a 12-year old boy. Coincidentally, I have done both of those things throughout my past year here at OSU. We both love kids, so we had a lot to share with each other about our experiences with these organizations.

To go along with volunteering, I asked her why she chose ACES over the other scholars programs, and she said she likes the emphasis on improving our surrounding community, and the leadership opportunities presented to her. Although I originally had another scholars program as my first preference, once I got involved with ACES, I was immediately grateful for my choice. ACES led me to many volunteer opportunities involving me in the Columbus community. Since Kaitlyn is new to OSU, I can share my experiences with her, give her advice on how to get involved, and even refer her to some of the organizations I have found enjoyable to work with.

Next, I asked Kaitlyn about her dream job. She said she would ideally love to be a pediatric optometrist, because in high school she shadowed her optometrist, and she loved how the doctor could immediately fix the patient’s complaint. She also liked the fact that optometry school is not as long as medical school, and since she has interest in the medical field, she thought this was a good fit. However, if this path somehow does not work out, Kaitlyn said she would like to go into the nursing field, and maybe become a nurse practitioner. This area is where I found the most similarities between us. I came into college thinking that I for sure wanted to be a doctor. However, about halfway through my first semester, I realized I did not want to go to school for another four years after my undergraduate time at OSU, and I was not thoroughly enjoying my classes. So, since I still loved the medical field, I fell back on nursing, and I have not looked back since. I absolutely love the nursing program here at OSU, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a career in the medical field. Since I was unsure like Kaitlyn during my first semester here, I can guide her and give her advice in order to find her true passion and figure out how she wants to spend her future career.

Lastly, I asked her about something she has found to be super important here at OSU, and she said definitely the importance of building relationships with people in classes. This can be useful for many reasons. Not only will you find some of your best friends in your classes, but you will be able to network and communicate with people which will be helpful if you get stuck in a class, if you need advice, if you are looking for a different perspective, and many other things. I have found friends in many different areas of study, including engineering, education, English, and nursing, and because of this, I have different people to go to for different issues. This has helped me adjust, and find the person I am today. Hopefully I will be able to share my experiences with Kaitlyn, and they will help guide her through her first year here at Ohio State.