About Me

Hi, I am Alivia Oney and am a second year student here at The Ohio State University!  I am originally from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, a small town about an hour and a half north of Columbus.  In high school I was involved in several different sports, clubs, and organizations.  I played soccer, basketball, and softball, and I was a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Quiz Bowl, and a service club called Younger Professionals.  I also stayed involved in my community by volunteering through different organizations like my church and through my local Elks chapter.

I chose Ohio State because of the countless academic and professional opportunities that are available to students like myself.  I hope to get my undergraduate degree in Medical Dietetics and pursue a career in clinical nutrition.  I’m grateful to be involved in something as influential as the Health Sciences Scholars Program as it provides me with opportunities to continue serving my community and continuing my education while staying connected with people who share the same interests as me!

Year in Review

My first year of college has been full of both struggles and achievements, but overall I have gained a sense of independence and experienced growth in many aspects of my life in just one year here at Ohio State.

Primarily, I have gained an appreciation for the level of discipline and dedication it takes to succeed.  I think many of us students would agree that the rigor of academics in college is tremendously different than what we experienced in high school.  Although I worked hard in high school, it was not enormously difficult to reach the standards I had set for myself.  College proved to be a different story, at least for myself.  I struggled with the fact that I was not always producing the quality of work that I had been in high school, and I was not earning the highest grade I could in every situation.  Although it was difficult, I used this as motivation to increase my efforts and work as hard as I could to reach my own standards.  By being put in a situation where hard work was the only way to succeed, I have learned that my success is only limited by myself and that I can achieve whatever I want if I’m willing to put the work in.

Another thing I have learned this year is that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong place.  There is always something to learn from the people around you, and this has proved so important to me this year.  At a university as competitive as Ohio State where you’re surrounded with extremely intelligent and dedicated students, it can sometimes feel like you shouldn’t be there or that you are there by mistake.  This year, I have learned to let those thoughts pass and form a new mindset that will allow me to learn anything I can from the people around me.  If you’re the smartest person in the room, you will gain nothing from those around you, so I have learned that it’s okay to not know things and to use that opportunity to grow.

Although there were hardships during my first year as a college student, I learned so much about myself and gained skills and lessons that I will be able to carry with me throughout my whole life, and I can’t wait to see what the next few years hold!

G.O.A.L.S.

  • Global Awareness:
    • For my global studies course here at OSU, I am scheduled to take Medicine in the Ancient World, which focuses on the medical approaches of ancient Roman and Greek cultures.  I think this will provide me with an appreciation for the way medicine has evolved as well as giving me a perspective from other cultures.  I also participated in the “Taste of OSU” day at the Union where booths were set up with different foods to try from many different cultures.  Not only did I get to try these foods, but I was also surrounded by people of so many different cultures and got to learn a little bit about each.
  • Original Inquiry:
    • One of the goals that I have for myself before I leave OSU is to participate in undergraduate research with one of the professors on campus.  I think it would provide me with unique skills and would allow me to gain new knowledge on subjects that interest me and pertain to my major and future career choice.  As a medical dietetics major, my plan is to find a research position that relates nutrients to certain medical conditions or the wellbeing of the body.
  • Academic Enrichment:
    • In order to enrich my academic abilities, I plan to continue taking challenging courses that will encourage me to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.  I also plan to join the Student Dietetic Association in order to learn more about the aspects of my future career.
  • Leadership Development:
    • I have taken a few steps in order to develop my leadership skills and plan to continue doing that throughout my years at OSU.  I have applied to be a TA for the Health Sciences Scholars Seminar course for incoming freshmen and will become a peer mentor to one of those freshmen to provide guidance and lead them through their struggles as a first year.  I also plan to become involved with several organizations, hopefully working my way to the top of one of them to become a part of one of the leadership committees.
  • Service Engagement:
    • I have participated in several service days through Health Sciences Scholars in my first year of school, and I plan to continue seeking opportunities to serve Columbus and the surrounding areas.  One goal I have for service is to become a part of Adopt-A-School to tutor and mentor students at Graham Elementary and Middle School.
    • Throughout my second year here at Ohio State I have stayed involved in volunteer service with the All People’s Fresh Market here in Columbus.  The market is a place where with a membership, visitors can come and we will provide food (mostly fresh fruits and vegetables) to them for free.  Members can come once per day, each day that the market is open.  They can either drive through and pick up a pre-packaged box of food or walk through the in person market and “shop.” My responsibilities included packing boxes of food, organizing produce stands and refrigerators, checking in visitors with Pantry-Trak (an online identification system through Mid-Ohio Foodbank), and loading the boxes into members’ cars.  It has provided me with an appreciation for the things I have and has allowed me to meet new people and create relationships with people of all walks of life.  I plan to continue volunteering with the pantry throughout my next couple years at Ohio State.

Artifacts

This year, I had the opportunity to participate in Buckeyethon, a year long fundraising event for Nationwide Children’s Oncology/Hematology/BMT units leading up to a 24 hour dance marathon in the spring.  This event was probably the most significant part about my first year at Ohio State for several different reasons.  Primarily, Buckeyethon inspired me to continue down a path of health care.  That day, I was surrounded by so many other people who shared my passion for helping others, and it excited me to pursue a career that would allow me to do that.  It also allowed me to reflect on how lucky I am to live a healthy life and reminded me that not everyone has that luxury.  As someone who does, it’s important for me to give back to those who don’t.  I plan to continue participating in Buckeyethon through my future years at Ohio State, and I’m excited to see how I continue to grow from it!