Mentorship Summary

My first-year mentee was Cadence Downey. She is from Lorrain, Ohio and is currently majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing. Originally, we had our major in common (Integrated Language Arts/English Education), but she recently changed her major to better reflect her goals and passions. Cadence hopes to write for movies and television shows in the future. We have bonded over our love of creative writing. This semester, I am taking playwriting and it has been interesting to compare my experiences with playwriting to hers with screenwriting. We both love the theatre and participated in many shows in high school, though neither of us are very involved in the Ohio State theatre department. We both love to read and we are both passionate about advocacy and activism. Cadence and I are pretty similar in interests, so there is always something to talk about!

I have loved seeing how Cadence has grown from first to second semester. She has become more confident in her passions and is now exploring a major that better aligns with those passions. She is taking chances and opportunities by applying for internships and exploring Ohio State student organizations for next semester. She thrived in the ACES community, especially first semester when she lived in Smith-Steeb. Next year, she will be the Social Chair on the ACES leadership council, so it has been amazing to see her grow as an ACES scholar. I have grown through the experience of mentoring Cadence through her first year at Ohio State. I have learned how to best support her through her acclimation to Ohio State. The area I was most able to support her in has been finding student organizations. I am pretty familiar with the arts community, so I have been able to connect her to different organizations she might be interested in.

I think a mentoring program has many benefits. It allows the mentor to grow as a leader. It also supports the mentee in their transition to college. My co-mentor and I were able to answer Cadence’s questions and help her succeed as an ACES scholar.

Second Semester Interview

When Camille, Cadence, and I met up to explore the Budd Dairy Food Hall, we also completed our second semester interview. It was great being able to catch up with Cadence, since it has been harder to see her this semester.

In January, Cadence changed her major from English Education to English. She realized that she is more passionate about writing for entertainment than teaching English. With the major change, she hopes to write movies or shows. Her dream job is working for NBC! This upcoming year she plans to apply for a creative writing concentration. She expressed a bit of anxiety surrounding the application process, which involves submitting original works. I hope this will be an area I can mentor her in because I have already successfully applied to my major. I have faith that she’s a shoe-in for the creative writing concentration! In her Intro to Poetry course this semester, she wrote a poignant piece about active shooter drills in American schools. She has excelled in the writing courses she has taken so far. One study skill that has allowed her to be so successful has been studying on Fridays and the weekends. She utilizes a set time frame to complete work so that she stays on schedule. However, she has found that being home can be distracting. She likes being able to see friends and her dog, but she misses the more academic-focused environment of campus. Next year, she plans to move back to campus with a friend who is in art scholars!

COVID and moving home have made it more difficult for Cadence to be involved with student organizations. She continues to stay involved in RISE and actually talked to Camille a bit about RISE leadership. Cadence was also just selected to be the ACES Social Chair! I am so excited for her; I know she will thrive in this role. She also enjoys attending the virtual OUAB events this semester. Next semester, she plans to explore in-person options for campus involvement. She and her roommate want to join something together and she also hopes to look into entertainment-based clubs like The Lantern. I recommended she join Off the Lake Productions because we are always looking for writers!

As for her career, Cadence is now looking for opportunities that will allow her to further explore entertainment writing and creative writing. Since she just changed her major, she has not explored too many options, but is excited to continue. This summer she actually applied to a really cool internship working with Seth Myers and Jimmy Fallon. The program is very selective and she did not get in this year, but plans to continue applying. She would love a hands-on experience like that!

ACES has been one of Cadence’s favorite parts of college so far. She loved living in Smith-Steeb first semester, meeting new people, and working with Kim. She really appreciates how student-led ACES is because it allows for great leadership opportunities and collaboration. She is looking forward to her role as Social Chair and already has ideas for events! When we asked about her favorite memory from last semester, it was about ACES! Over the summer, they made a groupchat and had several Zoom calls to meet each other. I thought this idea was so sweet! During the first couple of weeks, a bunch of ACES scholars went to UDF together and hung out eating ice cream on the front steps of Smith-Steeb. Cadence says this is one of her favorite memories because they were all able to bond over ice cream and not knowing anybody yet.

I think that Cadence has had a really successful year, especially as an ACES scholar. I cannot wait to see where next year takes her!

Explore Columbus 2

On Friday, April 16, my mentee Cadence Downey, my co-mentor Camille Taylor, and I visited the Budd Dairy Food Hall for our second semester Explore Columbus assignment. Camille and I have both been to and enjoyed North Market, so when we heard about the opening of a new food hall, we knew we had to try it. We also thought a food hall would be the perfect choice because there are options for everyone.

