Summary of My Mentorship Experience

This past year as I sadly wrapped up my ACES experience, I had the chance to mentor not one, but two amazing young women. Hannah and Cammie have been an absolute joy to get to know, and to watch them flourish here at Ohio State. Hannah is a smart, kind, ray of sunshine from Ashland, Ohio. She is studying biochemistry in hopes of following in her father’s footsteps of being a doctor. Hannah has always wanted to be a doctor, which helped secure her path here at OSU. After only one year, she has solidified her class schedule, tackling the tough biology and chemistry classes. She is totally ready to continue these challenging classes, and I was so happy to watch Hannah preserve and stay dedicated to her career path this year. Cammie is funny, friendly, ray of sunshine from Cincinnati, Ohio. Also being from Cincinnati and funnily enough having mutual friends, I loved having Cammie as a mentee. My favorite thing about Cammie’s first year journey at Ohio State and that she had no clue was she wanted to study. I liked this because it gave me the chance to mentor and guide her, along with be a resource. We discussed course, and I recommended classes to her that I thought she would enjoy. I helped her discover majors that I thought would suit her strong assets. I reminded Cammie not to worry, and that she had plenty of time to figure out what exactly she wanted to do with her life. After hearing Cammie stress and worry all year, I was so proud of Cammie when she told me at our last explore Columbus that she had discovered a new major and chosen her career path! (Proud ACES mom moment!) Cammie has chosen to study hospitality in hopes of running a hotel business one day. Cammie is so personable and has great communication skills so I know she will thrive. Both Hannah and Cammie have chosen careers that suit their personalities and where I know they will so much success!

It was a joy to have two mentees because Hannah and Cammie are so different, yet I saw pieces of myself in each of them. Like Hannah, I love to have a plan and stick to it. We both love school and find our classes so interesting. And like Cammie, we both love to explore Ohio State and see all of the fun things Columbus has to offer. We all agreed that OSU is the perfect balance of fun friends, and awesome professors and courses. And of course, we loved the option of the scholar’s program and being in ACES! This year I really got to see Hannah come out of her shell. She has found a great group of friends, and is already making big moves to involved in the pre-med community on campus. Cammie has settled down to find her place, and I can’t wait to see how she grows within the hospitality major. I also can’t wait to watch her grow as a leader within her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. I loved having the opportunity to get two wonderful young women associated on campus. It was my honor that they trusted me with advice on housing, classes, clubs, meal swipes and everything in between. I am so happy to see that I was able to help them find their own individual place with new friends, clubs on classes on such a large campus.

Besides having the opportunity to help my mentees with socialization, academics and everything in between like I mentioned previously, I myself learned so much from having the opportunity to be a mentor. It was challenging at times but I really wanted to be a leader and someone that these two students could look up to, and trust with advice. I had the task of making sure that they felt supported, encouraged and welcomed their first year on campus and at ACES and I wanted nothing more than to make sure that I was successful at that. I made sure to check in on them both frequently, and make it clear that I was willing to help with whatever they needed! This helped me further develop my leadership and communication skills and I needed to be trusted and easy to reach. I learned how important it is to make yourself approachable and welcoming when you truly want to help someone, and how important it is to be trusted when trying to lead. In conclusion, the mentorship program was hands down one of my favorite things about ACES. From being a mentee who needed all the help she could get, to having the chance to lead two amazing young women, the mentorship allowed me to find my place at Ohio State and help others find their place.

 

 

Hannah, Cammie and I went to Condado’s Tacos for our first explore Columbus!

Our Last Explore Columbus!

On Thursday, Cammie, Hannah and I completed our second and final explore Columbus. It was sad thinking about how this was our last required event as a trio, but I know I’ll continue to talk to them next year! For our last explore Columbus, we decided to stay near campus since all three of us were busy gearing up for finals and finishing up for the semester. Seeing that the weather has been getting a lot nicer, it seemed perfect to try Berry Blendz, a smoothie and acai bowl shop just south of campus. There was no need to take a COTA, and it being on south campus was perfect for both Hannah and Cammie seeing that they live in smith- steeb. I walked down to south campus and met them both. It was the perfect end to the week getting to catch up with both of them, enjoying the nice weather and treating ourselves to a smoothie!

