During the Spring of ’19 semester I had the opportunity to volunteer for BuckeyeThon! BuckeyeThon is Ohio States largest student ran philanthropy. The organizations primary goal is to raise money for Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Oncology floor. The money raised goes toward a variety of things, including research, psychological services for the kids and so much more. It was such a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community and make a difference in so many kids’ lives. The dance marathon itself lasted 12 hours, however, a lot of outside hours also went into fundraising prior to the marathon. Through BuckeyeThon, I functioned as a dancer and fundraiser. In these roles I worked to raise as much money from friends and family as I could. After fundraising ended I was able to participate in the dance marathon and spend time with some of the BuckeyeThon families. This was the second year I participated in BuckeyeThon. You can learn a lot about yourself by participating in events like this. I personally learned how much of an impact I could make on a kid’s life just by supporting them and showing them I care. A simple task as easy as dancing with them makes them forget their current situation and allows them to just be a kid for a few hours. Volunteer opportunities like this help me grow as a leader and keep me humble. It is so easy to get caught up in your own life and take things for granted, that you forget that there are other people out there who can’t enjoy the little things in life like dancing. Because of service learning I am a more humble leader and person in general.

Bright and early on a rather cold October 21 DSWS took to the streets for six hours to help with the Columbus Marathon. Proceeds from the marathon are donated to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to help the hospital and its medically fragile children. This amazing organization is one that DSWS helps with every year. During this time we set up the water and Gatorade station. This included filling the cups, stacking them, and even mixing the Gatorade. While seemingly a minuscule task, our work helped the marathon run smoothly. By being able to have a station set up where we were also enabled the runners to be able to reach their finish lines. The organization would not be able to raise as much money for Nationwide if it was not for the volunteers like us. As a result of this service I learned that I enjoy doing little tasks that contribute to something bigger than myself. Even something as simple as handing a cup of water to a runner was exciting as I realized what sort of impact my contribution will have on others. As mentioned in a previous post, sometimes it is the little tasks that make the biggest difference. As a leader this experience has offered me a way to see that come to life. Because of this service learning opportunity I am a stronger leader.

On October 4th this year I stayed up late from 10:30 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. and participated in a service project called Feed the Funnel. The organization that put this project on is called The Pack Shack. I learned about this amazing organization and opportunity through my fellow DSWS members. This organization works to help put food on the tables of those who are less fortunate. The Pack Shack also serves to educate the public on food insecurity and what we can do to give back. During the two and a half hours we spent volunteering we packaged meals for those in need. There were a multitude of jobs that could be done, including, packaging the rice, weighing the bags, adding in various extras and sealing the boxes. I was assigned to weighing the bags. Overall, the entire service project had a large impact on the community. We were able to package 100,000 meals for families in Ohio who are food insecure. This allowed those families to have at least one day that they did not have to stress about where their next meal was coming from.  As a result of my service during this I learned how fortunate I am to have what I have. On a daily basis I often do not think about how I am going to get my next meal. I fortunately have the luxury to go and get it whenever I want. For so many this is not the case. As a leader, this experience has impacted the way I view the resources and opportunities I have available to me. Because of this service learning opportunity I am a more thankful leader.

My first service opportunity this semester was set up by the Athletic Training Club. On September 23rd at 11:00 P.M. our organization cleaned up the Schottenstein Center for one hour after a concert. This included picking up all the trash and mopping our assigned sections. This directly impacted the custodial staff at the Schott, as well as the Department of Athletics who utilizes the facility regularly. By volunteering to clean up after a large event, like the concert, we were able to lessen the work that would need to be put in by other staff members of the Schott. As a result of this service I learned that I am more of a perfectionist than I had realized. It took me longer than it should have to clean my area because I needed everything to look brand new. While perfectionism can sometimes be a hassle, it is a skill that will be very useful in my future career as an Athletic Trainer. This volunteering humbled me as a leader. So often as leaders we think we have to go out and do big things in order to make an impact. Cleaning an arena, something not typically seen as a huge contribution to society, offers a way to see that even as leaders nothing is above us. Just because we are seen as leaders doesn’t mean that we are too good to get our hands a little dirty. Because of service learning I am a more humble leader.

The artifact I have chosen is something rather insignificant to most but has become increasingly important to me. This notebook was given to all the new students a early into the semester. At first I thought it was a silly gift. A small notebook that would probably never get used. After only having it for a week I found a purpose for it. Multiple purposes actually. Throughout the course of the semester its purpose has changed from a simple reflection journal about the events of each day, to a to do list, and ultimately a book of quotes. Every professor hopes to teach you something beyond the required course material and most of what they tell us about life goes in one ear and out the other. I decided that I would try something new. Instead of just listening to the random facts of life given and then forgetting they were ever said I decided that at the end of each day I would sit and write down the ones that most impacted me. Of course in the heat of things I would forget to do it a day or two. But when things became especially stressful I could open this little notebook and read the quotes from people who actually care about my success. Doing so allowed me to refocus and see the bigger picture in life. My favorite quote so far is that “everyday is an interview.” I never thought a piece of cardboard and some paper would become so significant in my first semester of college but sometimes its the little things that mean the most.