First Semester: This past year has been life changing for me. Graduating high school and giving up on all my sports dreams were rough, however, I knew that college would be a chance for me to grow and learn more about myself. I picked Ohio State in March and all my friends were excited for me to experience a new part of the country I never visited. It was hard leaving all of my friends, some of them for good. The first couple weeks were tough for me. I was a stranger, a shy kid from Nebraska who did not know anybody else around the whole school. Its hard to believe I did not know anybody when the school is as big as Ohio State is. I found myself calling my mom the first couple nights, just to pass the time. The first time I felt accepted and welcomed at my new home had to be the night of the Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather fight. I was looking forward to this fight all year because of the magnitude of it in the sports world. I offered to get the fight for everybody in the suite, so we could all watch together. Everybody loved the idea. That night was the first night I showed my true self, and watching some grown men punch each other was a plus. Although the fight may have been a disappointment for boxing fans around the world, this fight gave me the friends that I have today, and for that I am forever grateful.
Second Semester: Being a Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholar has definitely made my experience at Ohio State different. Without Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars, I would not have the friends and courage I have today. I am thankful each and everyday that I was chosen to be apart of the Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars group. I am not seeking out internships or any new jobs recently so I am not able to say how it has professionally helped me, but on a personal level it has definitely opened my eyes to Ohio State and the greater community surrounding the campus. Life lessons are hard to come by in the day by day aspect. One day you can be taught a life lesson but you will not realize its importance until later. With this scholars group, I have realized the everyday importance of how you treat people and how far your character can take you in the real world. One of the other lessons this scholars group has taught me has to be how important it is to be persistent in your endeavors. If I say I want to do something, it is on me to go out and make it happen. I can not rely on other people to go out and make my job easier, it is me against the world when it comes to making my dreams come true. These have to be the two biggest lessons that this scholars group have taught me, treat others with respect and make this world your own. When I first entered DSWS I was a quiet, shy, and careful guy. Over the past year I have come to the realization that people will like me as long as I am myself. I bring a lot to the table as a young 18-year old kid. I have expanded my horizon since joining this scholars group, I have become friends with people I would not have become friends with otherwise. I have also accepted failure. I know that I am not going to be perfect in everything I do. You can not succeeded without first failing. As a whole, this first year in DSWS has been an overwhelming success in my book and I cannot wait to see what the future holds with this special group of people.