Sophomore Year in Review

Global Awareness: My global awareness has been expanded through my Spanish minor, Public Policy Analysis major, and my time working as a Senate Page in the Ohio Statehouse. In my Spanish classes, I have been able to learn about other cultures and the various Spanish speaking countries in our world. The teachers I have had for my Spanish classes have taught me about their experiences abroad and how it varies from American culture. In my Public Policy Analysis major, I have been exposed to various political opinions and perspectives on how government should work. I have had discussions with classmates and faculty about our current society and how different countries have solved the same problems the United States faces. In my time working in a state senator’s office at the Ohio Statehouse, I have been exposed to various perspectives from constituents in the senator’s district and across our entire state. I will continue these opportunities throughout my time at Ohio State, and hope to be able to engage in cultural events in the future. As a member of USG, I learn a lot about the various organizations on campus and the events they put on for all students.

Original Inquiry: While I have not had the opportunity to do formal, original research, I have done research on many policy issues both in American politics and in issues related to higher education. As a Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator, I have done research on higher education policy issues in order to write resolutions that could be presented in the Undergraduate General Assembly and to OSU faculty members in meetings. In addition, I have done research on policy issues that face Ohioans in my position with the office of state senator Kenny Yuko. I plan to explore my options in writing an undergraduate thesis, and continue my work in researching issues that are related directly to my curriculum at Ohio State.

Academic Enrichment: My Honors Contract demonstrates a commitment to my academics by displaying that I have taken rigorous courses for my general education program and done my best to take a variety of subjects within my majors and my minor. I chose to major in Political Science and Public Affairs because I wanted to ensure that I had a solid foundation for a future career in the public sector, but also because these classes interest me the most. I have always had a passion for policy, and learning more about how our government (and other governments) operates. Within my general education classes, I strove to pick subjects that were personally interesting to me but also allowed me to build connections with professors. I believe this shows my commitment to excellence because it shows that I am not afraid to take higher level courses in subjects that I am unfamiliar with. These classes have taught me good reading and writing skills, as well as analytical skills, all of which will be helpful during law school (and in my future career). My education at Ohio State will allow my strengths to grow, and allow me to explore subjects that I personally find interesting, but do not want to make a career out of.

Leadership Development: I am currently involved with Undergraduate Student Government, the John Glenn Civic Leadership Community, and the Collegiate Council on World Affairs. All three of these activities encourage me to understand the world around me, and be persistent in finding ways to improve it. I currently serve as a Deputy Director in the Academic Affairs Committee in USG, and also serve as a Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator in the Undergraduate General Assembly. These roles really encourage me to communicate with fellow classmates and develop solutions to the problems they face through USG’s connections at Ohio State. I have been viewed as a leader on campus, and a leader within the respective organizations by people of all ages. All of these roles match my career interests of serving others in the public sector, as they teach me to stay informed on current issues and how to properly express my opinions to other people. Being able to analyze critical issues and find ways to solve them is a good skill set to have as an attorney, which is my ultimate career goal. Finally, these leadership positions have allowed me to make higher education a more inclusive place, and an improved transition for students to the 21st century work force.

Service Engagement: In my time at Ohio State, I have been involved with the John Glenn Civic Leadership community which promotes activism and volunteerism here on campus and in the Columbus community. I have participated in small service activities in a local school in Columbus and a local food pantry just outside of campus with this organization. In the future, I hope to gain a volunteer opportunity at a local library or at a local children’s hospital. Engaging with local community members is a large portion of my academic curriculum, so I hope that I can apply my learned skills in future volunteer opportunities.

Career

While I have awhile to go before my official career begins, I have had employment in the past and am currently employed. In early May 2017, I began to work with Cinemark Theatres in Perrysburg, Ohio where I work General Concessions and upkeep the theater and its functions. In late June 2017, I was able to begin working at the Betco Corporation as a Customer Service Intern. In this position, I was able to assist Betco with a research project, and was able to create training materials for future Betco employees.

I was recently able to return in May of 2018 to Betco as a special projects intern where I assist multiple departments with their daily duties. I have been able to use this position to gain professional experience in the private industry. During the summer of 2018 I was able to join Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s office as an intern and gain some professional experience in the public sector. In this position I am able to gain hands on experience serving Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, as well as assist as with daily duties in a congressional office.

Shortly after I first arrived at OSU, I began working as an Ohio Senate Page. After a year of serving the entire Senate, I became the Office Page for Minority Leader Yuko’s office. In this position I have been able to interact with constituents from Ohio’s 25th Senate District and assist the office in whatever capacity is needed.

About Me

Hello everyone! My name is Ben Duwve, and I am a second year at The Ohio State University. I am from Perrysburg, Ohio where I previously attended Rossford High School. I am majoring in political science and public policy analysis, with a minor in Spanish and a pre-law focus.

Off campus, I am currently an Office Page with Senate Minority Leader Yuko. While on campus, I am living with the John Glenn Civic Leadership Learning Community for my second year. I am also a member of Undergraduate Student Government (where I am a Deputy Director of Academic Affairs), and the Collegiate Council on World Affairs. I will serve as a Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator in the Undergraduate General Assembly in the coming year, representing students in the College of Arts & Sciences.

In my free time, I love to read and spend time with friends. Coming from a small town to Columbus, there is a lot to explore and take in. I usually like to spend the weekends exploring the city and all it has to offer.