I hadn’t seen Hannah or Cammie in a while, so I was excited to see how their spring breaks went, along with housing and scheduling for next school year. Cammie had a really fun spring break trip to Florida with some of her new friends she met her at Ohio State. However, she got insanely sunburnt, but claims she still had a good time! Hannah and I both stayed home for spring break, but are hoping to make it to a beach this summer! Cammie is again beating me and Hannah on the vacation spectrum- she’s going to Germany this summer! Her cousin is living there currently, so she is visiting with her mom and brother. She is super excited to go out of the country for the first time and see all that Europe has to offer. I know she is going to have a great time!

Both Hannah and Cammie are enjoying their classes this semester and have scheduled their classes for next semester, which is always exciting. I was super intrigued to hear what courses they would be taking and if they are sticking with their majors. Hannah is happily continuing her biochemistry pre-med route, but has switched to a bachelor’s of arts rather than a bachelor’s of science, which is actually best for her pre-med track. I’m so happy for her that she enjoyed her classes her first year at Ohio State and is going to stick it out. Hannah is also continuing with her Spanish minor and doing really well, which I love since I am also a Spanish minor! I hope to get to meet up with Hannah next semester and study Spanish since we are taking the same course in the fall.  And good news- Cammie declared a major! She is going to start studying hospitality in the fall! I think this is a great choice for Cammie. She is super smart and personable, and is going to thrive in a career where to gets to help people and show off her leadership skills whether it be running a department or hotel, etc.

This summer both Hannah and Cammie are working at ice cream shops back in their hometowns! Since I live so close to Cammie in Cincinnati I’m definitely going to pay her a visit at work for some ice cream and a chance to see her over the summer. I am so excited to hear what Hannah and Cammie do over the summer, and also to see what they do in the fall next year. Both girls are incredible additions to ACES and we have been so fortunate to have them in our cohort this year. They are both so kind, driven and love serving our community. I can’t wait to watch Hannah further develop her drive to help people through ACES next year which will make her the best doctor. I also can’t wait to watch Cammie settle into her career path in hospitality next year, and see what else she brings to ACES. I know that both of them are going to continue being a smiling face and positive energy to the ACES community. We had a great talk at Berry Blendz, enjoying our smoothies on such a beautiful spring day. All three of us would highly recommend and I’m sure we’ll be back in the fall so I can catch up with both Hannah and Cammie. It has been such a pleasure watching them find their place this year at Ohio State, and I’m beyond excited to follow their journey through ACES and Ohio State during our next years here at Ohio State, despite the fact that my time in ACES is coming to a close.

Second Semester Interview with the Mentees!

I had the pleasure of getting to sit down with Hannah and Cammie before our February community meeting this week. It was really nice to have this opportunity to catch up with the two of them, and see how not only their first semester went, but to check in to see how their second semester is going!

Of course, we jumped right in to talking about their majors. Hannah is still a biochemistry major, and she is continuing on a pre-med track. Her father is a doctor, and she looks forward to following in his footsteps as a family practitioner. She also hopes to shadow at the James or Wexner Hospitals here on campus to explore some other medical careers. I asked Hannah about her course load this semester, as I know pre-med is difficult, especially as a biochemistry major! Hannah told me she is taking both a chemistry and a biology class right now, and they are both really interesting but challenging. Because she has such a heavy and intense course load, Hannah has found it difficult to balance school and relaxation. She spends most of her time studying at the library. Last semester she enjoyed studying at 18th avenue library, and this semester she has really loved studying at Thompson. Even though it can be hard to balance studies and relaxation, I reminded Hannah to take time for herself!

