Today, Nina and I decided to go to Noodles and Company in order to catch up, interview, and get some good food along the way.

Nina Mulroy is a first year studying Biology with a minor in Chinese. Our previous interview took place last fall when I spoke to Nina about her fears, expectations, and plans for the upcoming semester-her very first semester. Talking with her now, a lot has changed as Ohio State has become more like her home away from home.

Initially, we just chatted for a little while about classes, roommates, housing for the following year, and sleep habits (or lack thereof). Then, I began asking questions about school, beginning with study habits. Nina informed me that she is basically continuing her study habits from last semester. She said that in highschool, she was one of those students who never pushed or applied herself because she never had to. Now that college has hit, her strategies have changed to focusing on her really hard classes, like chemistry, and doing loads of practice problems to help her stay focused and up-to-speed. When asked about her involvement on campus and whether it will stay the same in the future, Nina told me that she is a member of a dance coalition that practices twice a week and has competitions often and is also a Sexual Stability and Empowerment leader that gives presentations to freshman classes on consent and sexual assault. She absolutely loves the things that she chose to do for extracurriculars and is going to remain in them as a second year at Ohio State as she enjoys them and has found some of her best friends through them.

Switching to  talking about her living arrangements, Nina and I discussed the community in Smith Steeb that she gets to be a part of this year and that I was a part of last year. When I asked her if she liked it, she responded that it is really nice and she does love the girls, but it does not feel so much like a living-learning community because none of the girls do anything together outside of ACES. I felt the same way as a first year. It was very nice knowing the girls, but ACES meetings and events were the only time all of us really hung out.

As far as career plans go, I asked Nina if her wishes for the future still remain the same as they were beginning college. She said that she did not have a clear notion of what her career plans were starting out, so they are still kind of up in the air as she gets further into her studies and learns more about what she wants to do. She joked that she might want to switch to a major with less science classes, but I assured her that I switched to engineering and, with as many physics and math courses as I’m taking, I still find a way to keep going because it is worth it.

With two semesters almost done in college now, the last question I asked Nina revolved around her favorite memory from last semester. After pondering for a while, she answered that her favorite memories are from this semester. Last semester was all about getting used to college, finding that group of friends, exploring involvement opportunities and getting her feet wet in classes. This semester, however, she has made friends on her dance team, similar students are in her chinese class this semester as last semester, she is more acclimated, she knows her way around, she is involved, and it just feels more like home. I thought that was the perfect answer because not every semester is easy, but knowing that this place that I love with all my heart is starting to take hold of Nina’s too makes me all that more happy.

To sum things up, Nina is very involved, is still getting to know her major and her classes, has great friends to surround herself with, volunteers every weekend, and is glad she is a Buckeye. Today was good food and a great talk and we cannot wait to explore Columbus together soon enough!

Nina and I decided to head over to North Market and surrounding shops for our explore Columbus adventure. We both really enjoy food and local goods and North Market was someplace we both thought fun and easily accessible. I walked to Smith-Steeb to pick Nina up and then we took the COTA down to North Market. The bus is always such a nice and convenient way to travel the city, even when you have to wait a while for it to come to your bus stop and pick you up. We were both very excited when we got there and it was so  much fun getting to taste different foods, see different items, and take in the culture around us. The North Market does a great job of showing great local foods that come from diverse backgrounds. We crinkled our nose as we saw someone buying chicken feet, but watched with watery mouths as someone made donuts and waffles. The atmosphere was so great, walking by a Christmas tree decorated in fall gear and seeing so  many families try so many different things. I just loved seeing all that these vendors had to offer and realizing how buying local is such an amazing thing to do. I think Nina’s favorite part was probably getting a really good looking donut and some macaroons for her friend. My favorite part was just spending time with her and seeing all of these consumers giving money to the local industry instead of the big market (which I am a huge fan of – I love giving business to small companies).

After we saw everything there was to see in North Market, we walked a while while talking about Thanksgiving break, dogs, families, and anything else we could think to talk about. We then went into a store called Anthropologie. Anthropologie is a women’s clothing store that also includes a variety of household items, make-up, and other things. It was really fun going into the store and trying on different perfumes and looking at different journals. Sometimes, shopping is such a great way to get to know someone because you can connect on different levels with what interests you or what you find attractive. It is a good conversation starter.

What I took away from this experience is that Columbus has so much to over from such diverse backgrounds. There are so many beautiful things that can be appreciated in life when you get your head out of the industry that simply mass-produces and doesn’t care about the quality or consequences. I also loved seeing families out spending time together – it shows me how this place is home to so many people and I would love to make it home for me too in the future. Learning about a new city is amazing, especially for both Nina and I because neither of us are from Ohio. Columbus is simply the city outside of this huge campus we attend every day – we never really get the chance to explore it. Learning about a new city just adds to the splendor this country holds. I love to see how this country can be so similar yet so unique in so many different ways. We all speak the same language and live in the same country, yet each city can be so different in diversity, cleanliness, and just the feel of it all. Columbus is a very beautiful city and one that Ohio should be very proud of.

I would definitely recommend the North Market to anyone who enjoys fresh foods, a great culture, and local goods. It is such a great place to explore at all times of the year. Another great thing about it is that the goods are always changing. While some stations, like Jeni’s ice cream are permanent, often times there is a farmers market going on outside and a  lot of the local vendors switch out. So, the products change which makes it a fun place to go multiple times, getting to try out and taste such a variety of different things. It’s also a great place to learn things. I was looking around and saw homemade medicines and herbal remedies and learned a lot about how we can naturally heal ourselves and use nature and our surroundings to do so.

