Columbus Adventure

Image result for chop shop columbus

As a group we went to CHOP SHOP on High Street. It was very exciting to go there since none of us had been, particularly because we had heard such good things about there burgers and milkshakes! Two of my favorite things. I learned that I need to get off campus more, since I had gotten out of the habit of doing that, and also that I have a lot to be excited this week about for my HES group. We had fun chatting and sharing advice back and forth about getting through classes and just small things we’ve learned from the fall. I will definitely going back and hopefully bringing friends and family because the atmosphere was so cute, the service was friendly and the food was very delicious.

Columbus To-Do List

This semester I plan to explore all the facets of Columbus. I’ve traveled all over the country and even abroad, but I am constantly surprised by all the unique things that are found right here in this city! I hope to experience something new with each place I go whether it’s food, music or culture. I look forward to making memories and gaining stories to share with my family when I visit home. I might even discover places to take my family when they come to visit me! If nothing else, I hope that I at least gain the courage to get out there and explore just a little bit more than I would otherwise push myself to.

Eden Burger:

To kick things off, Avery and I made our way to Eden Burger! This restaurant has an eating area the size of the bedroom in a Drackett Dorm, no lie. Nonetheless, it has such an awesome vibe! From the palette tables, to rustic decor and brick walls, this burger joint does not disappoint! The menu is all organic and vegan. I went with the signature Eden Burger and a chocolate shake. Honestly, when is dessert not the best part of the meal? Even this hole-in-the-wall joint is no exception. The chocolate shake had a hint of banana, so that little bit of fruit was enough to not make me feel guilty (smile). I would definitely go back, and bring more friends! The portion sizes were perfect and all the workers were incredibly friendly! On to the next one!

Nationwide Arena (Ed Sheeran):

For my second Experience, I was able to attend the second night of the Ed Sheeran concert at Nationwide Arena. Ed Sheeran is one of my all-time favorite artists and was on my bucket list of people to see live. I was fortunate enough to go even though it was a sold-out concert! One of my favorite things was how friendly all the staff was. I can get intimidated by huge crowds at places I’ve never been before, but the crowd control was well handled and traffic flowed really well. We had floor seats, which was another bonus, because we were able to be right there in the action! One of the most memorable moments from the concert was after he had left the stage, he came back for his encore in an OSU jersey! He enjoyed being in Columbus, and spent half the show yelling “O-H” to the crowd. My older sister came up to go with me which helped to top off the whole experience. I would recommend going to a concert at Nationwide to ANYONE. There was nothing about the experience that I found disagreeable, which is really saying something since I have been to a number of concerts across the country.

Easton (Chiller):

My  final visit was to Easton, where I went ice skating at this place called the “Chiller.” I love ice skating so much and the night I went with friends was blacklight skate night. The skates were well taken care of, and the blades were well sharpened so I was able to skate fairly easily. They had upbeat music going to keep the energy going as well. My only complaint was that certain parts of the rink smelled a little funny, which is understandable when you have a building full of smelly skaters and hockey players. After skating the night away we enjoyed hot cocoa and good company. I was able to drag my sister out to explore with me, yet again, so it was a pleasure to have an excuse to see her. I would recommend people to go here, but I think the Ice Rink on campus is cheaper and more easily accessible to friends here at Ohio State.

Reflection:

The experience from this semester that most clearly resonates with me was the concert at Nationwide. I enjoy playing a variety of instruments (more than ten!) so I have a deep appreciation for talented musicians, and Ed Sheeran is a prime example of that, and the venue was wonderful, and easy to get to.

This assignment as a whole has definitely inspired me to explore more of Columbus. I have lived in many big cities before, but none like Columbus. I decided to come to Ohio State for the academics, but the city itself was a huge selling point in my eyes, leaving no shortage of adventures.

To anyone contemplating doing the same, I would recommend jumping from list to list. I enjoyed seeing all the different things Columbus had to offer- from food, to music, to recreation.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

Artifact #1

 Pictured above is from a state-wide conference I was able to attend for church, where I was having a bit of fun with my group. I served people just barely younger than myself as a group leader. This experience was very significant to me because it was my last chance to serve in that capacity since I was preparing to leave for college. Overall, it helped me to strengthen myself spiritually and socially, and it was fun to help draw others out in a similar way. There is something unique that  happens when you get people together who are all complete individuals, but can come together to just let loose and grow together. None of us knew each other coming into the conference, but we all left feeling like friends, experiencing personal growth and spiritual nourishment as a community.

 

Artifact #2

The best part about OSU has been the people who make themselves feel a little more like family. This semester I have become increasingly involved in Block O. Pictured above is the Lacrosse committee, minus one member. Having a leadership role in such a big organization has been simply incredible. It is the first club I have fully committed to. It’s not so academically focused, so it provides an excellent opportunity to take a break from the world of academia, but still channel my energy into something beneficial- boosting the morale of my peer athletes, and the proud fans that support them. From organizing campaigns, to just some good old fashion hollering, I have found a way to meet people I otherwise wouldn’t have ever crossed paths with. My committee has been such an amazing outlet for me, and the people  work with are so full of wisdom and advice, they feel just like family!

About Me

Kaylee Elkins is just starting her academic career here at The Ohio State University as part of the College of Engineering. Kaylee’s future goals are to serve as part of a team for an industry leader in research and design of technology used primarily for marine/oceanic studies across the oceans. She is actively getting involved with activities on campus in engineering organizations such as SWE and SHPE, as well as organizations that get other people excited about that Buckeye pride, adding to the community of the University like Block O. Aside from involvement in campus clubs, Kaylee enjoys music- playing the guitar, piano, flute, singing, and many other instruments in between all the way to the tamborine! Her dream is to know all the instruments to be a one-woman band. Her main desire to travel the oceans designing technology for research stems from a childhood of exploring the world. She has lived all over the world, including Iceland, with her family where the wildlife and ocean patterns around the island were much different than the beaches in Florida or any other places she’s lived. If someone were to ask what a puffin looked like in person, Kaylee would be the one to ask!

Top 5 Strengths:

1.Strategic

The way that this relates to me is adding a new perspective to what is right in front of me and others. Noticing relationships and patterns is a major thing for me, which helps me to draw from real-life experience, and make connections to things that are seemingly irrelevant but actually is constructive to whatever the situation is at hand.

2.Learner

Being a learner is something that I am extremely proud of because it keeps me from being complacent, but I am also not discouraged in situations because as a Learner I know that I always have a capacity to grow.

3.Individualization

This strength resonates with me because it goes so much deeper than it sounds. This involves juggling multiple projects, personalities, and working styles at once. It requires good judgement from you and trust from others, and trust is something I am always happy about once I have earned it.

4.Responsibility

Responsibility means reliability, reliability is built on trust, which as I mentioned is something that I am always striving to earn. It always requires integrity to yourself, and your values. My moral compass is something that I rely on heavily, as well as a strong work ethic to carry things out to the end.

5.Arranger

The best part of being an arranger is when it says, “you sometimes engage in group activities or projects that may benefit certain types of youth or small children.” I love this because that is exactly true! I believe in taking even your most elementary talents and building on them to create new strengths and build yourself up as a person, and trust that others do the same. This helps make working on a team easier for me, because I know that every person has their own strengths to contribute to the group and need to be valued.