As for Cammie’s schoolwork, she is still undecided with her major- which is totally okay! I told her she is only a freshman and still has plenty of time to figure it out! Cammie is struggling to sort out her interest to find where she can see herself in the workplace one day. Last semester Cammie was really considering business, but was not a fan of her economics class. This semester, Cammie isn’t really enjoying biology. However, Cammie is currently in a Human Development and Family Science course, Life Span and Human Development 2400. I actually took this course last semester, and I am minoring in HDFS. Cammie and I talked a lot about human development and family science as I think it could be a good fit for her as a major. Cammie is such a kind, compassionate and intelligent person and I think a lot of the careers that align with HDFS would benefit from a young woman like Cammie.

Both Cammie and Hannah are still involved outside of ACES at Ohio State, both really establishing themselves here in Columbus as their first year quickly comes to a close. Hannah has really enjoyed being a part of pen pals here at Ohio State. Every two weeks or so she writes to a fifth-grade girl from inner city Columbus public schools. She loves this relationship she has created with her through writing, and I’m sure Hannah is a great friend and mentor for her to look up to. Cammie is still involved with Smiles with Style, which she joined last semester. She continues volunteering with them, going to the local Ronald McDonald house to play with the patients and their families, bringing a little joy into their lives while they stay there during hospital visits. Cammie has also joined a PHA sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. Here Cammie has found more friends outside of Smith Steeb, with uplifting young women to support her during her time here at Ohio State.

Both Cammie and Hannah are enjoying ACES! Both will be attending the LC academic event to ask questions about possibly applying for the leadership council for their sophomore year. Hannah and Cammie had the same favorite service event last semester- the Mid-Ohio Food Bank! I wasn’t able to attend that event, but they both really enjoyed getting off campus to help out the people of Columbus, and they hope to continue volunteering there. And of course, both girls’ favorite memory from last semester was the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game! Hannah attended with her roommates, and Cammie had a friend from high school come up for the game. It was a perfect first Michigan game for them, as the Buckeyes won big! Hannah mentioned that the one thing she has found surprising about Ohio State is how big the campus is, but also how small it can be- she sees people she knows all the time! Cammie definitely agreed with Hannah, and said she runs into friends from her hometown all the time. Though, both girls had loved meeting plenty of new friends here in Columbus, and look forward to forming new connections and friendships their next 3 years!

All in all, Hannah and Cammie have had a successful first year at Ohio State. Hannah is powering through as a pre-med student, and I cannot wait to see her as Dr. Furness one day! She is going to make an incredible doctor with her kind heart and compassion. I know Cammie is going to find her place, and no matter what she chooses for her career, she will be great with her dedication and kindness. It has been so great mentoring these two this school year, and I am so excited to catch up with them next year to see how they are going to change the world!

 

 

Fall Explore Columbus!

For our first explore Columbus, I decided to take my mentees to an Ohio State student favorite- Candado Tacos! I decided this would be a great place to take them, since neither Hannah or Cammie had been there before; plus, who doesn’t love tacos? I met Cammie and Hannah in the Smith- Steeb lobby and we hopped on a quick COTA ride down high street. This was also a good opportunity to show both of them how to take the COTA, and how easy is it to take a quick bus ride down to the short north for some good coffee or food.

When we got to Condado’s I made sure to check in with both Hannah and Cammie on how their semesters are going. Hannah is a biochemistry major, so she is always taking a lot of rigorous classes. She is still really enjoying biology, and is taking more biology and chemistry classes in the spring semester. I also found out that Hannah is a Spanish minor like myself! We actually are in the same class right now, and will be taking the same course in the spring. Our class in the spring, is a Spanish composition class that is going to be really challenging, so I am excited to have my mentee in the course so we can study together! Next, I made sure to catch up with Cammie, who is still undecided on her major. She is enduring a difficult economics class, but she just did well on her latest midterm! Cammie also told me besides business or marketing, she is looking into speech and hearing sciences for her major, which is what I am studying! She asked me lots of questions about what I want to do in the speech pathology field, and about my classes. I was happy to talk about my major, and would love to see Cammie in my classes! Me and Hannah asked Cammie lots of questions about her interests, likes and dislikes as a casual discussion to see what other majors she should look into. Cammie is going to continue to take business prerequisites, but also look into some human development and family science courses, as well as the education major.

