This has certainly been a semester like no other. With most classes online and asynchronous, my productivity and schedule were truly placed on my own merit and determination. I’ll be the first to admit that this semester was hard and not all what I expected. Yet it led to the most growth and character shaping I have ever experienced and witnessed at Ohio State. It was full of so many firsts.

My first asynchronous classes gave me the chance to create my own schedule and the flexibility to start a passion project. I have spent the last semester outlining an audiology resource book focused on Ohio. The inspiration for this resource also came from the flexibility of this semester. I found myself trying to find new, “hidden gem” places to study in order to safely socially distance. My first time exploring the city around me allowed me to learn local features of Ohio. My research combined with my Ohio History class this semester has left me feeling like a local despite my Colorado roots. In fact, many of my friends–native to Ohio–refer to me as their tour guide when we head into the city. Some of my new favorite spots are the Ohio Public Library (main branch), the garden in the architecture building (Knowlton Hall) on campus, the Dairy Food Hall, and…. Well actually, I can’t give all my good spots away or they’ll get more crowded. You’ll just have to ask me for a tour!

Last semester was my first semester as a Delight Leader. Delight Ministries is an on-campus group of women seeking Christ-centered community. As the Community Service Leader, my job was to coordinate service for our Delight chapter at OSU and in the Columbus community. This Spring, I moved to Fellowship Leader because we needed someone to commit more time to virtual communication and outreach. I had the time with my flexible schedule and my role shifted. When a girl asked to be added to our group chat, my job was to personally reach out and welcome her and answer any and all questions. As a people and community-oriented person, I adore this role! I love the stories that girls shared about faith and seeking friends and what brought them to OSU. My own stories encourage women to persevere in college and seek out community. I am thankful for the virtual platforms that allow me to meet and interact with 100+ women in the midst of social and physical isolation. As I plugged girls into small groups, I was reminded that this is exactly what brought me to OSU—incredible community. I’m biased but I believe Delight represents one of the best examples of that at OSU.

Looking forward, my first virtual job fair and my first virtual job interview from this semester has led me to a position at Special Olympics Ohio which will start in May. I am excited to be coordinating health and COVID guidelines, coach certifications and presentations and more for the athletic events. This semester also led to my first research position which will begin in August with the BabyTalk Project in the Otolaryngology Department of the College of Medicine. This research will bring me back to my roots in Cochlear Implants—the topic that first introduced me to audiology.

Arguably the hardest and most shaping first was my first time living alone. I grew up with three siblings so its safe to say I’m used to a loud, bustling, social environment. Beyond that, I am an extrovert and a community-oriented person. I actively seek as much social time with others as possible. This is a confusing personality trait to have in the midst of pandemic where isolation is often necessary. Toss in the wildcard of living alone and you’ve got a strange, scary situation for this extrovert. However, I’ve learned a lot about independence, communication, encouragement, productivity and perseverance. I have even picked up a few new hobbies along the way. Even more so, I have learned that community is something we intentionally create, not just something that easily exists. I am thankful for the new perspectives, opportunities and firsts that this year has brought.

We cannot deny that 2020 has been an incredibly challenging and surprising year for all. My plan for the Summer of 2020 was to study abroad in Barcelona. I was accepted, deposit paid, small research project planned, just counting down the days. Then, COVID-19 disrupted the world and travel abroad was cancelled. In fact, even my trip back to OSU was cancelled. My one week spring break turned into a two week trip home and then was extended to a 5 month stay in Colorado without a goodbye to OSU.

But this did not deter my drive or my curiosity. The day that OSU study abroad was cancelled I emailed 30+ audiologists within 45 minutes of my hometown. Any local audiology contact information I found, I utilized. Out of curiosity, I asked how they were handling the pandemic and how they were still providing care to their patients. Some responded and I learned a lot about the different approaches and laws that different counties were facing. This opportunity allowed me to also connect to several different practices and discuss current events. One conversation in particular actually led to an internship!

Dr. Dusty Jessen AuD and I at Columbine Hearing Care

This past Summer I interned with Columbine Hearing Care, a private practice in Littleton, Colorado. My responsibilities consisted of technology inquiries, patient outreach and relations and office organization. I utilized the CounselEar system to schedule patients and log stock and loaner hearing aids and accessories. I also transferred patient data from NOAH to CounselEar. These programs are used by audiologists across the country.  I replaced receivers and sorted hearing aid parts. Interaction with hearing aid providers to troubleshoot technology and order and assign demo stock allowed me to learn the parts of audiology that require innovation, advocating and patience.

The most rewarding part of the internship was calling patients to survey aural rehabilitation needs, answer questions and update medical information. I loved hearing patient testimonials about my preceptor and what a private practice offered them. Patients would ask questions that I could already directly apply my coursework to. When there were questions I couldn’t answer, I practiced customer service, researched and referred to the audiologist’s expertise. Most importantly, I witnessed and got to be a part of how a private practice handles a pandemic and works hard to still reach and provide care to patients.