Embracing G.O.A.L.S. through BuckIServ

Global Awareness:

I spent a few days in Florida working on a restoration project in which I helped to build a porch on the home of a woman living in impoverished conditions who was responsible for taking care of her husband with a disability as well as raising her 13 year old granddaughter. The home was old and had deteriorated quite severely and it was our job to make better living conditions for the woman and her family. Over the two days we spend at the house, we were able to talk to the woman and her granddaughter, even sharing stories over lunch with them one day. I had never met someone in the same position as this woman and it was a humbling experience getting to know her and how she has adjusted her life to her living conditions.

Original Inquiry:

Working for Habitat for Humanity through BuckIServ introduced me to several new experiences in regards to construction. Prior to the trip, I had very little experience with construction, mostly just helping my dad with tools while he did projects around our house. By the end of the trip, I had painted an entire house, built a deck, cut down a tree, and put faucets up on the exterior of one of the homes. Although I was wary when first starting these tasks, the Habitat for Humanity volunteers did a wonderful job of teaching me how to do them and after some practice I became independent and was able to work on my own!

Academic Enrichment:

I would have never been able learn what I learned during the BuckIServ trip in a classroom on campus. Being able to form lasting friendships with OSU students while also serving others out in the world is an experience that I could not have achieved if I hadn’t gone on the trip over spring break. The knowledge I gained through working with BuckIServ has helped me become a more well-rounded and culturally aware person, which has had a positive impact on my studies here at Ohio State.

Leadership Development:

Because our BuckIServ group was so large, different tasks were often assigned to a few members and every few hours we would all switch what we were working on. There were a few times were I had to teach the people working after me how to do the project I was working on. Although this was just a slight leadership role, it was a challenge to teach my peers how to do something that I had just learned how to do myself.

Service Engagement:

While in Florida, our BuckIServ group worked in a Habitat for Humanity neighborhood called “Veterans’ Village”. I helped paint and put finishing touches on homes built for veterans that were currently living in impoverished conditions. The future homeowners of the specific house I was working on stopped by a few times throughout the work to check up on the progress and to help us work on the house. It was such a rewarding experience being able to meet the people that I was serving that would benefit from the hard work that I was putting in.

Year In Review (2016-2017)

It is hard to believe that my freshman year of college has already come and gone. I am currently packing away the last eight months of my life into boxes and bags, ready for the trip back home. Although the last year has flown by and it feels like I was moving in just yesterday, I have changed enormously as a person over the last school year. It has been such an eye-opening experience to watch myself become more like an adult in such a short amount of time. I am proud of of the person I became during my freshman year at OSU and I can’t wait to see who I become throughout my entire college career.

Some highlights of this past year have included watching the football team CRUSH that team up north with my older brother, traveling to New York City with the Humanities Scholars Program, and volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Eustis, Florida over spring break through BuckIServ. The friendships I formed and the memories I made throughout these endeavors have contributed greatly to my love for Ohio State and I know that this love will last a lifetime.

Although these more “extravagant” happenings of my freshman year hold great importance, it is my day to day life at OSU that has had the most impact on my love for this school. The countless walks through the Oval, the late nights studying at SEL, and the Kennedy breakfasts consisting of tofu scramble and sun butter make up the favorite moments of my freshman year.

I am sad to be leaving this place I now call home, but I am excited to be spending the summer with my family and friends back home. I can’t wait to come back in the fall and see what my sophomore year has in store!

My First Semester at OSU

I cannot believe that I am sitting here, mere days away from finishing my first semester here at OSU. I have survived the midterms, the homesickness, the large classes, the making of new friends. I have successfully transformed this once unknown campus into a new home for myself. I can attribute a lot of my academic and social success to the Humanities Scholars program. The seminar class, calendar events, and monthly meetings allowed me to get to know fellow Humanities Scholars who share similar interests with me. As a Humanities Scholar, I also got to explore areas of campus as well as Columbus including the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum, Wexner Center for the Arts, Italian Festival, Short North gallery hop, and All Hallows’ Eve at the Ohio Village. I am looking forward to the rest of my college experience as a Humanities Scholar. I am hoping to become a mentor next year to welcome incoming freshman to the Humanities Scholars program and to share with pride what a great experience being a part of this organization is.

But-Out Reflection

I would like to do yoga every day, but it is hard finding the time to do so.

I would like to start a journal, but I don’t know what to write about.

I would like to workout every day, but it is hard to find the motivation to do so.

I would like to eat a completely plant-based diet, but I really like desserts.

I would like to talk to my family back at home, but it is hard to find the time to do so.

 

I would like to do yoga every day and it is hard finding the time to do so, so I should wake up early and do yoga first thing in the morning.

I would like to start a journal and I don’t know what to write about, so I need to look online for ideas and inspiration.

I would like to workout every day and it is hard to find the motivation to do so, so I need to learn about the benefits exercise has on my body and use that as motivation.

I would like to eat a completely plant-based diet and I really like desserts, so I need to find plant-based desserts that I can eat.

I would like to talk to my family back at home and it is hard to find the time to do so, so I need to call my family while I am walking to and from classes.

Humans of OSU

apoopa

“My parents were born in South India and moved to America 20 years ago. Since they’ve lived here so long, they identify more as American than they do Indian. I am not so sure. I know that I am American but it is sometimes hard to identify with that. It’s difficult to balance the different sides of me and the different cultures of which I am a part. Being Indian and American, I feel as if I am constantly walking a tightrope between the two cultures. It is hard to remember my Indian background when I am so surrounded by American culture.” -Apoorva Vallampati

My First Week at OSU

Transitioning from high school into college is a bittersweet experience. Last week, I had to leave my family and friends and begin a new chapter of my life here at Ohio State. The thought of going weeks without seeing my loved ones scared me, but I knew that I would soon fit right in on campus and find friends and activities to keep me busy, just like at home. I was so excited to learn about all of the opportunities available to me at Ohio State from the free fitness classes at the RPAC to discounted tickets through the Student Union to the world-renowned yet personable professors that will prepare me for whatever I want to become. My first week was filled with a great deal of adjusting. Living in a dorm on such a large campus in the middle of a the metropolitan area that is Columbus was such a huge culture shock to me, as I have spent my entire life in a small suburb outside of Toledo. Now that I have been here for over a week, I am confident when I say that I have adjusted well and I can’t wait to spend the next four years of my life here. The Humanities Scholars Program helped immensely in my transition through the First Year Retreat, the learning community in Baker East, and the mentor groups. I expect to participate as a Humanities scholar as much as I can over the next four years and I hope to reciprocate all that my Humanities mentors have done for me by becoming one myself. In regards to OSU as a whole, I expect to work hard in all of the classes I take in order to prepare myself for my career and for life after graduation. I am also interested in becoming an FYE peer leader so I can help make the transition into college a little bit less stressful for upcoming freshman. My time here at Ohio State may only last four years but I hope to carry the friendships, knowledge, and experiences I have gained here with me for the rest of my life.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]