I asked my mentees if they have had the chance to get involved in campus over the last couple months as they’ve gotten settled. Hannah said she has enjoyed her community service hours through ACES, and continues to make friends through honors and scholars. I think that ACES is a really great fit for Hannah. She has a lot of passion for others and community service, as well as just being a truly kind and caring person. I suggested that Hannah consider being on leadership council for ACES next year, and she seemed very interested. Both Hannah and Cammie asked me questions about my own experience on ACES leadership council, and of course I told them both to apply! Cammie is getting more involved in things outside of ACES as well. This weekend she is going to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald house with Smiles with Style, an organization here on campus that goes to the Ronald McDonald house to hang out with patients and their families. I think this is an awesome organization and I might even tag along with Cammie to one of their events! Cammie is also interested in rushing a sorority, as she wants to make more friends outside of Smith- Steeb. I think Cammie would have a great experience in a sorority, and I can see her getting very involved in the leadership and philanthropy of a sorority. I told both Cammie and Hannah if they have any more questions about getting more involved I would be happy to help them find some more things around campus! Finally, I made sure that girls weren’t having too much trouble getting their community service hours in for ACES, as I know it can be difficult to travel around Columbus without a car. Both Cammie and Hannah are doing well getting their service hours, and are enjoying the service that they get to do through ACES.

I was very glad that I got to spend some time with Hannah and Cammie on a Friday night at Condado’s! We got to catch up, and I got to make sure everything was going smoothly with this transition into college; which is quite a big one. I was super happy to see both of them are doing wonderfully! I was also glad I had the chance to take them off campus for a while, and show them the best tacos in Columbus! I can’t wait to watch Hannah and Cammie finish the semester strong!

Mentee Number 2; Cammie!

Today I had the opportunity to sit down with my second mentee of the semester, Cammie. Funnily enough, Cammie and I are from neighboring towns in Cincinnati, and we even found out we have some mutual friends! Cammie already seems like a great person so I was excited to get to talk to her about the start of her new Ohio State journey.

One of the biggest things Cammie is dealing with right now is her major. She is not really sure what she wants to do at all, but I told her that it’s okay! People change their majors on average of three times in college, and it’s only her first semester of freshman year, so she has plenty of time! Cammie was thinking she might explore business, so she’s currently taking an Econ class. This class also happens to be her hardest class, because she said it is a whole new way of thinking and analyzing problems. As for her most fun class, Cammie is taking a ceramics class for a visual and performing arts credit. She said it is very time consuming, but really interesting and fun to actually go in and create art. As for figuring out what she wants to do career wise, I advised Cammie to meet with an exploratory advisor again. Her advisor has told her to take some classes in various colleges at Ohio State to get a feel for what she likes. Cammie is thinking of taking a biology class and an education class to see if the medical field or teaching could be something she is interested in.

Besides the stress of figuring out classes, Cammie is really excited to get involved in campus outside of ACES. Currently Cammie is in Buckeyes for Baking, where she gets to bake treats for different volunteer organizations. She also really loves Smiles with Style, where she gets to visit the Ronald McDonald House and hang out with some of the patients there. She said that Smiles with Style is super rewarding because everyone is grateful for her time, getting to brighten the days of patients and families. Cammie is also exploring sororities, and she thinks it would be beneficial to find a sisterhood of empowering women to join. In high school, Cammie was in National Honors Society, played varsity soccer and ran cross country, tutored kids and volunteered at an Alzheimer’s center. She clearly loves to volunteer, which is why I know ACES is so lucky to have Cammie!