In the future, I hope to obviously attend law school (where at, I am currently unsure). I do not know what kind of law I will go on to practice, but I hope to someday work in the government in some capacity. Whether that be running for office, helping someone run for office, working in a government agency, or representing our government in the justice system, I am currently undecided. Regardless of where my future takes me, I am proud to be a Buckeye!

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: In order to achieve Global Awareness during my time at OSU, I plan to minor in Spanish. Through my language minor, I hope I am able to apply my language skills in a professional atmosphere. I will also do my best to apply the skill of being able to speak Spanish as much as I can in my daily life. This could mean communicating with people who speak Spanish at the workplace, or interacting with Spanish speaking students on campus. Finally, I am planning on joining the Collegiate Council on World Affairs, which is a club focused on staying involved in global issues, as well as Model UN. All of these together will give me a further understanding of how our world works while I am a student at OSU.

Original Inquiry: I plan to achieve this requirement by pursuing some sort of academic research with a professor, or pursuing a research opportunity through the academic research office on campus. I hope to develop a strong professional relationship with professors on campus, and make use of the connections to pursue new research with them or pursue some other professional development. While pursuing research on campus, I plan to use my abilities learned in the classroom to further develop my skills. Hopefully my schedule allows for it, but being able to take some graduate courses in my senior year would also be beneficial to me.

Academic Enrichment: In order to fulfill this goal, I plan to make the most out of my academics and double major in Political Science and Public Policy Analysis, while minoring in Spanish. I will take the most rigorous GE courses to further expand my academic knowledge. Meanwhile, I plan to intern at a government office or in a law firm to ensure that I am still learning and growing as a young professional even while I am not in the classroom.

Leadership Development: I will achieve this goal by being involved in Undergraduate Student Government, and through pursuing leadership roles in the numerous organizations that I am involved in. While in USG, I help represent over 52,000 students and will always remain open to their requests on how to improve OSU as an institution, and what I can do to help improve campus life. I will also work to help solve the problems that other students have brought forward, and put the extra effort into ensuring that USG remains a voice for the student body. Finally, I plan to pursue leadership roles on the numerous other organizations that I am involved in. Being able to hopefully achieve roles on the clubs that I am involved in will not only allow me to make the most of my involvement with the organization, but lead others to do the same as well.

Service Engagement: To achieve this goal, I am planning on staying involved in the service aspect of the John Glenn Civic Leadership Learning Community, and hopefully will begin tutoring at a local homeless shelter for children in the near future. The Learning Community does a lot to reach out to local organizations and groups to offer volunteer service, and I have taken advantage of many of those opportunities just in my first semester. Joining an organization that is purely devoted to volunteer service will allow me to expand my horizons in terms of giving myself to others, as I have never had the opportunity to join a purely service based organization before college. Columbus has plenty of opportunities to offer my time to others, and I hope to use the resources provided at OSU to fulfill this goal.

Year in Review

Freshman Year:

  • Earned Dean’s List both semesters and finished my first semester with all A’s!
  • Officially declared as a double major in Political Science & Public Policy Analysis with a minor in Spanish
  • Worked as an Ohio Senate Page
  • Was a member of the Undergraduate Student Government, Collegiate Council on World Affairs, and the John Glenn Civic Leadership Community 
  • Elected as a Social and Behavioral Sciences Senator for next school year
  • Traveled to Washington DC twice to lobby for increasing awareness regarding issues facing college students
  • Got myself addicted to coffee!

Overall my first year of college went much better than expected! I am extremely proud of my accomplishments in just my first year and am excited to begin another year in August!

JGCLC Washington DC Trip

Just before finals, I had the opportunity to travel with the John Glenn Civic Leadership Community to Washington D.C. and not only meet with congressional representatives, but also enjoy the city. It was nice to spend some time with friends before summer vacation, and partake in some civic engagement just before finals season. We were able to meet with U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Steve Stivers, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, and network with some recent graduates of OSU through the OSU Office of Governmental Relations. Finally, our group was able to complete a service project that consisted of helping clean trash from the Anacostia River!

USG Washington DC Trip

Over the last few days, I have had the honor to represent OSU as a member of Undergraduate Student Government’s annual lobbying trip delegation. During this trip, I was apart of a group that lobbied congressional office’s (including Joyce Beatty, Sherrod Brown, Steve Stivers, Tom Carper, and Rob Portman), OSU’s Department of Governmental Relations, and the U.S. Department of Education. We spoke out on issues regarding DACA and college affordability, especially textbooks costs. It was an incredible experience to be able to meet with staff from congressional offices and increase awareness of this issues within the federal government. In addition, we were also able to tour the White House and a few of the national monuments.

USG Elections Results Night

After a week and a half campaign and months of planning, I was incredibly excited to find out last night that I had been elected as one of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Senators for the 51st (2018-2019) Undergraduate General Assembly. It was an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to campaign on issues that are important to the the OSU student body, as well as to the College of Arts & Sciences. Next year I will be able to introduce and work on legislation that will support the student body here at OSU and take on a leadership position within Undergraduate Student Government!

Propel Ohio Conference

Today I had the privilege of being one of the student representatives of OSU at the Propel Ohio Collegiate Leadership Summit! This conference was hosted at the University of Akron and focused on issues including childhood poverty, food security, homelessness, and the drug epidemic in Ohio. Speakers at the event included U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman, in addition to the President of the University of Akron and Marian Wright Edelman (the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund). I was so excited to attend a conference that promotes civic engagement and encourages leadership in undergraduate students!