Talking to my mentee Eliza for our interview this semester was really fun, especially since we have grown a lot closer this year (even if it wasn’t as “normal” as we would have liked it to be). Eliza and I did our interview outside of our Explore Columbus, unlike last semester; this semester has been really hectic for the both of us and this is what worked out best! Aside from the questions on our sheet, we both got carried away and talked about a ton of different things in our lives. Eliza has finally declared her major after coming into Ohio State as an undecided and she is actually now a Human Development and Family Science major. Since we now share a major, we talked about classes that we’ve loved, professors to look for, and different opportunities to take! She said that with her new major she is really enjoying the material but doesn’t think she has learned/retained as much as she hoped with all of her classes being online. Her study habits have improved now that she has realized that she needs to separate room and work, so she usually goes to the library or finds a spot outside to do work/study. Throughout this semester, campus has still been dull because of the pandemic but has opened up a bit. My mentee has taken the opportunities to join a couple more clubs and actually went through recruitment and joined a sorority. Here’s the craziest thing; she is now in my sorority (Kappa Kappa Gamma) and is actually my little sister in the chapter! So, we are not only mentor/mentee pairs but Big Sis/Lil Sis pairs as well! It has been really fun to share something that I love on campus with her, and see how this has made campus feel more like a home to her. On the topic of ACES, I asked her some different questions. First, how was her first semester in the program and what surprised her the most. She said that it had honestly been kind of tough since everything had to be virtual but she is excited to get more involved next year when we can do more. She was also surprised at the variety of majors that participate in the program, and how it is not just limited to education majors. Just like last semester, she also told me that she loves living in Smith-Steeb and living around people that share similar interests and values to her, but it is really cool to see how everyone is different and the environment is really accepting. She said she’s going to miss the vibes of Floor 5 next year, which I can attest to missing myself (Room 524 forever). Some recommendations that Eliza had for the program is of course waiting to see how things will be next year when (hopefully) we can do things in person, specifically service events and knowing more about them ahead of time because she is sometimes overwhelmed with school and work so she found it difficult to fit in events if they were announced last minute. I told her that my first year, events were announced with a pretty good time frame in advance so that people could have it on their radars, but we have all had to adapt to the pandemic life. We then moved on to the topic of career plans, and she has not had any change of heart about wanting to become a child life specialist. Just like last semester she has not had any opportunities for internships or field experience but is hoping for it in the fall. One of the final things she talked about was what her favorite memories were from last semester; exploring Columbus with new friends and meeting new people took the cake. She told me that this year she has really been focusing more on her mental health and wants everyone around her to take some time for self-care as well. Eliza is truly one of the best people I have met on Ohio State’s campus, and I am truly so grateful that ACES led us to meeting. We really want to see each other over the summer, and are planning to visit each other’s hometowns. Maybe you will get to see a little ACES x KKG reunion in the next couple of months.