Like I just said, Cammie loves to volunteer which is why she chose ACES. She thinks it may be difficult to balance ACES volunteering with classes, but I know she can do it! I also think she would love the club A Kid Again, and I hope to bring her to our next event with me! College is definitely different from high school for Cammie, and she found the amount of responsibility a little overwhelming. Overall, she is doing great and her ACES roommate Olivia is helping her find her place, and balance academics, ACES and friends.

Cammie is a bright, funny young woman who I am so lucky to mentor this year. I can’t wait to see how Cammie continues to find her place here at Ohio State!

Meet Hannah; My Mentee!

I got to meet with my new friend and mentee, Hannah, to get to know her. Hannah’s major is biochemistry, and she chose this because she enjoys science, specifically chemistry and biology so this gives her the best of both worlds. She thinks she wants to explore the option of med school. Hannah’s a super smart girl and dedicates a lot of her time to her studies. She likes to study in her dorm, and also in SEL on 18th, which is also my new study spot! Her hardest class so far is world history just because it’s a lot of information. As expected, she’s enjoying her science classes!

Hannah is pretty sure she wants to go to med school after graduation. Her dad is doctor, a family practitioner, and so she grew up seeing him work. Being a doctor would allow her to help people and give back to others, which she is passionate about. Being in a lab is also interesting to her, but Hannah likes to interact with people. Getting to see how kind and caring Hannah is, I know she will make a great doctor, just like her dad, if that’s what she decides to do!

This year, Hannah wants to join some new clubs, maybe the Women in Science and Math Club. Also, the Women’s outreach club has peaked Hannah’s interest. This is a unique club in which female students would go and teach science classes to kids in the Columbus Public School area. One thing that I think I’m going to love the most about Hannah is her passion for women in medicine. Both clubs she said she had an interest in involved supporting and uplifting women in science. I think this is super important, and something I also love as a female in the science field.  In high school, Hannah was in National Honors Society, and helped organized volunteering for their volunteer club. I love that Hannah spoke so highly about continuing to volunteer in college, as it’s something a lot of college put on the back burner.

Hannah chose to be in ACES because she enjoys community service and wanted to continue giving back to her community in college, like I mentioned previously. Hannah is looking forward to giving back to the community in Columbus, but thinks it will be challenging to balance ACES service hours and academics. However, I know that Hannah will do a great job finding how to balance her school work, extracurricular and enjoying time with friends. As for balancing all of her extracurricular, school always come first but with good planning and time management she hopes to get everything she wants to do in each week.

Finally, as Hannah prepared for this crazy new adventure in college, she was nervous about how many students are here on such a large campus, but has found it doesn’t feel so big after all. She accredits this to ACES making things feel smaller, living with other ACES and having built in friends. Also, a big part of this is due to her roommate who is a little more outgoing, and helps her adventure out a little more. They even got a fish together!

All in all, I feel super blessed to have the opportunity to mentor Hannah this year. She is a super sweet, kind, and very intelligent girl who is going to thrive here at Ohio State! I made sure to let Hannah know she can always reach out to me for advice and resources, and I hope her and I get to know each other very well throughout this year!

G.O.A.L.S.; What It Means To Me

As an honors and scholars student here at Ohio State University, the G.O.A.L.S. have been a widely discussed matter. One of the best parts of being an honors and scholars student here, is that each student is so unique and diverse. Therefore, each aspect of the G.O.A.L.S. means something different to each of us. I look forward to using these aspects throughout my career here here at Ohio State, especially in my community service with my scholars program. So, here are what the G.O.A.L.S. mean to me!

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.” As a student who spends eight months of the year here on campus, I find it very easy to get lost in the routine of Ohio State. It is easy to get lost in my everyday life, without regard for how to the rest of the world is doing. I hope to take more time for reflection on Ohio, the United States, and our world and use problems greater than Ohio State to inspire me to make a difference.

