O-H-I-O pic is a must at all service outings:)
How good it feels to be a part of a school that cares so much about the community…
Growing up, I was actively involved in serving the community, be it in my hometown or out on mission trips through my church, and this is something I believe to be essential to living the life we are called to live. Entering Ohio State, I knew I wanted to find ways to give back to others. Not knowing how easy or hard it would be to find these opportunities, I was beyond excited when I found so many great events to serve, even within the first two months of being on campus.
Before coming to campus, I applied to be a part of the Business Honors Learning Community, an honors cohort of 27 first year students. We all live together and partake in weekly meetings focused on building relationships, professional development, and giving back to the community. The focus on service was one of the things that greatly attracted me to the learning community, and I am so pleased to be a part of such a wonderful group of students! So far, we have had two service opportunities that have been a blast! About a month ago, we made no-sew blankets for the Ronald McDonald House here in Columbus. Not only was this a great way to give back to the community right in our backyard, but it was a wonderful way to have fun and deepen friendships within the BHLC! Our second service opportunity so far was just today, where we were able to write letters to active service members. I have done this in the past, and I really believe it to be a great way to encourage those over seas who are doing so much for our freedoms here. This is such a simple reminder to those serving us that we appreciate them and that we are thinking about them. I’ve had so much fun with the BHLC service project so far and I am looking forward to all that is planned to give back to the community in the coming year:)
In addition to the service opportunities I’ve had with BHLC, there have also been OSU organized events that I have been a part of! There were already events planned for early on in the school year, which I really think shows Ohio State’s commitment to service. During the second week of school, I had the chance to be a part of an event called “Community Commitment”, put on by Pay it Forward. During this event, students from all over campus spend 5 hours serving in locations all over Columbus! My roommates and I were bused to a local church where we worked on cleaning up a garden that provides fresh herbs and produce to the meal program housed in the church. This was an amazing chance to get off of campus, experience and engage with the city, and connect with the community. More recently, I attended a service event through the Honors & Scholars program at a local Furniture Bank. Here, we had the chance to get our hand a little dirty (literally!) and paint different parts of a refurbished desk. The Furniture Bank has partnerships with many Universities in Ohio and happened to recently get a shipment of old desks from Miami University. However, the site was not in need of desks, so they cut them in half and made nightstands that we got to paint! We had a blast, but unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to take a picture of my messy clothing after:)
Ohio State has already provided me so many areas to serve and give back to the surrounding community! I’m so grateful to be in a place where involvement and presence in the city is encouraged and where the belief that changing the world occurs not only through knowledge gained in the classroom, but through how we give back outside of the classroom. I’ve much enjoyed “getting my toes wet” in the chances I’ve already had to serve the area, and I’m looking forward to fully “diving in” as I continue to seek out and explore opportunities of community engagement and service.
Peace and Blessings,
CG