Q: Are you enjoying your major? Why or why not?

A: Aryn is really enjoying her major! She’s still studying Special Education, and it has proved to be everything that she expected and more. First year education majors at Ohio State have the opportunity to participate in FEEP (First Education Experience Program). In FEEP, students are placed in a Columbus school district classroom that correlates with their particular teaching interest. Aryn got placed in a second-grade special ed classroom at Tipp Columbus Elementary school this past semester. She goes four days a week from 9am-3pm, and shadows the intervention specialist. She’s absolutely loved the experience, and it has made her even more confident in her career-path choice. She’s enjoyed the FEEP experience so much that she’s still shadowing her teacher, even thought FEEP technically ended a couple weeks ago — that’s how much she loves interacting with the kids in the school environment!

Q: How have you gotten involved on campus?

A: Even though there aren’t a ton of involvement opportunities available because of the ongoing pandemic, Aryn has still found her place on campus! She joined the club rowing team this past semester, and has really been enjoying both the sport, and the team dynamic. She notes that it’s also quite the time commitment, leaving little time for much other campus involvement. She’s typically gone weekdays from 4:15-8pm, with the travel time and the actual time spent on campus. The team didn’t have any meets this year since it wasn’t safe to travel, but Aryn is looking forward to continuing the sport next year, and finally being able to compete. She enjoys being busy, so the rowing team has been a good addition to her school schedule. 

Q: Have you enjoyed the ACES living-learning community in Smith-Steeb? Why or why not?

A: Aryn is glad that she joined the ACES scholars program, in part because of the living-learning community in Smith-Steeb. She has enjoyed meeting people in the program, and has made a few close friends within the program as a result. She commented that she wishes the circumstances of the year had been different (without the pandemic), so that she could have gotten to know and hang out with more people from the program. The limitations brought upon by social distancing have left many students feeling isolated, and unable to truly get to know their floormates. 

Q: Have your career plans changed since your first semester? Why or why not?

A: Aryn’s career plans have not shifted since her first semester — if anything, they have been strengthened. She still wants to be an intervention specialist and work with elementary-school children in a school setting. She noted that the FEEP program has helped affirm her career plan, and has given her a good idea about what life as an intervention specialist looks like. She gets very excited when she talks about her time spent with the kids in her placement classroom, and absolutely adores the teacher that she’s shadowing. The experience has been a really positive one for her, and has confirmed her desire to seek out a similar career-path. 

Q: What is your favorite memory from last semester?

A: Aryn’s favorite memory from last semester was the pot painting event in Smith Steeb, which was apart of the week-long activity week in the dorm. She and her fellow ACES members got to sit outside on a sunny day and paint pots for succulents. She also recalls really enjoying the stuffed animal-stuffing event that was apart of the same activity week. The dorm activities have definitely been a favorite of Aryn’s, and have made her first year memorable!

My mentee Aryn and I decided to “go” to the Cosi science museum together for our explore columbus assignment. Since the pandemic is still going on and we wanted to be as safe as possible, we did this activity online, rather than going to the actual museum. Although it would have been a much more enriching experience to go in person, the way that the exhibits were set up on the website were still lots of fun. 

The website was set up so that you could “walk” into different exhibits. Once you were in the exhibits, you could drag your mouse across the screen to explore them. We both did it on our separate devices while we facetimes, so we just communicated where we were going, and chatted about the exhibits when we both arrived. 

We first dropped in to the gadgets exhibit. I got to show her around that part of Cosi, and tell her about my trips there as a child, as well as my more recent trips as a high school student. The gadgets exhibit online looked exactly as I had remembered it. It was set up with different checkpoints, and various facts about scientific phenomena at each checkpoint. There were even fun little science experiments that we could do! We both wished that we had the materials to do the experiments, as that would’ve been a fun add-on to our mentor-mentee date. I think that we both enjoyed the gadgets exhibit the most, out of the ones that we visited! Aryn definitely didn’t expect Cosi to look the way that it did, so it was fun to see her reaction, and how excited she was about this first exhibit. 

After gadgets, we explored the Dinosaur exhibit. Even though we were just looking at it through a screen, it was still incredible to see the life-like replications of the dinosaurs. We even saw a dinosaur femur that came from a 70-ton dinosaur! It was easily taller than us, which is insane considering it’s just a small piece of the dinosaur’s leg. As we “walked” around this exhibit, we learned more about other dinosaurs, too. The really cool thing about Cosi (for children, young adults and parents alike), is that it makes learning feel effortless and fun. Being at the museum again definitely made me nostalgic for all of the hours that I spent at Cosi as a child, and it made Aryn really want to visit the museum! 

