FYE Leadership Collaborative – August 2017

Before the beginning of my first semester at Ohio State, I was chosen to attend the 2017 Leadership Collaborative, an annual leadership conference conducted by the Office of First Year Experience. At this conference, I was able to not only hone my leadership skills and become educated on the qualities a leader must possess, I also met 70 other students from around the country.

For one week at the beginning of August, I attended small group sessions, group outings to campus, and trips to the surrounding Columbus area. Such trips included the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus and the Columbus Museum of Art. These trips were meant to introduce myself and other students to the many different forms of leadership that one can become involved in both on Ohio State’s campus and in the city of Columbus itself.

I throughly enjoyed this experience on a personal level as well as on a professional level. As a result of attending this conference, I met some of the brightest and most determined people I have ever known. Within this cohort of students, I gained the unbreakable friendship of six other first years, with whom I have experienced my first semester of college with. These friends have been my anchor through my personal, academic, and mental struggles thus far, and I could not be more grateful.

I attribute the 2017 Leadership Collaborative with easing my way onto Ohio State’s campus, introducing me to some of the university’s most innovative and established staff members/alumni, and bringing to me the closest friends I have ever had.

 

 

My Peer Leader-led small group from the 2017 Leadership Collaborative, or my family for that week!

Freshman Year Spotlight: My First Buckeye Football Game

The date is September 9th, 2017. The rising sun opens up to a rather hot and humid morning; exceptionally odd weather for early fall in the Midwest. The birds are chirping and the Ohio State community is awakening from a deep sleep, as if it were a regular Saturday. However, as the students and alumni shake the previous exhausting week from their eyes, they begin to realize that today is not just any Saturday. It is THE Saturday. One of THE most anxiously anticipated days of the year. THE day that Urban Meyer and THE Ohio State Buckeyes bring football back to THE ‘Shoe for THE first home game of the year!

As any current Ohio State student, or alum, or just any OSU fan can proudly state, football is more than just a sport to the Buckeyes. It is a culture and a way of life to the hundreds of thousands of people who are in someway associated with this university. At the beginning of every fall semester, us Buckeyes cannot wait for football to return to one of the best football schools in the country. Being a first-year student, I was more than excited to attend my first ever Buckeye football game (as an official Buckeye) on September 9th against the Oklahoma Sooners!

From gorging myself with friends on delicious food at the game day buffet that Sloopy’s caters every home game to donning my scarlet and grey attire, I will never forget my excitement as I shoved myself into the stadium next to 100,000 other students, alumni, and general fans. While we unfortunately fell to the Sooners and my feet were in pain after standing in the bleachers for three hours, I had the time of my life cheering on our beloved Buckeyes.

When one thinks of The Ohio State University, our diverse student body, bountiful research opportunities, and proximity to one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in the nation immediately come to mind. However, there just happens to be another major characteristic of our great university that every Buckeye, either current students or alumni, will always keep close to heart: Buckeye football!

 

My first home football game!

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Me

Hi everyone! My name is Taylor Harris and I am currently a first-year undergradaute student at THE Ohio State University, where I am pursuing double degrees in Psychology and Criminology on the pre-law route, along with a minor in Spanish . I have chosen this educational path in order to combine my love of studying why people do what they do with my plan to attend law school after my time as an undergraduate. My end goal is to become a civil rights attorney or a children’s advocate so that I may represent the main underrepresented populations in our country.

I am also a proud member of the Dunn Sport & Wellness Scholars cohort within the Honors & Scholars program here at Ohio State. My time thus far as a Dunn Sport & Wellness Scholar has proven to be a rewarding experience on several different levels. From connecting with students who share similar interests to mine through our living-learning community and developing my leadership skills to gaining exposure to prominent figures with the Department of Recreational Sports, this program has enabled me to grow so much in the short few months I have been on Ohio State’s campus.

Regarding campus involvement, I am currently a member of MUNDO (Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Opportunities), one of the many student organizations here on campus. This organization aims to open the eyes of college students to the rest of the world via experiential learning trips, lectures focused on different countries, cultures, and traditions, and other such events. I am also a student facilitator for The Body Project, a new initiative that is being sponsored through the Student Wellness Center in the Office of Student Life. The Body Project is a scientifically-based program that aspires to promote positive body image ideas among college-aged women, while simultaneously pushing for healthy lifestyle habits.

In regards to campus employment, I am a Student Assistant within the Ohio State Department of History. Here, I am responsible for basic office duties such as answering and transferring telephone calls, sorting through mail orders, and running various errands.

This online portfolio aims to collect my various undergraduate experiences while I am a student here at The Ohio State University. I find it necessary to compile everything I do in one area, so that I may easily come back and look upon all that I have done and will continue to do to improve myself and my experiences.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

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: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]