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.” The definition of inquiry is “the act of asking for information.” I think that there is great value in being able to ask questions. In order to find a problem that needs a solution, students must ask questions to gain information. We will never know who needs help and what exactly we can do to make a difference if we do not have the desire to ask, and research, and discover.

Academic Enrichment: “Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.” Although doing well in the classroom is very important, I think that a lot can be learned outside of the classroom. Students must be willing to engage with others and be put in different situations, because some of the best knowledge we can gain is not just learned from a lecture hall.

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.” A person who wants to make a difference, must be able to take charge. Although there is nothing wrong with being a follower, it is the people who step up to be a leader that are the ones who bring awareness to issues in order to get things done. Leadership is valuable in the classroom, in the workspace, and in community service. I find being a leader to be an important characteristic that all students should aspire to obtain in order to help them towards success.

Service Engagement: “Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.” I think that service engagement is the most straight forward, but also most important. Simply help people. My mother always taught me to be kind, and lend a hand where possible, whether that be holding a door for a stranger or volunteering at a local hospital. I am so lucky to have the opportunities and the support systems that I have, but others are not so lucky. Some do not have the opportunities, or let alone food to eat. By participating in service, we will be shown gratitude from those we are helping. But also, I believe that we will become more aware and be more grateful for the things that we do have.

My Proudest Moment

 

For me, school has always been something of high importance. From a very young age, my parents instilled in me to be grateful for the opportunities I have here in the United States regarding education, and that I should always take advantage of them. Therefore, in my house growing up, my brother in I were always taught that schoolwork comes first. When I was in high school, I stressed the importance of student- athlete; student first, athlete second. In fact, my education was so important for me that my junior year of high school I decided to drop my title of athlete all together. I quit softball and put all my focus on getting into college. I studied hard, took advanced courses, applied for leadership roles in clubs, and volunteered anywhere I could. I have always been a high achiever, so I knew I needed to set myself up the best I could to stand out on my college applications. I originally did not want to attend Ohio State University, but after further research I realized that it was probably my best option regarding my program of study, distance from home, and price. The overall value was phenomenal! But also, Ohio State was going to be the hardest university to be accepted to. So, on November 23rd, 2016, when I received my letter of acceptance from The Ohio State University, I am sure you can understand why I consider it one of my proudest moments. This was one of the few times in my life I allowed myself to be truly proud of me, and I took recognition to all of the hard work and dedication I had put into reaching this next stage of my education. I will never forget the day I achieved one of my biggest academic goals; being accepted to university. Not only was this monumental for me academically, but this also showed me how much I had grown as a person, and how prepared I was to be successful in the next stage of my life.

Meet My Mentor!

One of my favorites parts about my scholars program here at Ohio State, Advocates for Community and Education, is that I chose to participate in the mentoring program at the beginning of the year. I was given a super awesome mentor, and we get along super well! Her name is Bailey, and we are the same major, speech and hearing sciences, and we are both from Cincinnati! So far this year, Bailey has been a huge support and a helpful resource to me. She has guided me in which classes to take, and helps me talk out concerns I have in my major. I enjoy spending time with Bailey, and in a few weeks, we are going to be attending the National Student Speech Language Hearing conference together here at Ohio State. We also had a really fun first outing together in October. Me, Bailey, her roommate Claire, and Claire’s mentee Margo, all ventured to the Cookie Dough Creamery in Worthington. We talked, ate cookie dough topped with ice cream and extra sprinkles, while we laughed with good company. We finished off our trip with a good ole’ fashion trip to Target; our happy place. I’m so happy to have Bailey to guide me through my freshman year at Ohio State, and I love having her as not only my mentor, but my friend!

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio!

 

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio! My name is Paige Kovacs, and feel free to take a look around at my life, academically and socially! I love being a student here at The Ohio State University, and I expect you will be able to tell throughout my blog. As always, Go Buckeyes!