I had the pleasure of being a co-mentor with Mindy to Jillian Bettan. Jillian is a Speech and Hearing Science like Mindy and I. The first topic we discussed was what kind of study Jillian has developed since the fall. Jillian shared that she has had success when she finds a place outside of her room to study. For example, going to the basement of Smith Steeb in one of the study rooms.  Jillina says this helps her focus more and not get so distracted as opposed to when she is in her room. Jillian also shared that by finding study groups, such as her friends, and having them quiz each other over material has also helped a lot. We then discussed what classes on her schedule for the fall she thinks will be most challenging and why. Jillian shared that she thinks the speech and hearing class 3340, the science of sound, will be most challenging. In the speech and hearing major, this is considered to be a harder class due to having many phsyic and math aspects to it. Both Mindy and I have taken this class, and offered reassurance to Jillian that she would be fine in the class and if she needs help we are always here to answer questions she may have.

The next topic we discussed were regarding Jillian’s involvement outside of classes. We asked Jillian how she manages her time between her involvement and academics. Jillian said that the key to having a balance between the two is planning out a schedule, giving herself time for each assignment, and plan out which day she is going to do which assignment. I have also found that this is an effective way to plan out your work so it is not so overwhelming and daunting last minute. Next we asked if Jillian planned on keeping the same involvement she has this year next year and why. Jillian said that yes she plans on staying involved in everything she is currently involved in next year. Jillian shared we really likes everything she is doing and that she has found ways to manage everything she is doing. I then asked Jillian out of everything she is involved in, what is her favorite thing. Jillian shared that NSSLHA, the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, is her favorite. Mindy and I are also part of this organization  and we agreed we like going to the meetings and learning about what is happening in our field.

The next topic we discussed was ACES. We asked Jillian how was her first semester in ACES and what surprised her the most about the program. Jillian shared that her first semester in ACES went well and she was so happy to meet so many new people in the program. She shared that she has made some of her good friends through ACES. I can relate to this because this is how I met all of my roommates I live with right now. We were all in ACES and became friends because of it. Jillian shared what surprised her most about the program is how ACES is involved in so many organizations. For example, how ACES has connections to 4 Paws and various locations we have volunteered through in previous years.

Next we discussed if Jillian’s career plans have changed since first semester and if so why. Jillian shared that her career plans have not changed, she still wants to work in a school someday. Jillian believes it hasn’t changed because she has not had any classes that have really shown her what it would be like to work in a different setting than a school. I recommended that Jillian take 3370s, which is class where you work with the aphasia intitive that OSU has. While this did not change my mind about working in a school, I think it would be good for Jillian to have some exposure of what it would be like working with older individuals.

The last thing we discussed was her overall experience at OSU this year. We asked Jillian what her favorite memory was from last semester. Jillian shared that her and her friends went to north market and tried chicken parm and donuts. Jillian said she loved getting out and trying new food from new vendors and also being able to spend that time with her friends. The last question we asked Jillian was what has surprised her about Ohio State since she arrived on campus. Jillian shared that how “small” OSU is has surprised her. Jillian runs into the same people or sees the same people all the time which is crazy to her because of how large OSU is. I also find this very surprising because the same thing happens to me. I also see the same people when walking to class or when hanging out on the oval.

I have loved getting to learn more about Jillian this year and hope that we can remain connected throughout the rest of our years at OSU. I hope that I can continue to help guide and answer any questions that Jillian has about the major or any questions overall.

Mindy and I chose to virtually explore Cosi with our mentee, Jillian Bettan. Mindy and I chose to explore Cosi because we felt it offered a lot of different exhibits over varying subjects all in one central place in Columbus. I would recommend it to a friend, such as Jillian because Cosi is a really unique and a fun place for people of all ages. There is so much to do and explore that is interactive and presents information about relevant and interesting topics. Also, in addition to this, both Mindy and I have gone to Cosi in the past and with Jillian being from out of state, she had never heard of or been to Cosi before. Due to Cosi’s having restrictions on the number of visitors and how many and also because of the pandemic, we decided it would be in all of our best interests to do a virtual explore Columbus. 

