As a member of the Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars, we place emphasis on leadership and the different forms it can take. Leadership allows us to stand out, providing incredible opportunities. Part of being a leader is being connected and giving back to one’s community. This semester I have pushed myself outside my comfort zone in order to give back to those around me. Several opportunities that have allowed me to dedicate my time to others includes a service trip to Atlanta, Georgia, participating in Buckeyethon, and the Dunn Dash indoor triathlon.

A group of Dunn Scholars went to Atlanta, Georgia for five days over winter break to provide service for a local soup kitchen and a foster ranch for boys. The group of us dedicated one day to helping one of local soup kitchens where we helped prepare and serve lunch while being able to interact with the homeless. Being able to provide a fresh cooked meal to those in need and sitting down with them to learn their stories as well as experiences are moments that are truly special to both parties. Additionally, we spent several days at Goshen Valley Foster Boys Ranch. During our time at Goshen Valley we cleaned and painted the bedrooms for the boys. Once the boys would come home from school we were able to play sports with them and talk to them allowing us to learn more about each of them. Being close in age to several of the boys was extremely eye opening as to how different our lives were as well as intense obstacles they have had to overcome which also made me realize how much I can take for granted in my day to day life. Returning to Ohio from my experiences in Atlanta filled me with a new outlook on how different each and every person is as well as the urge to continue providing service for my community.

On feburday 9th and 10th I participated in Buckeyethon which is the biggest student run philanthropy at Ohio State that raises money for pediatric cancer at Nationwide Hospital in Columbus. This dance marathon is split into two 12 hour shifts full of activities ranging from dancing to interacting with kids and their families who have been impacted by pediatric cancer. Donating time and money to this cause was one thing, but being able to meet and speak with families who have personally been impacted by pediatric cancer brings strong emotions. The strength and courage these children have at such a young age pushes me to be as tough and hopeful as they are. The most touching part of participating in Buckeyethon would be spending the time with the children and knowing that I am making their day as they are inspiring me.

Later on in the spring semester I volunteered at the Dunn Dash indoor triathlon. Throughout the event I was assisting in checking participants in for the running event. Due to the running portion being the first event, there were moments of “down time” where I was able to get to know some participants and set goals for the amount of laps they wanted to complete. In order to maintain an enthusiastic environment I would cheer for the participant whom I was keeping score for and encourage them to continue towards their goal. I was lucky to have many of the participants to come back to me and tell me what they thought of the event and how the biking and swimming portion went. A majority of the participants were grateful for all the positive energy and connections they were able to make throughout the triathlon and were already looking forward to next year’s. Knowing I played a part in motivating people throughout the event as well as returning to do it again encourages me to continue being an uplifting person in all that I do.

Throughout the last semester of my first year at Ohio State, I was able to gain lots of knowledge through my volunteering experiences and service learning. I was able to gain 38 total volunteer hours with the breakdown being 21 hours of service in Atlanta, Georgia, 12 hours at Buckeyethon, and 6 hours at the Dunn Dash. Via these opportunities and the ability to speak with numerous amounts of different types of people ranging in ages, I gained a bigger outlook on life, my surroundings, and ultimately fulfilling me with an even bigger urge to help others.

Part of going to college is immersing yourself in that community whether that be the college community or the community that lies just outside of the campus grounds. Being apart of the Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars, we are encouraged to go out and be leaders in these communities to get a better understanding of our new home. I took this encouragement to heart and put in a total of 18 hours of community service in my fall semester of my freshman year here at The Ohio State University. The service I provided to the local community varied as I participated in events both on and off of campus serving a wide range of people within the Columbus area. Despite the different types of service work I participated in, I was able to expand my horizons by meeting new people, gaining new skills, and overall creating a positive impact on other people’s lives whether it was big or small.

My first experience of volunteering within the Columbus community was on August 25th, 2018 alongside my suite mates and many other OSU students for a Day of Service. This day included waking up early to be present at the Union at 8am on a Saturday morning and sitting through instructions while we got our assigned locations. My friends and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to help a local school, Indianola Informal K-8, clean up their garden so the children would get the hands on experience with photosynthesis, plant growth, etc. The job required a lot of manual labor of which included: pulling weeds, trimming overgrown plants, picking produce, and spreading mulch. Within the short time we were there from 11am to 1pm we were successfully able to create a much cleaner garden with a new mulch path and fill several baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables. Afterwards, the teacher in charge let us volunteers try some of the produce we had picked. Putting in the hard labor while working alongside some of the school faculty filled me with such joy because I knew how much they appreciated my help and that the children were going to have the chance to have a more interactive learning environment. Taking time out of my day off to go out into the community and being able to see how I can make an impact on people really made me feel good about not only myself but about the community as a whole, thus driving me to volunteer more.