Overall, it was such a great experience and a really good way to not only learn about the city around us, but also to get to know my mentee better along the way.

My Mentee’s name is Nina Mulroy and she is a Biology major with a Chinese minor from Pittsburgh, PA. We met earlier on in the semester to get to know one another better. I asked her a variety of questions from how she likes to study to why she chose the ACES program in the first place. It was so great hearing another person’s perspective on similar topics and questions that I have been asked before as well. First, I asked her if she had found a good place to study on campus and how she gets her work done best. She explained that science and math were her favorite to study since they mostly involve doing practice problems and that she usually studies in her room, but that Thompson is also a place she is growing to love. I explained to her that finding a good place to study is vital in college and that, while the libraries are a great resource, find another place you love that is lesser known because when finals come around, the library is the last place anyone wants to go due to how crowded it can get. Regarding her involvement on campus that I asked her about, Nina did CREW in high school, but thinks it would be way too much of a time commitment right now in college, so she is looking to do something with dance and international studies. I told her that getting involved in something she loves will give her a break from her studies and also make campus a lot smaller when she begins to connect with more and more people. To my question about why she chose ACES, Nina spoke about being very interested in social justice and concepts that ACES stands for. She is really enjoying her first-year ACES course. We then went on to talk about future careers. Nina wants to do something revolving around animals like a marine biologist or a zoo veterinarian. She loves animals and educating people about the environment. I told her to definitely look into volunteering at the Columbus zoo or other places nearby that specialize in the environment and caring for animals to learn more and gain some great experience. I also reassured her that if, a year from now, those dreams change or seem out of reach, she is with 95% of people on this campus, including me. I changed my major three times before deciding on Engineering. It’s completely normal and OSU is filled with resources to aid in making those transitions as smooth as possible. Lastly, Nina and I spoke about what surprised her most about Ohio State. We both agreed upon diversity. “It’s so amazing to see people who aren’t just white,” Nina declared as we talked more about meeting people and learning their backgrounds. We both are minoring in a foreign language and love delving deeper into cultures and lives outside of our own. It was so great getting to see Nina on a deeper level and seeing her for the person she truly is. We then got to talking about families and how hard it was moving from home since we are both out-of-state students. She explained her family situation and how she calls her mom often to check in on her. We also talked about how we both came with a handful of friends from our hometowns and that these friends are very comforting to have as safety nets until we find our new group to be with and spend our college experiences with. I told her all about Ohio State football and how the games are absolutely incredible and a must see for everyone-even those who do not enjoy football because it is much more than the game. It is about the school spirit and being a buckeye! We bonded a lot and found many things that we have in common. It was really enjoyable getting to know Nina and I can’t wait to see where Ohio State takes her. I’m excited for her to call this place her home.

My beautiful little camper, Lila, made me this picture over the summer that accompanies many other campers’ artwork in my bedroom. It means a lot to me. It represents my summer working as a camp counselor, surrounded by kids – the job that led me to my current passion for children and my knowledge that my future career has to revolve around kids. It symbolizes the impact I can have on another human being – I can help them grow, learn, love, and be better people. It illustrates the life I want to live – full of hard work, responsibility, hardships, obstacles, smiles, laughs, fun, goals, and accomplishments. When Lila gave me this picture at the end of the day, my heart felt like it could fly right out of my body. I was, at the moment, unaware of the relationship I was making with each and every kid at camp. I was unaware that being a constant smiling, supportive adult in these kids’ lives was important and mattered. It was a life-changing moment that proved to me that I had a power. I meant something to these kids. I could improve their lives. I could have a significant influence on them. It’s an amazing thing to realize, especially when I was able to discover that this is exactly what I  want to do for the rest of my life. Nothing else makes me happier than creating relationships with children and watching as the both of us grow together. Lila’s drawing also motivates me in school and all other aspects of life. This little girl looks up to me and I feel an obligation to always be there for her. She holds me accountable from states away. I have to do well in school, stay healthy, and keep working hard for her and my future. Her and her picture inspire me to be the best person I can possible be. My kids always keep me going.

We were told to write a narrative for our AP Language and Composition class senior year, but not the ordinary one. We were to tell a story unique and personal to each one of us. We were to describe something we have never thought to illustrate before. Me? I dug deep. I turned in a paper on one of my darkest moments. It took a long time – weeks – to convince myself that I had the courage to not only write this narrative, but to also be able to read it to my teacher and peers. Thought after thought, word after word, and page after page, I did it. I told the story of my anorexia in the setting of my therapist’s office during one of our most emotional meetings. Was it easy? No. I shook while typing it. I panicked before having to share it. I lowered my head as my teacher read it. Nevertheless, I did it. I took something that I was so used to hiding and cowering from and I brought it to the forefront. I confronted it. I turned it into a success. This paper means a lot to me because it shows me that I am brave and strong. I can find the things I wish to hide most and shine the light on them. I can walk in front of a classroom full of judgmental high school students and share my story, knowing that it’s only a story and not who I really am. I can prove to others that this is a journey so many others take and nobody has to do it alone. I chose to voice my struggles and express my vulnerability to prove that I possess the ability to overcome, to push through, to build courage, and to keep moving forward. Fear will not hold me back. As I continue forward in school and life, this assignment will always be in the back of my mind telling me that yes, I have done it before and will do it again – I will not stop at the obstacle or stay down with the punch. Whether it be something as trivial as a test failure or something as serious as food deprivation, I know I can take the proper steps to meet the situation head on, address the problem, and do everything I can to fix it all.