Mindy and I shared several pictures of what Cosi looks like and also sent/gave Jillian the link to Cosi’s website. On the website you are able to learn more details about each individual exhibit and see pictures from within each exhibit. For example, we looked at pictures from the ocean exhibit, space, and progress. We made comments about the pictures and reflected on how long it has been since we have been to a museum due to the pandemic. Mindy and I also shared our memories of visiting Cosi when we were younger. For example, Mindy vividly remembers a bicycle/unicycle that you can ride on a tight wire over part of the museum. However, Mindy shared that she never did it because she was too scared, which is also how I felt when I also visited Cosi. Jillian shared that she would also be afraid to try to do it. 

When discussing and talking about all the different exhibits, we talked about which ones we would like to visit someday and explore. The first one we would like to explore would be the Ocean exhibit. In this exhibit there are several interactive parts such as where you can get in a submarine in the water. We all thought that this would be a very cool experience. The second one we would like to explore would be the Progress exhibit. I remember this exhibit from when I went years ago and being able to sit in a horse and buggy and talk on old telephones and how much fun I had. I would love to go back now that I’m older and look at it more instead of just being so focused on what I could play with while I was there. I shared this with Jillian and Mindy and they both agreed that they would like to see it especially now that we are older and can appreciate all of the little aspects of history in this exhibit. 

Resources we used to show our mentee the experience included pictures from the website, pictures of Cosi on the internet, and also our own personal experience. The Cosi website is organized very well and does not have too much text. Instead, it briefly explains the main components of the different exhibits and gives several links on how to purchase tickets or plan a visit. 

When talking about challenges Jillian has faced when trying to explore a new city/campus during the pandemic, I was able to relate to what Jillian was saying. Jillian wants to go out and explore Columbus and see new places, however due to the pandemic it is hard to go out and do this. I have also had this same issue. It is hard to get out and visit new things in Columbus due to living in a pandemic and wanting to be cautious and reduce exposure. Jillian also shared that it has been hard to get out and explore Columbus due to having so much school work and her activity in her sorority. I also have this issue with not really having time to do much between school and work. Jillian said she has tried going to places in Short North with her roommates to eat in an attempt to explore Columbus a bit though. 

Challenges Jillian and I have experienced due to only being able to meet virtually is the lack of human interaction and finding a time when all three of us can meet. It is challenging to try to find a time that works best for everyone when all three of us have very different schedules. Even though we are able to facetime and text, it is hard to get human interaction that is missing due to everything being conducted virtually. I miss being able to sit next to someone at a restaurant or going shopping with people and talking with them. It is very comforting when you are able to sit directly next to someone and have the presence of someone else next to you. The most challenging thing though was finding a time where all of us could meet on facetime and hangout and talk. This second semester has flown by and Mindy, Jillian, and I all have a lot of schoolwork to do on top of work, and all of the clubs/organizations that we are a part of. If we would have been able to meet in person, we could have gone to a coffee shop or the library and worked on homework while we were having conversations. However, when we meet on facetime the time we take to do this is strictly dedicated to talking and having a conversation. This results in the conversations being very driven, sometimes awkward, and very choppy. Even though we chose to virtually explore Columbus for both semesters, I feel like overall our relationship has developed in a direction similar to how it would have developed if we had met in person. All three of us are able to talk about our classes that we are taking because we are all Speech and Hearing Science majors. We have ended up actually texting several times about what classes to take and what classes are good for the GE for the College of Arts and Sciences. We have also been able to relate about stuff outside of school such as how much we watch Tik Tok and how excited we are for it to be summer and to have a break from all of the stress that comes with school. I enjoyed the Virtual Explore Columbus events and I loved getting to know Jillian more. I cannot wait to see how our relationship continues to develop in the future. 