Unfortunately, the exhibit that I was the most excited about sharing with Aryn wasn’t available to walk through on the website (they just had a few major exhibits up for free). I wanted to show her the progress exhibit, since that has always been my favorite one. In this exhibit, you get to walk through various periods of time in America. Each time period is set up with amazing, intricate details, each depicting what the towns at the time would look like. It quite literally feels like you’re traveling back in time! From the interactive parts (like the 60s diner, fully equipped with timely music playing and a play kitchen), to the mood lighting, it’s a really cool experience. Since we weren’t able to see this one, I just described it to her. 

Aryn was really excited to explore this little piece of Columbus, and she commented that she would like to actually go to the museum in the future, once it’s safe to do so again. We both agreed that we would definitely have to get together next year to hang out and explore the city, since we weren’t able to this past year. If all goes according to plan, we’ll actually be able to go to Cosi together next semester! And if anything, this virtual experience prepared us for what to expect :).

I’m definitely disappointed that Aryn and I didn’t get to do either of our Explore Columbus activities with each other, in person this year. When I was a first year, I absolutely loved going out on the town with my mentor and my co-mentee, and it really helped me acclimate to the city of Columbus. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to ask my mentor questions about college life, and her experiences as a first-year student. While the second piece was doable for Aryn and I, I wish that I was able to show her our amazing city and campus in detail. She’s not from the Ohio area, so I think that it would’ve been beneficial (and fun) to do this together!

As a part of my scholars program requirements, I interviewed my mentee, Aryn, on her experiences in her first semester at Ohio State. Aryn is a first year student from Vermont, majoring in Special Education. I absolutely loved chatting with her, and getting to know her better. Although her experiences at Ohio State have been fairly limited thus far, she has been making the most of them, and is excited for what is to come during her four years at OSU.

How did you decide on the major you have chosen?

Aryn has always had a passion for helping people, and was very involved in the Special Olympics program at her high school. She also started a unified basketball team, which brought students in special needs programs closer to their peers, through sports. They were able to experience the team dynamic that is so often lacking in availability for students with special needs, and played a whole season of games. Through her work, Aryn realized that she wanted to make this passion into a career, and is majoring in Special Education in hopes of becoming a Special Ed teacher.

What kind of involvement are you interested in on campus?

Ultimate Frisbee was a hobby of Aryn’s in high school, and she was looking forward to joining the Ultimate team at Ohio State when she started her freshman year. Unfortunately, she has not been able to do this because of the limitations of the pandemic. However, once it is safe to do so, Aryn hopes to get involved with both the Ultimate Frisbee team, and possibly the rowing team during her time at Ohio State. She also mentioned that she is excited for group fitness classes to begin again, as she had always enjoyed taking spin classes in her hometown. She loves being active, and can’t wait to do all that OSU has to offer!

Why did you choose ACES?

When she saw the option to join ACES, Aryn knew that it would be the perfect fit for her. She is an education major, and wanted to be in a community of people who shared the same aspirations and passion for teaching. She has also always considered herself to be an advocate for others. She has fought for inclusion of students with disabilities for much of her high school career, and wants to continue doing so through service at Ohio State. She was so excited to join ACES, as it seemed to match her criteria perfectly. Although her experiences in the program have been limited, she’s really enjoyed it thus far, and feels as though it’s a good fit for her.

What do you plan to do with your major after graduation? Graduate or Professional School? Enter the workforce?

Aryn is not quite sure what she wants to do after graduating from undergrad. She definitely knows that she wants to be a special education teacher, but is not totally sure what the process to getting there will look like. With her degree, she will be able to begin teaching almost immediately, so she said that she likely sees herself teaching in a Special Education classroom following graduation. She is considering the possibility of grad school, but is not sure when it would fit into her post-graduation plan — it is likely that she will go back to school for her Masters after teaching for a few years, but that is subject to change.

What is one of the most important things you have learned so far at Ohio State?

After thinking for a bit, Aryn told me that the most important thing that she’s learned at Ohio State so far has been how to be okay with being alone. Going in to the school year, she knew absolutely no one. She was from Vermont, and had no family or friends within hours of the campus. The pandemic made opportunities for meeting people and making friends very scarce, and Aryn found herself spending most of her time alone, when she wasn’t with her roommate. This was a totally new experience for her, but was an enlightening one nevertheless. She now feels much more confident spending time alone, with herself, and has learned a lot more about herself in the process. This is a really important skill to have, and one that most people don’t get the hang of until they’re much older. I’m proud of Aryn for making the most out of her first semester at college despite the circumstances, and choosing to see the bright side of things.

