My name is Adrian Niedermann, and I was born in a Cincinnati suburb to Latino immigrant parents in 1998. Throughout my upbringing, my parents have stressed the importance of working hard in order to succeed, and I’ve carried this idea with me throughout my high school career and into the beginning of my college career. Along with being a hard worker, the need to help and make a positive impact on others is something that I hold dear. Throughout my time here at The Ohio State University, I hope to leave a positive impact on as many of my peers as possible and also the greater Columbus community.
Though I am currently undecided about my major, I am eager to explore my varying interests at the university and find my niche. In high school, I enjoyed exploring literature and learning the Spanish language. While I briefly considered majoring in English, I feel that I would fair better elsewhere (where exactly I don’t yet know). I plan on minoring in Spanish, and would very much like to spend a semester studying abroad in Spain. As for my major, I’m considering various things from Judaic studies to Social Work to Public Affairs, to name a select few.
As I mentioned previously, I love helping people and leaving a positive impact on them. This past summer, I was a summer camp counselor at a reform Jewish overnight camp where I had the opportunity to care for 14 year old boys for one month, and sequentially 8 year old boys for one month. The opportunity to provide for these boys and make an impact on them, particularly the little ones, was especially rewarding. In whatever career field I end up in, I know that I want to be helping people in some way. I’ve been considering becoming a rabbi for the past few months, yet want to explore my options thoroughly throughout my undergraduate career at the university before viewing rabbinical school as my definitive post-graduate path.
Throughout my time here in Columbus, I hope to give back to the community in many different ways. One which way is through the College Mentor for Kids program, in which I hope I can mentor a local child for future success during the spring semester and beyond. I also plan to engage myself and my friends in random acts of service that become available to us. I’m also interested in bridging gaps between groups on campus, particularly between the Muslim and Jewish communities. In high school I was the president of my Jewish youth group in which I worked to bring together my youth group and that of a local mosque for a night of discussion. If I get the opportunity to become more involved with Hillel at the university, I hope to organize events that mirror that of my youth group event.
During fall break of my freshman year, I got the opportunity to travel with my International Affairs Scholars cohort to Toronto, Canada. It was a phenomenal opportunity to experience one of Canada’s biggest cities for the first time. Arriving on Thursday evening, we went out for a group dinner and later explored the city on our own, taking pictures of the beauty of the city at night (including this impromptu group photo taken on the steps of the Old City Hall). On Friday, we learned about Middle Eastern art and history at the Aga Khan Museum, learned about Islamic culture within Ontario in Toronto’s Ismaili Center, and learned about Canadian history at the Royal Ontario Museum. On Saturday, we went on excursions to the Casa Loma (a mansion overlooking Toronto that’s been turned into a museum, Kensington Market (a very hip neighborhood full of shops and restaurants), and the famous CN Tower. On top of everything else, we were even treated to a visit of Niagara Falls on our way back to the university. Personally, it was my first time visiting Canada, and it was a great taste of what the nation’s most populous city has to offer.