You may think that attending a few home football games has nothing to do with my academics or personal growth, but being a part of Block O had a major impact on my first year as a Buckeye. It starts with understanding what it means to be a part of Block O. It is the foundation of family within Ohio State athletics. You sit with the same group week after week (a large group, might I add), suffer through any terrible weather together, cheer for the same team, learn traditional chants, and become a part of a legacy. My first home football game as a student was terrifying. I had grown up attending OSU football games my entire life, but being a part of the school made it feel so much different. I was a commuter student and had not yet met anyone new. I did not know anyone sitting in my section, therefore I had to proudly march up to the back row solo. This left-out feeling did not last, luckily. The minute the first game started I had already started friendships with those surrounding me. Every high-five and cheer led to a new conversation with a new person. And each week these relationships grew larger. I ended the season finally feeling in touch with my social side of college. Football games were a place where all the stress of the week could be released and replaced with new friends. I hope that I have this opportunity to participate for the rest of the years I spend as an Ohio State student. Block O has truly made me feel part of the Ohio State family.

“Experience” is a term that is thrown around constantly in college. Future employers want you to have work experience, parents want you to have social experiences, and even advisors want you to have a variety of academic experiences. Sometimes these opportunities are difficult to find. Luckily, I have got my foot in the door early in the work experience category. For over two years I have been employed by a popular restaurant on campus- Roosters. My first day of work was a milestone for me because it was the first time that I had started defining my “grown-up life”. From the start I realized how important presentation and first impressions are. They set the foundation for who you are as a new employee.  For the next two years I spent time learning how to start from the bottom and work my way up in the work world. I was surprised to see how quickly my body could adapt to learn skills that I never imagined I would need. I have become an expert at memorizing orders, explaining situations, working under pressure, multi-tasking, giving good customer service, and most importantly- working as a team. I have learned to cooperate with all types of people, especially if they have authority over me. The greatest skill I learned was how to swallow my pride and apologize, even if I am not completely wrong. I believe this can resolve conflicts in many other areas of my life.

It is possible that I could have gained these skills in many other places, but Roosters has also given me a lot of support with social opportunities. Some of my closest friends are my co-workers, and they are people that I never would have met if I hadn’t applied for the job. I was given the perfect opportunity to make life long friends, establish network connections, and learn to value the hard work put in for money. I will never forget my first job, and I hope to continue to work there until the next step of my professional career arises.

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]