My following volunteer experience, a few weeks later, allowed me to realize how much can be accomplished by a group of people coming together for a common purpose. On Thursday, October 4th, Hundreds of Ohio State students gathered at Jesse Owens South from 10pm- 1 am to make and package meals for our fellow Franklin County community members who don’t have enough food. My suite mates and I went together to the event and couldn’t have had a better time and even met several new people. With everybody’s help, the process worked like a well-oiled machine, allowing us to make and package over 100,000 meals in 2 hours. Due to the combination of working with people I already knew and strangers it was critical for me to know when to take on that leading role and when to step back. Because of service learning I am a more open-minded leader with the ability to join both people I know and complete strangers to complete a task.

As much as I enjoyed volunteering on my own with a small group of friends it was equally exciting to volunteer alongside my fellow Dunn Sport and Wellness scholars. As a big group on Sunday, October 21st we woke up early to assist with the Columbus Marathon. We spent a majority of the morning setting up tables and hundreds of cups of either water or Gatorade so we could hand them out to runners as they ran by. As a former cross country runner I thought I knew what to expect from the marathon atmosphere; however, words cannot describe the positive yet intense environment that surrounds not only the runners but the volunteers, spectators, and everyone else involved with the event. Being able to support runners from the elite level to the lower level and everyone in between was such a lively experience and made the early morning and cold weather worth every second. After the last runner passed our station around noon we assisted in tearing down the tables and cleaning up the trash concluding the end of our nearly 5 hour long commitment. Throughout that Sunday I could not only see but feel how encouragement and positivity can make a lasting impact on others whether it be for only one minute or throughout the duration of the whole 26.2 miles. Cheering, clapping, and commitment are truly what drove our station at the Columbus marathon.

My final volunteer experience for my first semester of my freshman year at The Ohio State University included my scholars members yet again. As a big group the Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars had a day of service where we were split into 3 different groups to volunteer throughout the Columbus community. My group was lucky enough to volunteer at a local Goodwill store to assist the staff sort, organize and filter through all of the clothing. What may sound like a chore to some people turned out to be a great experience. I was able to meet customers and have simple yet friendly conversations with them which ended up making their day. After our service at Goodwill, all of the groups met up for dinner and a debriefing over everyone’s service experience. By the end of the day no matter what group you were in we all learned that we should never take anything for granted as well as how much something simple could mean to somebody.

Often a college freshman may be viewed as a party person instead of a leader. I believe that through my scholars program we are proving to the community that we are more than that stereotype. Putting ourselves out there to practice leadership skills, even gaining new ones, and learning about the Columbus community are key to becoming leaders. I look forward to the endless volunteer opportunities that I will gain and the experiences that go along with it.

True Colors is a short, simple questionnaire that provides an overview of what personality type you have. Within this scholars group we participated in the True Colors exercise to determine our individual color. My personal results consited of a first place with orange and one point behind in second place was blue. The orange stood for the active, open-minded, and adventurous portion of my personality. Meanwhile the blue showcased the more compassionate, communicative, and authentic side of me. I would agree with my results and say that orange and blue together perfectly describes my empathetic yet fun personality. Afterwards, we worked with others who had our same color and those with varying colors. This exercise demonstrated that while we each possess all the different characteristics everyone has varying levels. Amongst the 4 colors, though they differ, they are all needed to sustain a healthy environment as well as relationships. For example the orange personalities were the more outgoing or spontaneous type, while the gold personalities were conservative and organized. Though orange and gold may seem like they would clash, its actually the opposite. In fact they rely on one another to balance out their typical tendencies. Overall it opened our eyes to see how a team needs a variety of of personalities in order to be successful. I will carry this information and knowledge throughout my life as well as apply it at least once everyday through small group conversations, class work, and everyday scenarios, etc.

In my own words leadership is the act of being a role model for others through showcasing different skills. Some of those skills are integrity, grit, confidence, selflessness, and passion. Of course there are many other traits and skills that create a leader; however, in my opinion those traits are key to being a significant leader.

Throughout the multiple sports I have been involved in, I have witnessed several occasions where leadership was being displayed. During high school I was a part of a Cross Country team that consisted of nearly 200 athletes with 5 senior captains. The captains were not only the role models for the entire team but also the face of the program. During my senior year, I witnessed one of my fellow captains doing a random act of kindness at a meet. During this cross country meet it began to pour down rain and my friend noticed that a brand new Porsche had its windows down. Although he was getting rained on he took off his jacket and covered the window to the Porsche and expected nothing in return. He did so without thinking and simply out of the kindness of his heart. To me this shows leadership because it was him putting others before himself as well as doing it out the kindness of his heart.