My first-year mentee was Zoe Lightcap. She is double majoring in Early Childhood Education and Spanish. She is from a suburb of Dayton, Ohio. She is really passionate about teaching and would love to teach in low-income school districts. She is also very passionate about social justice and hopes to incorporate that into her career in education. Zoe and I have multiple commonalities. For starters, we both bonded over our love for Taylor Swift, which can be the building blocks of any friendship. On a more serious note, we also relate to each other in our journeys of fighting for equality and developing a real passion and desire for it. It’s clear that we both want to and strive to incorporate it into our professional and academic lives as well as just our personal lives. I started my freshman of year with similar majors as Zoe, however since then I have switched and strayed a little from what Zoe has set out to do. Zoe is different than me in many ways. For one, she is a dancer, and I don’t have any coordination in my body when it comes to dancing. Really, it’s embarrassing. Anyways, she is also more introverted, while I find that I am more extraverted than her.

I have definitely seen growth in Zoe since last semester. For one, the transition to college comes with its own anxieties and awkward moments that usually dissipate by the second semester. Zoe has found many avenues to keep herself busy, which I find is a real testament to being involved at Ohio State rather than just attending classes here. She is involved as a research assistant. She is going to be an RA. She is in a ballet club here at OSU. She also participated in FEEP which is a field placement in a school system. Through all of these engagements, I can see how Zoe has taken ownership of her place at Ohio State. I also can see a growth in friendship. Most times, it’s hard to find friends in college. In the first couple months, everyone is desperate for friends, so you end up hanging out with people to avoid being lonely. I’ve seen growth in Zoe because her friends now are real ones that she has foundational relationships with. Time can help with that as well.

Throughout the year, I found small ways that I grew as a mentor and leader. For instance, I typically operate with control and a need for leadership to be established on my part. However, as a mentee of Zoe’s, I found that she was very independent. My leadership with her looked more passive. She didn’t need me as much, so I got to just sit back, let her know I’m here as a helping hand if she needs it, and get to hang out with her on a friend level when we got together. I grew in my ability to be a passive leader. This is one way that my mentorship experience has helped me be a better leader. I’ve gotten to learn and strengthen how to lead without needing control. I got to operate under the direction of Zoe, giving what she needed or what she asked for.

As far as helping my mentee, I do believe I got to do that. For instance, as someone who has most recently gone through what Zoe was currently going through, my experience got to be a comfort or guiding hand for her first year of college. Specifically, we got to talk about classes, homework, friends, dorm life, ACES requirements, etc. I got to share my experience. This served to be helpful when she was worried or concerned about something and I got to assure her that it was normal or a common experience. Lots of times I find that having someone who understands is helpful when talking through what one is currently going through.

I found many benefits in the ACES mentorship program. For one, I find that it helps bring the gap between first and second years which I think is a natural divide. This helps ease the awkwardness of meeting younger or older ACES students and finding commonalities between them. I also appreciate the flexibility of the program. It allows for mentorship pairs to do what works best for them, as opposed to checking off an itemized list of requirements. Additionally, it is helpful that pairs are chosen by students, increasing the likelihood that the mentorship relationship will be something each participant enjoys. Overall, I find it to be helpful in the transition to college.

In future semesters, during my time at Ohio State, I plan to participate in study abroad. I really enjoy traveling and find that I can learn so much about myself and others in doing so. I plan on studying abroad in an African country. It’s so crazy to me that people can live in a foreign country on the other side of the world as me and yet, we can be so similar. The coolest part about traveling, in my opinion, is the people. I love that anywhere you go, you can always find a way to relate to someone. Meeting new people and finding new connections brings out our humanity. 

Obviously, studying abroad is enriching on multiple levels. Students can learn in new environments, be pushed out of their comfort zones, visit new places, and try new foods. But perhaps the most beneficial part of visiting a new place is connecting to the people. I truly believe this is global awareness — acknowledging and learning our differences (culturally) but also recognizing our similarities. The ultimate similarity is our humanity. This grows a characteristic in people that I find to be the most valuable: empathy. Wherever a student goes beyond Ohio State, it can be guaranteed that this student will have relationships with others, coworkers, family, friends, clients, etc. Empathy will lead to connection and connection will lead to trust. Study abroad is far more than new places and different types of food, it’s a chance for personal growth.

Personally, I think everyone has the capacity to be a leader. It’s important that all types of people experience the role of leadership. This allows for diversity in important roles and for a chance that the group being led is represented accurately. Leaders can come in many forms. Some are vocal leaders, others are quiet leaders. Some lead through example and by doing, others lead through taking charge and creating big plans. I have learned about leadership by watching those before me. I trust my own judgement to decipher whether or not the leadership above me is something I want to emulate or avoid. When I look for leadership that I want to emulate, I think about and pay attention to how those under the leadership respond. I look for leaders that make those they are leading feel heard and seen. For someone to lead a group of people well, the connection between those two parties must have a positive relationship. This is why some politicians are criticized often. They are protected by wealth and security, but often are making decisions by those who have no income and feel the farthest thing from secure. Those individuals can’t trust a leader who doesn’t have their best interest in mind in decision making. Another way I have been developing my leadership skills is through being uncomfortable. I feel like most people are afraid to take charge of a group project or be the first person to answer a question in class out of fear of being uncomfortable and being wrong. Strong leaders must be full of humility and learn to be content with being wrong. It is an extremely attractive quality in someone to see them take their own mistake with grace instead of pridefulness and defensiveness. That is one characteristic I’ve been practicing in my own life. Overall, we learn by doing. Going forward, when a leadership position is in front of me, I will jump at the chance to put all my ideas into action.