Although the weather makes me wants to stay inside all day with some hot chocolate and a dozen of blankets, my HES pals, Preston and Axumawite, and I decided to do a little adventuring around Columbus the Saturday of the 24th. Although our break was arguably still short, I made sure to fill it with lots of memories like this. And there’s nothing like some ice cream on an ice-y day like this. We went to the Jeni’s off high street to celebrate the game (of course). The free stickers, cute environment, and free samples made it all the worthwhile. It was a great experience to not only try some funky flavors, but sit down, relax, and talk about whatever was on our minds. It made me realize I haven’t taken that time for myself in awhile and we all plan to do it more often. I wouldn’t mind a trip back for the lavender ice cream anyway. All jokes aside, I’m genuinely grateful to have these people in my life. Humanitarian Engineering Scholars helped me interact with some amazing people who I would’ve missed out on otherwise. This program gave me two friends who I know will always support and care for me in these next years of college and in the future. Humanitarian Engineering has brought not only several friends who I can lean on, but also so many experiences-like and unlike this one- to keep me involved in the community. From volunteering to events such as the Mental Awareness Week Recess, I have felt at home here on campus besides having another home 20 minutes away.

On Thursday, October 26, my HES group and I went on a little adventure to explore more of Columbus together. We decided on going to Fourth Street Bar and Grill to have some good food and a great time! One revelation I had, other than the satisfaction of one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever tasted, was that college is much more than homework and grades. It is also the experiences I have and will gain here at OSU and the great people I will meet. We all talked about how college has been so far and immediately we jumped into how each class is treating us right now and how worried we are in terms of our major for the next years of college. It wasn’t until our mentor, Paulina, asked us about what’s going on outside of class that we all finally talked about the good here on campus. There are so many opportunities out there and I am so excited to expand myself outside of the classroom again. With community service and extracurricular activities through Design For 90, MSA, and HES, I will do great this here at OSU in not only the classroom, but in the community as well. This was a great experience and it’s always a fun time when we all get together to do homework or hangout. What I like most about experiences like these are the laughs we share together and the bonds we create as a group. I would definitely go back- I heard they have a karaoke night afterall.