- 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: Along with pursuing rigorous coursework for my first two semesters of college, I have also chosen to pursue a minor in Clinical Psychology and Individual Differences. I wanted to challenge myself to branch out of education coursework and learn more about psychology, which will help me later in a counseling graduate program. I have chosen to challenge myself in coursework and branch out beyond what is expected of me in order to exemplify academic enrichment. This year I also made the Dean’s List first and second semester, as well as received an EHE Scholarship. I had the privilege of being the recipient of the Marilyn Ruth Hathaway Scholarship through the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University.
- Leadership Development:The Mentorship Program has proved to be a very valuable part of my ACES experience. It has been so special connecting with a mentee that is younger than me, especially when they are experiencing OSU for the first time in the midst of a Global Pandemic. My mentee is Dayna Snow, a first-year student studying Political Science from Toledo, Ohio. Her major was originally Early Childhood Education, but she switched it to Political Science about halfway through first semester. She enjoys her new major so much better. My mentee and I are both somewhat quiet, but passionate about involvement and community service. We bonded a lot over the struggle to make friends right away on a campus as big as OSU’s. We both leaned on people from our high school, who we were not necessarily close with before coming to OSU. This was a very rewarding experience for both of us. We are different in our studies for sure. During our second semester interview, I told her that I admired her passion for Political Science, because that is a field that I know nothing about. I am an Education major, and she switched her major from education over to Political Science. My mentee definitely became more confident between first semester and second semester. I could tell that she was coming out of her shell and enjoying OSU more during second semester. Throughout the year, I grew as a mentor and leader by learning to reach out more frequently, even when I was afraid of rejection. My experience as a second-year mentor helped me to see how great of an impact you can have in someone’s life just by telling them that you are there for them. I also learned the importance of keeping up with communication. A lot of times I am hard on myself and refrain from reaching out to people because I feel like I am bugging them. The mentorship program helped to show me that I am never burdening someone by reaching out and making them feel understood and heard. It was also vital in the mentee/mentor relationship to keep in touch. My experience in the mentorship program as a mentee lacked communication, so this is something that I was determined to fix when I got my own mentee. I made sure I was checking in on Dayna a couple of times a semester and planning our Explore Columbus project way in advance both semesters. This project helped me to develop as a leader in more ways than one and made me realize my passion for helping others in their transition to the university. I helped my mentee in the area of socialization by introducing her to others in the ACES program. Dayna was placed on the sixth floor of Smith-Steeb instead of the fifth floor with other ACES members, so she was not familiar with many of her peers in the ACES program. To help with this, I planned for us to go on our first Explore Columbus trip with another mentee/mentor pair so that she could meet another first and second year ACES student. I helped my mentee in the area of mentoring by checking in on her study habits and giving her tips on classes. This became a little more difficult when she switched her major to Political Science, but I still made the effort to understand the classes and her course load. I also made sure that she knew I was a support system for her on-campus and that she could reach out if she ever needed anything. I know how impactful it can be just knowing that you have someone you can call if anything comes up, and I wanted to be that person. I also helped my mentee in the area of orientation by sharing some of my favorite places around campus and off campus with her! When we first met, I took her on a little tour around campus to show her some of my favorite places. I think she found this helpful, and I was glad I got to be a part of this experience for her since she was unable to have an in-person orientation. I also was able to share many of my favorite places off-campus with her, through conversations and our two off-campus adventures. There are many benefits of a mentoring program, but especially this year it was important to make sure that first-year students felt welcome and at home at Ohio State amidst a Global Pandemic. The mentor program was also vital to helping ACES students feel like they were a part of a community in a virtual world. As I mentioned earlier, college is a tough transition and having someone that you can go to for anything and in any situation is something that can be very impactful. The mentorship program in ACES has truly been a fantastic experience.
- Service Engagement: With which activities are you involved (both ongoing and short-term commitments)? This semester I have chosen to involve myself with BuckeyeThon and Pen Pals. I have also participated in short-term volunteer opportunities such as the OWL program or Community Commitment. I plan to continue to engage with the community through these programs in my future semesters. The Pen Pals Program has helped to contribute to my understanding of Columbus City schooling and some of the situations that those children come from at home. I find it a privilege to be able to interact with these children and find a way to make them smile in their week. I also have grasped a greater understanding for children with Pediatric cancer through the BuckeyeThon program. I have become informed of many different ways to help raise awareness and fundraiser for pediatric cancer through BuckeyeThon. I enjoyed volunteering with both of these student organizations and I plan to continue to engage with the community by looking for new opportunities in the ACES newsletters, as well as keeping an eye out for where I think there may be a need in the community.
G.O.A.L.S.
The University Honors & Scholars Center at The Ohio State University serves high-ability, motivated undergraduate students. While embracing diversity in both ideas and people, the Center fosters purposeful learning communities that enhance students’ academic and social experiences. The Center facilitates impactful, rigorous, and unique opportunities that further student success and involvement in our G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement.
