During my sophomore year at OSU, I feel like I found my place on campus. I was a little lost and confused my freshman year, especially in terms of my major. Not only have I declared my major–World Business and Economy–but I also declared two minors—Business Administration and Women, Gender, and Sexualities Studies. Not only has this helped me figure out potential career paths and my passions, but it has also given me access to advisors, faculty connections, academic and professional opportunities, and an entire community, among others.

Also during my freshman year, I had difficulty finding the right social activities for myself. I really wanted something that could allow me to meet new people and ultimately great friends, but I am not a partier or an extravert, so whenever I tried different activities, I felt a little out of place. Moreover, I did not want it to interfere with my classes, and a lot of the clubs and extracurriculars did not give me that option. Thus, I was very lost.

However, I ended up going through formal recruitment and joined the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi. Not only do they place a lot of emphasis on our studies and refrain from pressuring girls to party or drink, but they also share a lot of my values. They’ve provided me a home that I did not previously have.

Overall, I feel like I have finally made OSU my home. I no longer feel as lost or confused.

In this past year, I have seen a lot of growth in who I am socially. I have always been fairly shy and quiet, and being in college has forced me to socialize with people on a level that I never had before. I went from living in my parent’s houses and having a couple of friends to living in a building with dozens of other students, sharing a space with a roommate, having to build connections in classes, and spending time with other scholars. I think a lot of my growth was the result of going on the Mexico Scholars Trip with nine other scholars, three of whom are in IA. Because we all hopped on a plane and spent every waking hour together for ten days, we all became fairly close on the trip.

I am incredibly grateful that I got to go on the trip because I came out of my shell a little and thus became more socially developed. I feel that spending so much time with other students–both during and away from the trip–has allowed to become a completely different person from who I used to be. I look forward to seeing who I will be when I graduate.