The 2020-2021 academic year challenged me. I naively expected college and campus life to be easy adjustments for me, but my courses proved to be more demanding than I’d anticipated and living on campus during the pandemic was anything but normal. I also changed my major this year, which was not something I expected to do within my first year of college, let alone at all. I realized that my initial focus wasn’t the right fit for me, and I’m excited to be pursuing a different major that aligns better with my career goals.
Despite the unexpected challenges I faced this year, I learned a lot about myself as a learner and I found ways to succeed. For example, I developed a lot of new studying techniques that were really helpful for me and gave me confidence in tackling challenging coursework. I also joined an academic research project with Dr. Chris Rea, where I research the backgrounds of government consultants. This work will be used in conjunction with several other research focuses to develop conclusions about environmental policy’s evolution in the United States in the past few decades.
In terms of leadership, I involved myself in several activities that challenged me as a leader. I joined Empower Mentoring, which is an Ohio State student organization that partners with Columbus city high schools to provide mentorship to Columbus students. As a financial literacy mentor, I was able to interact with students and hear about their experiences in addition to discussing my lesson plans each week. I really enjoyed making meaningful connections with them and hearing their stories. I also participated in a Cru Bible study this year at Ohio State, and next year I’ll be taking on a new role as a Study Leader.
I’m thankful for all of the growth I experienced as a student, leader, and person this year, and I’m excited to take on my second year with all of the knowledge I’ve gained so far!