Cadence has been living at home this semester, so she drove down to Columbus from Lorrain. We met her at Smith-Steeb to begin our adventure! Since the food hall is a bit far from campus, we drove. It was only about a 10 minute drive away, but we did have quite the experience trying to find a parking place. We ended up parking down the street. Walking to Budd Dairy Food Hall, we passed a couple other places like Drunch and Fox in the Snow Cafe, where I went with my mentor to explore Columbus last year! It was fun to talk about other foods, restaurants, and coffee shops we are interested in. When we arrived, the outside was super crowded, which was not too surprising since it is a newer place. It has also been really popular on social media. We gave our name to the host and found a nice area to sit while we waited to be called. About 20 minutes later, we got inside and found seats! We originally sat upstairs, but it was extremely crowded and overwhelming, so we found seats downstairs. It was quieter and more distanced, which was more our speed.

The food hall had virtual menus and ordering options, as well as the option to order at each little restaurant stand. We opted to explore a bit first and then order from our phones. There were so many options! They had a pizza place, Stauf’s coffee, tofu bowls, tacos, desserts, and more! Me and Camille are both vegetarian, but there were still some options for us. Our mentee Cadence decided to order soup, Camille got a tofu rice bowl, and I ordered a sushi burrito! Me and Camille both loved our meals, but sadly Cadence was not the biggest fan of the soup. We all decided that the experience was still really fun overall. Our favorite part was exploring all the different menus and restaurants. We also thought the building itself was super cool. It was a historic building, but they had added some more modern elements. It was very pretty and the ambience was a lot of fun!

I personally think I would recommend this place to a friend. It was definitely a cool experience. While I do like North Market a little better in terms of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options, Budd Dairy Food Hall was very fun and I loved my burrito! The only downside would be the crowds. Once we found a seat downstairs, I felt a lot safer, but I think they could have enforced social distancing a bit better. I also really enjoyed getting to catch up with Cadence and Camille. We did our second-semester interview while we waited for our food and it was amazing to see how Cadence has grown, despite the hardships of this year.

I am really glad that we got to do this experience in person, especially because Cadence has been living at home. I think we were all excited to get out again, since we haven’t been able to do much during the pandemic.

ACES Explore Columbus

My co-mentor Camille Taylor and I put a lot of thought into where we would take our mentee for our Explore Columbus experience. One of my favorite things about Columbus is the diversity in restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops. There is always something new to try! We originally wanted to utilize the resource of the COTA, which is free for students with a BuckID. I thought it would be beneficial to show Cadence one of the best ways to get around the city. The COTA is especially beneficial for students who do not have access to a car. We planned to visit North Market for lunch or dinner. North Market is a public market filled with independent food vendors, merchants, makers, and farmers. It is so unique and always has something for everyone and anyone! North Market is also a great way to support local and independent businesses. However, due to the increasing severity of the pandemic in Franklin county, we decided a bit last minute that we would stay closer to campus and avoid public transportation. Camille suggested Cielo Cafe, a small local coffee shop and bakery on North High Street across from the Union. Cadence had never been before, so it would be a new experience for her. We all agreed it was the perfect location!

On Monday, November 16, we met with our mentee Cadence Downey at Smith-Steeb and walked over to Cielo together. Cielo is just a quick walk from campus and the weather was nice! Upon arriving at Cielo, we all remarked on the cute decor and good vibes at the cafe. The menu was extensive and featured several festive fall drinks. Cadence ordered a white hot chocolate, Camille ordered a peppermint hot chocolate, and I decided on a delicious cinnamon roll. While we waited on our drinks, we talked about other coffee shops in Columbus. I love studying at coffee shops because of the ambient noise and of course, the good snacks! I told Cadence about a few of my favorites, like Roosevelt and Kafe Kerouac.

Since Cielo was packed with studying students, we could not find a table and decided to head over to the Union instead. We found seats near the Union Market to enjoy our treats. While walking around the Union, Camille and I commented on how quiet it seemed. The three of us talked about how different campus spaces are with CDC guidelines for social distancing. We conducted our First Semester Interview while we ate and Cadence told us that it had been difficult to get involved on campus because of these guidelines. We all agreed that Ohio State looks a lot different this year.

One thing that Cadence talked a lot about was her experiences as an ACES scholar living in Smith Steeb. She has made some of her closest friends on Smith Steeb floor five. She really likes her roommate, something I could relate to. My roommate last year has become one of my closest friends. I currently live with four ACES scholars I met last year in Smith Steeb. The three of us talked about how beneficial the scholars program is for making friends in your first year. It is easy to find people with similar interests who live right next door! Camille and I had really positive experiences living in Smith Steeb and are glad that Cadence is as well. The sense of community is really nice. Smith Steeb is also great for studying. We told Cadence how we often studied in the common room and utilized the white boards and study spaces!

Camille, Cadence, and I all enjoyed our experience at Cielo. I would definitely recommend the coffee shop to a friend, but it may be best to go at a less busy time. Cielo is most busy in the mornings when students are studying and need a pick-me-up. It does have a lovely ambiance for studying. From this experience, we learned that you do not need to travel far from campus to explore Columbus. There are so many great spots right on high street! I told Cadence how living in a large city has been such a different experience for me. Coming from a small town and tiny high school, Ohio State was a bit of a culture shock for me. Cadence and Camille are both from large high schools, so the size and anonymity of Ohio State is familiar to them. We talked about how cool it is to live in a city like Columbus. There are so many opportunities nearby. I am glad that Cadence had this opportunity to explore Columbus because it has been so difficult to do so safely this year.

