Year in Review

This past year has gone by in a whirlwind of emotion and growth. I have looked forward to college for so long and it is, in all honesty, not what I expected. I thought that I would be a different person when I got to college but instead, I became a more raw and authentic version of myself. In becoming better at embodying my inner self, I found people who share similar experiences and made a friend group I wouldn’t trade for the world. While I value the things I have learned academically at the university, my time here has made me grateful beyond compare and taught me the importance of honesty in portraying one’s self. Part of this new understanding was taught to me in my society and culture anthropology course in my first semester of college. The class expanded my thoughts about and acceptance of the wide range of people and societies in the world and caused the more inner turmoil and contemplation than I have ever experienced in an academic setting.

As I look back on this year my favorite memory was a day I spent as an apprentice trip leader on an Everglades sea kayaking trip through the university’s Outdoor Adventure Center. The day was the most difficult paddling day of the trip as we had a long ways to go against the wind. As our group paddled and we were all quiet I found the physical stress overwhelming so I began to think about the people in my life. The hours I spent that day while paddling and thinking about the relationships I have made me realized how fortunate I am to have met the people in my life. This was indescribably impactful and once we stopped paddling I felt a peace I had not found in some time. We landed on a perfect white sand island and swam in the ocean water, went on a beach walk, ate fresh coconuts we found, had a great meal, and a fantastic group discussion at the end of the night. At the end of the day, we all cowboy camped, slept on the beach and not in the tent. We fell asleep to a bugless night with a clear sky that was full of stars and night pollution. This was one of the best days of my life and one I would live over again if I could.

The memories I have made this past year have made me more independent and excited about the future. I am looking forward to another year here at Ohio State and hopefully many more to come as a Buckeye. Next year I am specifically looking forward to taking the self-reflection I have made this year and implement it into my daily actions and growing deeper bonds with the friends I have made. I am so grateful and blessed to have lived the experiences that I have during my freshman year and the formation of acceptance that I am continuing to establish for myself. `

Spring Break 2019 was definitely one for the books. I had the amazing opportunity to be asked to be an apprentice trip leader through the Outdoor Adventure Center, where I am currently employed, for a trip to sea kayak. My role as a leader was a very new experience for me as I have not gone on a trip leader training trip to better equip me for handling the position. But, I feel that I handled the pressures of the trip and felt that I connected well with the other trip leaders and the participants. The participants on the trip were very willing to learn and grow which made it easier for me to learn and grow as well.

The trip lasted nine days with a total of five days in the backcountry of the Everglades ecosystem kayaking island to island in the thousand islands region of Florida. Every night we were in the backcountry we stayed at a different island and camped there until the next morning. We were also able to see wildlife such as dolphins, jumping fish, a shark, a sea turtle, and algae with bioluminescence. The dolphins and fish could be seen as we were paddling and camping on the island which was really neat and beautiful to see. At one point while we were all taking a break on the water a large fish jumped out between two kayaks and became startled so it jumped further back and into one of the participant’s paddles which was a great moment. With the sea turtle, we had just gotten to our last island of the trip and as the entire group stood in the water a sea turtle came within five yards of the group and surfaced multiple times which was very surreal. My favorite moment with the wildlife was the algae with bioluminescence. We all woke up at four in the mourning and kayaked down a river within an island and were able to see the faint blue-green glow of the algae in the darkness when disturbed by our paddles which was probably one of the top visual moments of my life.

I was so blessed to have been able to visit the Everglades with such a great group of people and scenic moments. As I took time to reflect on the trip, I learned about the importance of getting outside of your comfort zone and trying something new as well as meeting new people. This was a new concept for me because with understanding that more experience comes more room to grow which is a way I never thought before. I also realized that I do enjoy sea kayaking and would love to help with future trips.  

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]