These multipurpose rain boots are also multicultural. They have left tracks in the Central American rainforest, El Garbo (a first-world farming community), Nicaraguan farms, and Maryland and Virginia for an animal welfare internship. They have been in a field of horned bulls at a bull breeding farm in Spain. They’ve also been placed in Spanish stirrups in Andalusia. Next summer they will return to Nicaragua to implement animal welfare practices on family farms. The cross-cultural boots represent my exploration of the fields of Animal Sciences.

The continent-treading rain boots represent two key themes of my first undergraduate year: adaptability and resilience.

Rain boots are adaptable to different climates. The boots’ adaptability reflect the manner with which I transitioned into Ohio State. I was required to revisit my study skills and change them to match the rigor of college science courses. After living in the suburbs of Chicago since toddlerhood, the transition into the culture of Animal Sciences required open-mindedness and willingness to understand the perspectives of those who grew up in agriculture. Additionally, the transition from a school with 1200 students to a university with 65,000 challenged my ability to stand out as an individual in an academic setting. I met the challenge by getting to know my professors on a personal level. I maintained integrity in and out of the classroom, and I consistently exhibited character during interactions on and off campus. This character consistency, along with my pursuit of leadership positions, enabled me to stand out this year, even among thousands of students at The Ohio State University.

The rubber rain boots are resilient to pressures; they reassume their shape after being bent or crushed. The boots’ resilience to changes symbolizes my response to challenges this year. After receiving low test scores in general chemistry during the first semester, I returned second semester with improved study skills to raise my test scores in the second general chemistry course. Family challenges caused a major distraction during the second semester, but I separated those distractions from my academics and continued to succeed through the end of the year.

This oath was created by the ODI Morrill Scholars Class of 2019, of which I am a member. I was awarded the Distinction title after demonstrating my commitment to diversity and inclusion. This oath is the reason that I attend the Ohio State University; it speaks to my values of open-mindedness, inclusivity, lifelong education, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. These values derive from my Unitarian Universalist roots and the environment in which I grew up.

I plan to enact the promises laid out in the oath by studying abroad, advocating for a diverse environment on and off campus, and striving to learn about the abundant culture and representation at Ohio State.