2019 Allstate Hot Chocolate 5k/15k

Friday, November 15, was the day of the Allstate Hot Chocolate 5k/15k expo. From 11am until 3pm I volunteered to help make the expo for runners the best it could be. I found out about the Hot Chocolate run in 2018 and had previously volunteered at the race itself. This year unfortunately, all the race day spots for volunteers were taken so I decided to try something new and volunteer at the expo at the Columbus Convention Center. I was given the task of being in charge of merchandise and helping runners find what they needed in preparation for their race on Sunday. This task included restocking the merchandise as needed and working the register.

I learned through this service learning experience to be kind to everyone because you never know what opportunities will arise. For example, another volunteer and I were talking and his brother could no longer run the 15k and he offered for me to take his spot. With a quick decision I decided to run because an opportunity like this doesn’t always come around. Because of service learning I am thankful for the opportunities and connections I have made. I ran my first 15k thanks to volunteering at the Hot Chocolate expo and had a wonderful time. This experience impacted me as a leader because it allowed me to do branch out and do something I have never done before and learn more about myself.

DSWS Day of Service

The 2019 DSWS Day of Service was on November 2. Our volunteering day was split into two parts. For the first part of the day, we helped plant trees all along Centennial High School. The trees were donated by Columbia Gas based on the number of broken bats the Columbus Clippers had this past year. This lasted from 9am until 12pm. I really enjoyed helping plant trees for this high school. There were many different groups there and it was nice to meet different people who go to different universities besides Ohio State and hear about their experiences. Planting over 50 trees also made the school look better and it was super beneficial to the environment.

 

The second part of the day was spent cleaning up High Street. As a group, we went with trash bags and gloves and picked up all the trash that was on the sides of High Street. This happened after our lunch break for about 2 hours. This task was very eye opening to all of the litter and careless actions we take. It is not hard to throw away one’s own garbage, but seeing how many people just throw it on the ground is sad. Because of this day of service learning, I am more aware of our environment and how the decisions we make can affect it.

Sending Sunshine

As an active member of the student organization, Project Sunshine, I am given many opportunities to volunteer. On October 21, from 7pm-8pm, I was able to help create packages to send to children in the hospital. This event was called “Sending Sunshine” because the goal is to send a little brightness into a child’s life through a dark and tough time. During the hour I spent volunteering, we created many packages that included a bag for a child to decorate with fun stickers and markers.  I find this club to be very service based and full of many opportunities to spend time giving back. The link to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House is so important to me because I hope to work in pediatrics in the future. Because of service learning I am constantly given new experiences and finding more and more fields of interest that I am passionate about.

Dunn Dash Triathlon

From 7am to 10am on March 2, 2019, I volunteered to help with the Dunn Dash Triathlon. At this event I was satationed at the bike portion of the triathlon. Here I would take a triathalon participant, helped them get set up on their bicycle and started the timer while encouraging them throughout the time they had to try and bike as far as possible. After the time was up for the triathlon participant, I would write down their time and send them to the next station while I cleaned their bike off for the next person. By being a volunteer for this triathlon I learned how important positive encouragement is to those and how big of a difference it can make. I really enjoyed this event and look forward to helping out not only to support my scholars program, but for those who are taking on the challenge of a triathalon as well.

Buckeyethon 2019

For 12 hours on February 9, 2019, I volunteered for Ohio State’s Buckeyethon. This event was a fundraiser to help raise money for researchers to find a cure to end pediatric cancer. Throughout the day, I was touched by so many stories from the families of those who have suffered from this terrible disease. Along with hearing from the families, this experience allowed me to be able to play and be inspired by kids who are so strong and have gone through so much so early in their lives. By the end of the enormous dance marathon we broke fundraising records and raised an amazing $1,704,184.19 for the kids. All of the proceeds were donated right to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. Seeing first hand what an impact we made on the families that were present at the event was really heartwarming and I look forward to fundraising again next year to help in any way possible.

Allstate Hot Chocolate 5k/15k

From 5:30am till 10:30am on November 18, 2018 I was a volunteer at the Allstate Hot Chocolate 5k/15k here in Columbus, Ohio. As a volunteer at this event, I was responsible for setting up Gatorade stations at the finish line for the runners. This event was super fun because it was so nice to see all the runners who had finished and their positive reactions coming toward the finish line. I learned a lot about how a friendly smile and a “congratulations” can really mean to someone. Because of service learning this semester I am more appreciated and thankful for all of the wonderful opportunities I have at Ohio State to experience new events.

2018 Columbus Marathon

From 7:00am-1:00pm on Sunday, October 21 I was able to volunteer for the Columbus Marathon with the Dunn Scholars group. This experience was very interesting to me because I had never seen a marathon behind the scenes. Setting up the water station, and filling all the cups seemed like we would have a lot of excess resources. Shockingly we used up almost all of the water and Gatorade we had set up before hand. The race itself was so fun to see all of the runners who had worked so hard to get where they were at. The marathon paritciapants were extremely happy to see smiling faces and hear some encouraging words as they were in the final stretch of the race. I enjoyed being so supportive to everyone and encouraging them on so they can achieve such a huge goal. This event was one I will definitely remember and am looking forward to being a future volunteer in the years to come.

YWCA

On Sunday, October 7, 2018, I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer with an amazing group of NSPIRE members and go visit the YWCA. The YWCA is a nonprofit organization designed for helping women and struggling families get back on their feet. For just an hour I was able to help watch the children of families while their moms got a break to themselves and were able to socialize with the other moms. I loved being able to help the moms of this organization and I loved hanging with the children. The children at the YWCA do not normally have visitors so it was extremely rewarding and fun because they enjoyed every bit of your attention from coloring with them, to pretending you’re a dinasour. I really enjoyed this event and I am looking forward to my next visit to the YWCA.

True Colors Reflection

The True Colors personality test really showed the different personality types among a group of people. My results showed that I demonstrated the gold category which means that I value structure and organization. I found the results of this personality test very accurate with my actions because I do like to have structure so things aren’t always chaotic. In addition to my results showing I am most dominant in the gold category, they also showed I am a mixture of the other colors (green, blue orange). My numbers were very close with these but gold happened to be a little higher. Being a mixture of the colors is very fitting as well because I can relate to the orange category because being adventerous has always been a big part in my life when it comes to trying new things. I also value education and love to learn which is very fittting with the green color. My family and friends are also a huge part in my life which correlates with the blue color. Although I am a mixture of all these personalities, gold was the most dominant and I found this test to be very accurate. I will be able to apply the information I learned about all of the other colors and personalities by understanding when I am in a group setting, some people may have a different perspective on a topic. Having these unique perspectives really shows that every individual is different and that’s what makes our world such a better place. So learning to embrace what you believe in and showing your true colors is key to keeping a well-rounded society.

Leadership Reflection

My definition of leadership is not only just standing out among your peers, but also being a voice and listening to others around you. A good leader always supports others and has a selfless mindset. I have seen many leadership styles all through high school because I was an active member of my schools soccer team for four years. I experienced many different types of leadership and eventually created my own leadership style with the characteristics I found most important.

An example of leadership through high school soccer would be how the underclassmen valued the older players and followed what they would do. This was not always the best thing which does show that there can be good and bad leaders. But overall, the upperclassmen really helped the younger girls establish confidence for their future. Another reason why I would describe my high school soccer team as having a lot of leaders in it is that we had a lot of giving back to the community. I feel this is a very important aspect to leadership because it shows your thoughtfulness toward others. Leadership has always been important in my community and the Dunn Sport and Wellness program here at the Ohio State is a great way to expand my abilities to better myself and my community.