On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I sat down with Heather Grace Luken to ask her a few questions. Heather is currently a sophomore at The Ohio State University, majoring in Biology.

As a freshman, she entered as an engineering major. I asked her; “What has been your most challenging major class so far?” She told me that as an engineering major, she had to take Calculus II. It was the class that began to “weed out” a lot of students from the major. With tons of homework and punishing midterms, Calc. II successfully accomplished it’s goal. However, through hard work and perseverance, Heather prevailed. Once she changed her major to Biology, another challenge presented itself- Gen. Chem. 1210. Again, Heather put her mind to her studies and was successful in the end.

Of course I had to know how she managed to overcome these obstacles, so I asked; “What advice do you have for getting through tough classes successfully?” She told me to do the best that I could, aim for the stars, and be resilient. In High School, Heather was a perfectionist. In college, she had to accept her shortcomings and keep moving forward with the goal of doing better than she had done before- frustration is the enemy. She also reminded me to utilize my resources (office hours, learning center, email your professor, etc.)

Heather has also done volunteer work in college. Curios about her approach to service, I asked; “What volunteering have you done since you’ve been at OSU, and how did you first get involved?” She told me that she first started volunteering through ENR and that the majority of her service, she has done with ENR. Heather has gone to Waterman farm to pick apples and learn about the bovine system implemented by Ohio State. Heather has also participated in countless cleanups of the Olentangy River. Along with this, she has helped to eliminate invasive species and plant local trees to preserve the natural habitat.

Heather has been an Environmental and Natural Resource Scholar for two years now. Having just started myself, I wanted the perspective of someone who had experienced it all before, so I asked; “What advice do you have for making the most of ENR?” She advised me to keep ENR near the top of my priorities list and do as many activities as I can. She told me about the benefits of having a group of people to grow close to and share experiences with. She also said that ENR can open your eyes to what’s going on around you biologically and that it’s a great platform to explore your options.

Being a freshman, I don’t know what I want to do after graduation. I wondered if a sophomore would have it figured out, so I asked; “What do you plan to do with your major after college?” Heather told me that she has always liked science and has considered switching her major to evolution ecology. She also always wanted to help people, so going to medical school and becoming a doctor is on the table. Heather loves the environment and being outside, so she said she could go work for the Environmental Protection Agency.

To end on a reflective note, I asked Heather; “What are the most important things you have learned at Ohio State thus far?” She told me that she has learned how to succeed in college. Some skills she picked up were staying calm in stressful situations, multitasking, fighting frustration, and perseverance. She has also learned how to live on her own, in terms of handling finances and taking care of yourself. Heather also values all the wonderful things she has learned about the environment from ENR.

My meeting with Heather was beneficial to me not only because she told me how to be successful in my classes and ENR, but because I gained valuable insight about freshman year from someone who has already lived it. I will certainly make the most of this year by participating, prioritizing, and having fun.