ACES First Semester Interview

On Monday, November 16, I met with my mentee Cadence Downey and my co-mentor Camille Taylor to conduct our First Semester Interview. We combined this meeting with our Explore Columbus outing. It was great to finally meet our mentee in person (wearing masks, of course) and get to know her better! Cadence is an Integrated Language Arts/English Education major, like myself, and is enjoying her first year at Ohio State, despite the difficult circumstances COVID-19 has presented.

The first question we asked Cadence was from the Academics category: How do you like to study?  Have you found a good place for studying on campus? I liked this question in particular because Cadence and I share a major, so I was curious about her study habits. Camille and I also agreed that we are always interested in learning about new campus study spots! Cadence told us that she tends to study and complete assignments pretty last minute because she works well under pressure. As someone who enjoys organization and planning ahead, I could not relate to this study habit, but I appreciate that everyone works differently. Because of the pandemic, Cadence has not utilized campus study spots too often, opting to study safely in the dorm or the Smith-Steeb common room. She dislikes libraries because they are too quiet. This was something me and Camille could really relate to, as we both studied often in the common room with ACES friends. I told Cadence that I also feel uncomfortable in the quiet of the library. It can feel scary to even unzip your backpack in there! She also mentioned enjoying studying on the South oval when the weather was nicer. Ohio State is such a beautiful campus; the Fall weather is perfect for outdoor studying! I told Cadence about my own favorite outdoor study spots at the Browning Amphitheater or the Knowlton rooftop garden.

Branching out from Academics, we asked Cadence: What is your dream job and why? She told us that her absolute dream job would be as a performer, but that realistically she hopes to be either a magazine publication editor or a teacher. Cadence loves the performing arts and would enjoy working in entertainment. She would also be content teaching English or theatre. I loved hearing this because I am a theatre minor and hope to teach both subjects. Cadence has actually had the incredible experience of teaching theatre to middle schoolers over the summer! She told us all about this amazing opportunity and how she loves teaching the arts.

On the subject of the arts, we asked: What kind of involvement are you interested in on campus? Cadence talked about how difficult it has been to get involved this semester because of the pandemic. She was very involved in high school in a number of organizations, so the lack of engagement has been weird for her. She joined RISE as a student author and is interested in joining other creative clubs next semester or next year. Cadence plays violin and is interested in auditioning for Buckeye Philharmonic. I encouraged her to look into this opportunity! She also mentioned wanting to join a theatre organization. As a member of Off the Lake Productions, I really encouraged this as well. I hope that going into second semester, I can focus on mentoring Cadence in the area of involvement. I would love to help her join Off the Lake or another performing arts organization.

Our next question was about ACES involvement: Why did you choose ACES? She replied by telling us about her passion for activism. She is a major advocate for education reform and equality. Cadence hoped that joining ACES would allow her to work for these causes. These are both causes I am really interested in as well, so we bonded over this.

The final question we chose was: What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus? Cadence told us that she really appreciates how open-minded most people are. She was surprised that no topic seems taboo and that there is a lot of openness to talk about race, religion, the LGBTQ+ community, and more. I thought this was a really interesting answer and I completely agree. I told her about my experiences as a queer student in a small high school, where these topics were really taboo. It is so much easier to find open-minded folx at a large school like Ohio State.

I really enjoyed using these questions to learn more about Cadence and explore the best ways to mentor her in the coming semester. She sounds like she is doing really great in her Smith-Steeb community and with academics. I am excited to help her find more student organizations that will allow her to further explore her passions! I cannot wait to see her grow as a scholar and advocate.

Global Awareness

To demonstrate the goal of global awareness, I am volunteering with the Language Improvement Track (LIT). Through this program, I facilitate a small group of international students who are working to improve their English speaking and listening skills. By interacting with the students, I have learned so much about the similarities and differences between American and Chinese culture. I have gained a new appreciation for diversity through the LIT program.

Artifact: Capstone

Throughout high school, I worked on a project, the culmination of which was my senior capstone presentation. My capstone project was a presentation to the AP Psychology class on the psychological and physical effects of therapeutic horseback riding. I had volunteered with a therapeutic riding center for a number of years, so I was able to conduct interviews and do research on the topic. I also connected personally with it because I had seen how therapeutic riding could change the lives of participants. My project inspired me to work in the field of education because I found the psychology aspect of the project fascinating.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

I have demonstrated leadership development this year through my involvement in the program 1girl. In this program I mentor a group of middle school girls weekly with a curriculum focused on building their leadership skills. I facilitate discussion centered around public speaking, social issues they are passionate about, and conflict resolution. The experience is very enriching to me and the girls in the program, as it develops both of our leadership skills.