G.O.A.L.S.

This year in the ACES Program, I had the pleasure of mentoring two freshman scholars throughout their first year at Ohio State: Abby McNickle and Yaretzi Leos. Abby is an out-of-state student from Connecticut, currently studying English Education. Yaretzi, on the other hand, is from the local Columbus area in Hilliard, studying Early Childhood Education. Despite our year getting cut short, I developed strong ties to both of my mentees and learned tremendously about their experiences at Ohio State.
Over the course of this year, I have connected with both Yaretzi and Abby in numerous, distinct ways. Although Abby and I are from different states, I also have family that lives in Connecticut. We both also aspire to teach in a high school environment. Yaretzi and I both are able to speak Spanish; while I learned Spanish in school, Yaretzi is of Mexican descent and speaks the language with her family. All three of us are studying to become educators as well.
Nevertheless, despite sharing countless similarities, we also shared our differences as well. Specifically, while Abby and I both are from out of town and live on campus, Yaretzi commutes to campus and lives at home in Hilliard. Beyond that, despite both living on campus, Abby is from out of state, while I am from the Cincinnati area. These differences between myself and my mentees have exposed me to two distinct perspectives on the college experience. I have learned the pros and cons, along with the values and principles, that derive from not only a local, commuting student, but also a far-away-from-home student. In effect, I have come to realize how diverse the OSU student population is, along with recognizing that each and every college student has a unique, individualized college experience.
Looking over the course of this year, I saw both Abby and Yaretzi grow immensely between first and second semester. I saw both of them get more involved on campus in student organizations and clubs. I saw both of them connect with fellow ACE Scholars throughout the year, finding a home within this community. I also saw them both grow in their passions for education, primarily through their experiences with FEEP. I hope to continue to see them get involved, connected, and successful in both their academics, extracurriculars, and social lives.
For me, the ACES Mentorship Program has also served a great purpose. It has helped me grow as a leader and as a role model for those around me. I developed two authentic and strong friendships with my mentees this year, and I am so glad I got to know both of them so well throughout the year. From this year, I learned that the most important part of being a mentor is genuine care and support. By showing my mentees that I truly cared for them, I felt that I connected with both of them on a personal level. Every time we were able to get together to catch up, it was always a great time, and I’m extremely thankful for that. I hope to take the skills of being a role model from this opportunity and apply it to my future as a role model and leader in new contexts.
Throughout this year, I felt that I helped my mentees in a variety of ways. I was always available to answer their questions and concerns in regards to ACES, education, Ohio State’s campus, and so much more. I provided them my own insight and takeaways from my own freshman experiences to connect with their ongoing situations. I also provided opportunities for future involvement on campus by telling them about what I was involved in, along with telling them about other organizations I knew of from others. I still hope to serve as a source of support for Abby and Yaretzi, whether it be a social question or an academic matter.
Reflecting on this program, there are a plethora of benefits to being involved. One of those benefits is the ability to connect with first-years as they get adjusted and welcomed into the campus dynamic. I saw it as an extreme privilege to watch Abby and Yaretzi grow over the course of this year, along with providing insight and support to help them continue growing as students and as Buckeyes. I also was able to make two great new friends out of this experience. I hope to keep these fresh, newfound friendships strong throughout the rest of my college career and beyond. I am so grateful to have been a part of this program, and I hope Abby and Yaretzi both found the same level of joy and fun that I did throughout this year! Thank you for this opportunity!

Disclaimer: due to COVID-19, I do not have any new pictures with either of my mentees from this semester. Pictures I have from last semester can be seen from past posts!

I am an athlete, although not in a common sport. I have been a competitive jump roper for the past 9 years of my life. This sport has provided me with everything: a family, a passion, travel, exercise, and most importantly leadership. As I’ve grown up with the sport, I have been blessed with countless leadership opportunities. From running weekly practices and workouts, to representing my jump rope team on local broadcasts and interviews, to traveling across the world to teach the sport to children and jumpers of foreign cultures, I have learned how to lead and inspire others in this unique sport.

One of my most prized memories from jump rope was this past summer; I was invited to travel to Germany and the Czech Republic to teach in two jump rope camps. While in Germany, I was a level leader, meaning I was in charge of a large group of jumpers (90 to be exact) that had similar levels of skill in the sport and could all benefit from learning similar tricks and routines. Being a level leader, I was in charge of leading not only the mass group of children, but also the fellow staff members that taught the kids. This job required frequent meetings with my staff and constant planning in how to divvy up the jumpers. I also worked with German-speaking staff members in translating my messages to the children whose English skills were just as strong as my German. This experience, although intimidating at first, was extremely helpful in my confidence in leading others. Despite extreme language and cultural barriers, I was able to lead all of my staff and campers to my greatest ability, providing a fun learning environment with lots of jumping.

While at the international camp in Prague, Czech Republic, my role changed significantly. Instead of being a level leader, I was head staff, which put me in charge of the entire camp with participants ranging from Russia to Czech Republic to Germany to Finland to Hungary. With many cultures and languages coming together under one gym roof, I felt my nerves fill my body as the camp started. However, I channeled my anxiety, put on a smile, and led the 4 day camp with the confidence and leadership skills I grasped in Germany. As the camp continued, my leadership abilities soared, filling me with excitement and passion to lead my fellow staffers and campers to their greatest abilities.

Both of these experiences have been extremely beneficial in helping me find a sense of assurance in myself as I’ve entered college. I now am eager to lead others in Student Orgs like I led overseas. I am excited to find more passions like jump rope to channel my excitement into as I transition into adulthood and a professional life. My opportunites overseas have also increased my passion in wanting to become a Foreign Language Educator, as I am eager to learn as many languages as I can in my life, along with educating myself on all the cultures across the globe. Because of jump rope, and the amazing experiences that are apart of it, I have grown as an athlete, as a student, as a leader, as a human, and I am so deeply grateful for it.

Recently for my Intermediate Spanish Composition course, I interviewed a native Spanish speaker for an article project in class. I interview Ivonne Ortiz, a native Puerto Rican that has lived in both Puerto Rico and the United States throughout her life. When I met with Ivonne, we talked for over 30 minutes about her life in the States versus her childhood life in Puerto Rico, and I took away so much from this experience. Ivonne proudly described her native culture, emphasizing the importance of family and community in everyday life on the island. She raved about the delicious food, the wonderful music, and the beautiful beaches that blend together to create such a bright culture. According to Ivonne, this tight-knit, community-oriented culture is something found in all of Latin America, ranging from the Argentinians in South America to the Mexicans just south of us. In her eyes, these qualities that span across majority of the Western Hemisphere make all of Latin America its own tight-knit, loving community- no matter one’s nationality or ethnicity.

However, according to Ivonne, in the United States, this tight-knit, loving society is not present. She told me of incidents while living in the States where people would judge, criticize, or belittle her because of her heritage. Although difficult, Ivonne has learned from these experiences and has come to respect that everyone is different. When asked if she would rather continue living in Puerto Rico or the U.S., Ivonne told me she would rather return to Puerto Rico for her strong love for her entire island family.

This experience helped me grow in my own understanding of Latino culture and how it’s specialized in Puerto Rico. I now know the importance of family in Latino families and the immense love and pride each and every Latino has in their heart for their native country and culture. Being a Foreign Language Education major, this experience will help me in my future in teaching my future students about not only the Spanish language, but the cultural aspect as well. I will also work to emphasize with my students the importance of acceptance, as each and every individual- despite their race, ethnicity, gender, etc.- should not be discriminated against, but instead praised and appreciated, like those in Puerto Rico and Latin American culture.