Hi, my name is Bailey Mason.  I am a first-year from Salem, which is a small city in southern Illinois, where the only things to see are corn fields and deer.  I live there with my dad and my wonderful cat, Oliver.  Yes, I’m an only child!  Being an only child can get lonely and quiet sometimes, which is why I have such great friends; they’re all like sisters to me.  I can’t wait to make many more here at OSU.

Even though OSU is about a 5-hour drive from Salem, I still chose to come here because I knew I would have infinite opportunities to grow as a successful student and as a successful person in general.  When I was choosing universities to apply to, I had a few in mind, but after visiting OSU my junior year in high school, I knew this is where I wanted to be.  In Salem, we don’t have much diversity or opportunities to grow and learn.  We learn material in the classroom, but here at OSU, you get experience.  It allows you to get hands-on experience, and it really immerses you into diversity and different ways of life.  This is one of the many opportunities I’m most excited about.

I am majoring in Animal Science with a Pre-vet interest.  Ever since I can remember I have wanted to become a veterinarian.  When I was younger, my mom always said she knew I would grow up to be a vet because I couldn’t walk down the street without stopping to pet every animal I saw.  For me, choosing a favorite animal would be like asking a mother to pick her favorite child.  I love them all.  If I absolutely had to choose, though, I would have to say the big cats.  They have such power and grace.

I chose STEM because I’ve always been interested in science, specifically biology and animal life.  My freshman year in high school is when biology really became interesting to me.  My biology teacher, Mr. Phillips, was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.  He made it so interesting and actually fun to learn, so I thought being a part of the STEM Scholars would be a great opportunity to explore the field of science in ways that I probably never knew existed.  As of right now, I am a part of the Shades of Animal Sciences and Pre-vet organizations.  I think these two and STEM EE Scholars will be great opportunities for me to get involved.  People might say I’m a little reserved and keep to myself mostly, so I hope all my OSU experiences and involvements will help me open up to the ever-changing, exciting world around me!