Month: May 2020

G.O.A.L.S. reflection: Second Year coming to a close

 

 

With my second year at OSU now done and only a year left to go, I have reflected on my time in the Honors & Scholars Program and my experience in the ACES community in how the G.O.A.L.S. have impacted me during that time.

 

G- Global Awareness. Prior to all the changes due to restrictions regarding COVID-19, I was enrolled in a summer study abroad program. I, along with a group of other students, was planning to travel to England for three weeks to learn about hardships that immigrants and refugees face, and the importance of the strength of communities in getting through difficult situations. Although this trip and experience was not able to happen in the end, my preparations for the trip preliminarily opened my eyes about what I’d hoped to learn from that trip.

 

O- Original Inquiry. This school year I was able to participate in a research program with one of my professors, three graduate students, and two other undergraduate students. Through this experience I learned about planning research and experiments, working with peers and faculty in an extracurricular academic environment, and gaining experience in doing research within my department.

 

A- Academic Enrichment. During this school year, I took core courses for my major which challenged me and resulted in a deeper understanding of linguistics through my learning process. Despite these challenging classes, I strove to meet my own personal academic goals and am proud of my growth throughout the school year. In classes such as Phonetics, I learned about a more scientific side of linguistics work with reading and measuring spectrograms, become more familiar with software such as Praat and improved my understanding of foundational topics I’ve covered in previous classes. In classes such as Syntax, I was challenged in a different way; much of this class focused on theory and abstract concepts of syntax. Some areas of this course were difficult for me but I learned so much through the process of working hard to understand.

 

L- Leadership Development. This year during ACES I had to opportunity to be part of the ACES Mentorship Program, where I was matched with a new first-year student in order to help them adjust to life on campus, be a resource to them, and be their friend. I think this aspect of ACES is so unique and important, especially for a student just starting college. During my first year I enjoyed getting to know my mentor, exploring Columbus with her, and having someone to go to if I needed anything. My positive experience in the program led me to be a mentor during my second year, and even with changes and challenges during the second semester, being a mentor was a joy.

 

S- Service Engagement. Although last year I was involved in service engagement outside of ACES, this year I wanted to explore more and find a new way to serve the Columbus community. During my first year I was involved in some cleanup and housing projects through a church group on campus, tutored a graduate student in English pronunciation, and worked in the ACES food pantry on campus. All of these were great experiences and I continued to do them during my second year, in addition to joining OSU PenPals. With this organization I had the opportunity to write back and forth with an elementary student in Columbus, promoting community and literacy in doing so. Finding a new way to be engaged in the community on campus and in Columbus absolutely enriched my experience as a second-year student in ACES, and I encourage everyone to find a fun, passionate way to become involved in their community.

Second Semester Interview

My mentee’s name is Audrey Susz, and she is from Hudson, a small town between Akron and Cleveland. This is her first year at OSU, and she is majoring in Psychology and is studying to eventually become therapist, which is her dream job. Although she originally wanted to be involved in Special Education, she changed her mind after taking an AP Psychology class in high school and felt passionate about the material and wanted to study Psychology and find a career to fit her and her passions. Audrey is currently involved in Crisis Counseling, a volunteer program on campus in which students can text a certain number and be connected to a trained volunteer who can talk with them and support them in any time of struggle. Participating in this program has further solidified Audrey’s passion to study Psychology and is providing her with experience relevant to her field of study.

The second semester of the 2019-2020 school year was certainly a difficult time for many students. With leaving campus, switching to remote learning, and facing the unknown about what lies ahead, OSU Buckeyes stood together and supported one another through such a different and challenging time. For Audrey, this second semester went extremely well despite these challenges. Despite obviously missing friends and life on campus, she adjusted well to online classes, meeting her personal academic goals and continuing remote learning throughout the summer. “Taking online classes has let me put a pause on my life and really improve my mental health!”, she says. Staying connected and focuses was key for her, with taking time to stay connected to her sorority, fellow ACES members, and peers through Zoom and groupchats.  While being in ACES this school year, she discovered that living in an ACES community in Smith-Steeb was a big help in feeling connected and that this aspect of ACES is a huge positive for first-year students. Throughout this journey of the second semester, Audrey learned to trust that everything will work out even in tough situations, to surround oneself with support, and to not be afraid to ask for help.