The start of my time as a buckeye has been crazy and exciting. With the limitations of COVID-19, I thought my experiences would not amount to a “normal” year in school, I was absolutely wrong. This year, I have learned so much, met so many interesting people, and had many experiences that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my time at OSU and past my undergraduate years. Through Mount, I was really able to step up and find my passion in leadership.

This year, I had the opportunity to help lead a team in the Mount Leadership Society’s Legacy Week tradition. My role as a zest coordinator introduced me to different leadership styles and taught me a lot about collaboration. One of the biggest things I learned is how to effectively lead engaging meetings and respond to feedback. When my team first started our project planning, our meetings were slow and (honestly) boring. With the feedback of my team, I was able to alter my presentation style to allow more participation. This is a skill that I will have with me for the rest of my life. After college, I hope to go to medical school. As a physician, you must know how to work well with your team and respond to feedback.  Because of that, the lessons I’ve learned this year in leadership will prove to be exceptionally helpful if I do choose that career path.

This leads me to my next area of growth: my newfound ability to change my plans.  Before college, my ideas for my future were very rigid. I wanted to do four years of undergraduate and then move on to medical school. Now, I understand that “traditional” paths don’t always lead to the best outcomes and they may not bring the happiness you desire. Since talking with many faculty and other students, I’ve seen that any path that makes you happy is the right path. Because of this, I’ve started considering taking time off between undergrad and medical school. Obviously, that’s getting way ahead of myself as a first-year, but even considering these new ideas has helped me grow to be more flexible.

Despite its challenges, I am thankful to have started college during such an unknown time. Virtual formats have given me so many opportunities to meet people I may not have been able to meet in person. Further, the take it day-by-day lifestyle during COVID has helped me be more accepting to change.

I can’t wait to see what next year has in store.