Coming to college, I was worried with the thought of “starting over” when it comes to friendships. Becoming part of the Mount Leadership Scholars Program made the transition to college a whole lot more fun and relaxed. Engaging in service and leadership activities with the people I live with, helped establish a strong sense of community in a new living environment.

This artifact is a picture of my Mount Leadership “Family”. In the Mount Leadership Scholars Program, first year students are paired with older students to create meaningful relationships and connections on campus. These older students act as mentors and are always available to first year students. Having a fourth-year student (CJ Higbea) as my “dad” has been so beneficial. CJ has had so much experience with academics and extracurricular activities at Ohio State, which has helped me find opportunities that I had no idea even existed. Knowing older students serves greatly in networking and getting involved in clubs or activities. Being at a school that offers hundreds of clubs is so overwhelming, but with the knowledge and experience of older students I have been able to sort through the potential activities that I want to get involved in.

Along with academics, these mentors have been so helpful socially. At least once a week, my “family” contacts me to make sure everything is going well and to offer their help. The morale and social support means everything to me as there are times that can be so academically rigorous and stressful. It has been so rewarding knowing that I always have somewhere there supporting me.

As a part of this Mount Leadership “family”, I have continued to see the value and importance of meaningful relationships. Being an extrovert, I absorb energy from the people around me and being a member of the Mount Leadership Society has helped me fulfill this necessity. Without this program and “family”, the transition to college would’ve never felt so natural.