Looking back on exploring Columbus, something I would recommend for someone who is trying to avoid exposure during a pandemic but also explore Columbus is to look at websites of places. Sometimes on the websites there are virtual tours of museum’s or tons of pictures of the place. Also, more and more businesses are making options available for people so that they can purchase food, products, etc. online and have it delivered straight to their door. I definitely recommend trying to check out the virtual aspects of businesses that are unique to Columbus.

I have the pleasure of being a co-mentor with Mindy to Jillian Bettan. Jillian is a Speech and Hearing Science like Mindy and me. The first topic we discussed was how Jillian became interested in the major and why she chose it. Jillian shared how she has always known she wanted to work with kids in a school, however, did not want to be a teacher. One of Jillian’s moms’ friends offered for Jillian to shadow her to see what a typical day was like in the shoes of a speech therapist in a school building. Jillian felt an instant connection and fell in love with the profession. Jillian saw how much of an impact the speech therapist was able to have on the kids and knew it was the right career path for her. I related to Jillian because I also became interested in becoming a speech therapist due to wanting to be in a school and helping kids but did not want to be a teacher. I also was able to shadow a speech therapist because one of my mom’s friends is a speech therapist. I too instantly fell in love with the profession and field and knew that was what I wanted to go to school for.

We then talked about what organizations we are involved in on-campus and what we would like to join. Jillian has joined NSSHLA, the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association. I am also a part of this organization and we discussed how we enjoy the organization but find it hard to find time to watch/attend the meetings after we have done school work the whole day before the meeting. We also discussed how we all attempted to attend the virtual involvement fair however we were all unsuccessful at using the website and finding organizations we wanted to become a part of. We discussed how the website would not load and there was no easy way to find what we were interested in. Jillian did express that she wanted to join other organizations but does not know how. I hope to help Jillian find other organizations by sharing what organizations I am part of and helping her become a part of the organization if she is interested in joining it.

Next, we talked about why Jillian chose ACES. Jillian shared that when she was applying to college, she wanted to become involved in a community, meaning joining honors or scholars. Jillian read through what ACES scholars and was instantly drawn to the community service and working in schools. Jillian also learned about ACES by talking to Kim at Buckeye Bound. Jillian wanted to make friends and saw this as a great opportunity to do so. I can also relate to Jillian here because in high school I completed a lot of community service and wanted to continue to do this in college. I also saw this as a great way to make friends who already shared common interests with me. We asked Jillian what her favorite thing about ACES is so far and she shared that it has helped her make a great group of friends with whom she can talk and hang out, even though she lives on a different floor than them.

After discussing ACES, we talked about what Jillian’s dream job is and why. Jillian wants to work in an elementary school as a speech therapist. She wants to interact and help elementary school kids and provide them with the best speech therapy she can give to them. Jillian plans to go to graduate school after she graduates in New York. Jillian hopes to do this because she is from New York and does not want to pay out of state tuition for grad school.

We then discussed what has been Jillian’s favorite thing about this semester at Ohio State. Jillian shared that she enjoyed visiting the football stadium, touring it, taking pictures, walking on the field, etc. Jillian said that this allowed for college to feel normal for a second and like what the college experience was before Covid.

I plan on using the information that I have learned about Jillian from this interview to use our similarities to connect and help guide her through this weird time in our college careers. I also hope to use the information on classes and professors in the speech and hearing major to help guide and answer any questions Jillian has regarding the major.

Mindy and I chose to virtually explore North Market with our mentee, Jillian Bettan. Mindy and I chose to explore North Market because we felt it offered a lot of different options in one central place in short north. We also wanted to find a local business in the Columbus area that is fun and unique. We had planned on going to visit North Market in person, however due to COVID and Jillian going home for the holidays, we decided it would be in all of our best interests to do a virtual explore Columbus.