Aryn and I would have loved to go to the North Market together for our Explore Columbus Experience, if we had been able to in a safe way. I loved taking trips to the North Market with my friends last year, and I wanted to share the unique Columbus experience with my mentee. Aryn loves trying new foods and exploring new cities, so it sounded like the perfect outing for us. However, with the increase in Covid-19 cases, we opted for a virtual option instead. It definitely was not quite the same as being there (we would have loved to eat some good food while enjoying the bustling of people around us), but I think that we made the most of it.

Aryn had the awesome idea to use google maps to “drop” ourselves into the North Market. With this tool, she was able to get a feel for the cool environment, and I was able to point out different shops that I thought she might be interested in. We looked up the different stands on the website, and tried not to get too hungry as we talked about what we would get if we had the opportunity to go. I also described to her the times that I had gone to the market, and tried to paint a picture of just how amazing it is. We agreed that we both hope that we are able to go in-person to the North Market next year, when it is safer to do so — we’re definitely prepared for it after all of our research today!

Aryn told me that she had been really looking forward to exploring the city of Columbus in her first year at Ohio State. She’s originally from Vermont, so she was totally unfamiliar with this new city to begin with. She said that she feels as though she still doesn’t have her bearings on her new surroundings, because of limitations that come with the pandemic. She hasn’t even really been off-campus yet, or out of the Smith-Steeb area for that matter. There are simply not a ton of opportunities available — most places in the city are either closed, or are just not safe options to visit. Even on campus, Aryn still feels as though she has a lot more exploring to do. With classes online, there aren’t a ton of reasons to leave the dorm, and most buildings are closed anyway. Aryn and I went to Thompson Library for our first mentorship activity, and she has frequented it several times since then. Aside from that, her ventures outside of the dorms have been quite limited. She’s hoping that more places on campus and off campus will open up when it is safe to do so, so that she can experience all that there is to offer in her new city.

As I mentioned previously, Aryn and I were actually able to meet in person once, before the covid cases got too high. We were both masked, and kept a distance, but it was really nice to see each other in person, rather than over a zoom or facetime call. With the very rare face-to-face interactions this semester, I would say that we were lucky to have gotten that opportunity! We went on a walk, and I was able to point out some of my personal favorite places on campus, and show her around a little (this was at the very beginning of the semester, so she still wasn’t totally sure about where everything was). We chatted for awhile, and I think that it helped both of us foster our growing connection as a mentor-mentee pair.

Although we were lucky enough to meet in-person once, I definitely wish that we could have done more together throughout the semester. I know that last year, I really looked forward to my outings with my mentor. She was instrumental in my smooth transition from high school to college, and was someone that I could look up to in more ways than one. Aryn and I have definitely made do with what we can, but I feel bad that I can’t give her the same experience that my mentor gave me. It’s a challenge to make and keep connections virtually, and there is a level of detachment that comes with that. In a time where human interactions are hard to come by (especially in a new college environment, in Aryn’s case), I wish that there were more opportunities for Aryn and I to see each other.

For the past three summers, I have had the privilege of coaching for our local swim team, the Landen Stingrays. Throughout the years, I have instructed children ages four through twelve, of all different abilities. I have had the opportunity not only to teach them swim skills, but also to act as a mentor for them, and build relationships with them. This experience has been so valuable and special to me, as I have learned patience, perseverance, and creative problem-solving strategies through it. My positive involvement with this team made me realize how much I enjoy working with children, especially young kids, and has consequently motivated my career aspiration of becoming a school psychologist. I plan to continue coaching in the future, as well as broaden my horizons to other opportunities that involve impacting children in a positive way.

This semester, I had the opportunity to watch and create a presentation for the film Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County for my scholars class. Our group analyzed the film, and connected it back to the G.O.A.L.S. pillars that make up the foundation for the honors and scholars programs here at OSU. The documentary follows the impoverished families that live in a particular motel in California, and the harsh conditions that they are forced to endure because of the high cost of living in that part of the state. It focuses particularly on the children, and the damaging effect that this particular way of life has on them and their well-being. The film was eye-opening, and gave us a new perspective on the issue of homelessness, and the stigma that surrounds it. It also shone light on the things that we can do in our own community (whether that is donating clothing, volunteering in soup kitchens, or advocating for children in that position), to help people affected by homelessness. This project not only fine-tuned my analyzation and presentation skills, it also inspired me to give back to the community of Columbus by volunteering with children at an after school program at a local library, and act as a mentor for them.