As my second artifact, I chose this photo taken during the Fall retreat. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the first night of retreat due to academic commitments. My pass/fail standing in chemistry was dependent upon my performance on the third midterm and there was a very important review session during the first night of Fall Retreat. I was faced with a tough decision of staying back to study, or going to retreat to have fun and form connections with my fellow Mounties. I felt conflicted because I had been looking forward to retreat since I first heard about it. I chose to stay back because school comes before everything for me, but I was able to find transportation with some other Mounties who had to stay back that night; We arrived at Camp Akita early the following morning. We were still able to take part in activities and I still love my experience in this Scholars community. Another positive side: I was able to earn an A on my chemistry midterm. I chose this photo because it represents that I will face difficult choices in life, but compromises can be made and everything works out in the end.

When deciding which college I would ultimately attend, athletics and school spirit was a large component. I grew up watching Ohio State games, so I was ecstatic to be attending football games at The Shoe. I had gone to all the games this year, but Penn State was very special because the experience I gained was unlike any other game. For my second artifact, I chose a photo of my friends and I during the OSU vs Penn State game. Although the game had a rough start, I had a lot of fun with my fellow Mounties. From screaming at the plays, the unbelievable comeback in the fourth quarter, rushing the field, to singing Carmen Ohio, we can all unanimously agree that this was the best game thus far. Although, I got a cold, lost my voice for a full week, and fell down the bleachers, I would do it all over again because it was worth it. Best of all, I got to go through all of this with my fellow Mounties. This is why I chose a photo from the Penn State game as my second artifact.