I became interested in becoming an International Affairs Scholar because my sister was in the program her freshmen and sophomore years as well. I had heard great things from her and she had made many of her best friends through the program. I was also drawn to the fact that it was a living community, so that I would really be able to bond with people who are also very interested in the world around them. I, like my sister before me, made many friends and have made connections that will hopefully last a lifetime. Since I am involved in this community of people who are well-educated in the ways of the world, I have been able to have in-depth and meaningful conversations about important current events like the horrors happening in Aleppo and the 2016 Presidential election. I feel challenged in the way that I am pushed to further-educate myself to keep up with my peers, and I thoroughly enjoy that. I feel that it takes a very well-rounded person to be a Scholar at Ohio State because we have to manage our studies and manage the requirements of the program, while actively engaging in other clubs and maintaining our health and friendships. Being a scholar has made me realize that I can do all of these things and still have time for myself and applying for scholarships and internships. Overall, I believe that being an International Affairs Scholar has made me mature in a very good way.