Mindy and I shared several pictures of what the North Market looks like. We also shared the layout and diagram of where all of the different independent businesses are located within the complex. We also shared some facts about the North Market. For example, there are over 30 independent small owned businesses. They also offer fresh produce, meat, poultry, seafood, flowers, specialty food items, and internationally prepared food.

When discussing and talking about all of the different shops and businesses, we talked about which ones we would like to visit and check out. We all love donuts and pasta, so we all wanted to visit Destination Donuts and Pastaria and Pastaria Seconds. Mindy has had Pastaria and Pataria Seconda before and raved about how amazing it was and that we should try it if we get the chance. Mindy also follows Destination Donuts on Instagram so we all looked it up and talked about all the different donuts we wanted to try.

Resources we used to show our mentee the experience included pictures from the website, and also own personal experience. The website for North Market is organized very well and also people to access the websites of the individual businesses. Once you click the link for the businesses in the North Market, you click on the individual vendors and there they have information about the vendors and a link to their website.

When talking about challenges Jillian has faced when trying to explore a new city/campus during the pandemic, I was able to relate to what she was saying. Jillian shared that due to the pandemic, it is hard to get out and explore Columbus and go to new places. I also have found it difficult to get out and visit all the things I would like to visit in Columbus. One way Jillian was kind of able to explore Short North is when her roommates and herself were contact traced, so they had to quarantine. Instead of going to the quarantine dorms on campus that are awful, Jillian and her roommates chose to rent an Air B n B. The Air B n B they chose to rent was located in Short North. However, it was not the pleasant experience they had hoped to have. The apartment was a one bedroom and had no doors except the door to the bathroom. Even though it was not the experience they had hoped for, Jillian shared how it brought them all closer together and how overall, she was happy they chose to stay there instead of the quarantine dorms on campus.

Challenges Jillian and I have experienced due to only being able to meet virtually is the lack of human interaction and also difficulty finding times where we can hang out in our schedules. Even though we are able to talk via facetime, zoom, text, etc. it is hard to get that human interaction that is missing due to being virtual. There is something about being in person and being able to sit next to someone or walk with someone that is comforting and rewarding. It has also been challenging to find time where all three of us can meet to hangout and talk. Mindy, Jillian and I all have a lot of schoolwork on top of work, and clubs/organizations we are a part of. If we would have been able to meet in person, we could have gone to a coffee house and worked on homework as we were talking. However, when we meet on zoom, we are strictly focused on talking and having a conversation. This results in the conversations being driven, and sometimes awkward. Even though we chose to do a virtual explore Columbus I feel like overall our relationship is still developing in a direction that is similar to if we would be meeting in person. All three of us are able to relate in regard to our classes because we are all Speech and Hearing Science majors, our Tik Tok addictions, and how we are ready for this semester to be over. Overall, I enjoyed the Virtual Explore Columbus event and I loved getting to know Jillian more. I cannot wait to see how what the future holds.

During my senior year of high school, I took a College Credit Plus Class, English Composition 1101.01. Since this class was a College Credit Plus Class, I received the college credit for the class even though I took it in a high school classroom setting. In this class I learned about how to write a college level paper, how to incorporate and cite sources, and how to make a claim and support it with evidence I found online and in books. The first paper we had to write was an Educational History Narrative. For this paper, we had to write and talk about a personal experience or feeling we have had in our lives regarding our education and why we had these feelings. The memory I chose to reflect on and talk about was my love for reading.

I really liked remembering and reflecting on my love for reading from a young age. I enjoyed asking my mom about how my love for reading started and what she remembered of it. It was interesting hearing her view on things and comparing them to my memories and views on how my love for reading began. I also enjoyed looking at how I have developed as a person because of this and how this feeling has affected my academic career.

This paper was my introduction to writing college essays and made me interested in taking more time to reflect on myself and to realize where I once was and how far I have come since then. This paper allowed me to examine and reflect on a portion of my life that seemed so insignificant at the time but ended up being one of the most influential times of my life for my academic career.

Educational History Narrative- Morgan Mayer