In order to describe myself in the autumn 2020 semester, I chose a wooden sign that says “HOME” with the “O” being the shape of Ohio. Living on my own for the first time while being here at Ohio State has unlocked many components of my life that weren’t noticeable before. For example, I am enjoying the responsibility of taking care of my own needs and managing my own schedule rather than always listening to my parents or life being dictated by my school schedule. Now, I am able to eat whatever I want whenever I want without pressure to eat with others or expectation that I eat everything put on my plate. During my time living at home, I was always responsible in getting done what needed to get done, but now I have the opportunity to fully practice my time management skills and the only person it effects is me. My “HOME” sign represents how I have grown and matured in my short time as a college student, as well as shown me that home is wherever I make it, whether it be here in Drackett Tower or back with my family. It shows my adaptability in life, which I plan to maintain and use to my advantage my entire life.

My first artifact to describe part of who I am is my 2019 indoor track and field state meet qualifier shirt. I think this shirt can represent part of who I am through its story. For me, when I look at that shirt, I think of all the hard work, perseverance, and team building skills I learned during the 2019 indoor track and field season. Kids from my school hardly succeeded in track and I wanted to change that alongside my teammates. I worked harder than I have ever worked before during the offseason and especially throughout the course of the actual season in order to achieve my goal of qualifying for the state meet, even though it was difficult to keep racing when I wasn’t performing as I wanted to. In the end however, my dedication paid off, which is why this shirt means so much to me.