The sapling mentor that I met with was Kandace Louise Glanville. She is a second year in ENR and at The Ohio State University, and she is a Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife major.
The first question I asked her was “How did you decide on the major you have chosen?” Kandace told me that originally she was a Biology major but when she went to orientation before starting school she decided to switch her major to EEOB (Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology). She still didn’t feel like that was the major that was for her but she didn’t know what to do about it. Then during her second semester at Ohio State she met with Esther to have a one-on-one meeting to talk about her options at OSU. She decided to go with the FFW (Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife) major because it was more hands on and the major was focused on more field work than her previous choices.
    The next question I asked Kandace was: “What type of volunteer, internships, etc. have you done since you have been a student at OSU? How did you get involved with them?” She told me that a lot of her volunteer work had been done through ENR scholars like removing invasive species and planting trees. She did say that she volunteers at a Nature Center near her home. She originally applied to volunteer at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium but she wasn’t accepted. She also thought about volunteering at the Ohio Wildlife Center but it was too far away and the volunteers mainly helped with camp activities. Because of this she decided on the Wildlife Center she volunteers at now.
    I asked Kandace “What ENR Scholars opportunities are you glad you participated in?” and she told me she really liked the camping trips. One of the most memorable trips for her was the Spring Camping Trip last April. She told me that the weather wasn’t very good because it was very cold. She also said she was suppose to go on a ten-mile hike but they got lost three times and it ended up being a lot longer than ten-miles. Even though it was chaotic it was memorable. She also said she very much enjoyed planting trees with ENR Scholars because it was a new experience for her.   
    Next I asked: “What do you plan to do with your major after graduation (enter workforce, graduate/professional school, travel, etc.?” She told me that she doesn’t really know yet. She had considered grad school in the past but she is unsure about applying. She said her goal is to work for ODNR (The Ohio Department of Natural Resources) as a Wildlife Biologist. She wants to go out west to visit National Parks and to California just for the fun of it.
    The last question I asked Kandace was: “What advice do you wish someone gave you your freshman year?” She said that she wished someone told her to get out more and focus on meeting people. Academics are important but you’re not going to remember that D you got on a test years from now, you’re going to remember the memories and friends you made.
    The conversation with Kandace helped me learn a few things that may help me during my college career at Ohio State. When she told me about how many times she changed her major it made me not feel as worried about the possibility that I might not like my major after a semester or two. It does help however, that my mentor is the same major I am. This way I have someone that I can talk to about academic help and advice if I continue on this academic track. When Kandace told me about her volunteering experiences she enjoyed in ENR I thought that I should try the same ones she did. I might try to look for opportunities like the ones Kandace did and take part in the ones she did in ENR. It’s very nice that Kandace and I are in the same major because not only can we help each other with academics, but also after college we have each other as a connection for possible employment. I will take Kandace’s advice and get involved more and make friends and memories while I’m here at The Ohio State University.