AUTUMN 2017:

My first semester at The Ohio State University has been a whirlwind. Looking back, there were so many great moments despite the immense workload. My first memories of OSU were formed during welcome week. I really enjoyed arriving early with the rest of the Dunn Sport and Wellness program, as this gave us time to bond prior to having to worry about classes and assignments. The amazing race was a great way for us to bond with our DSWS families and begin to learn the layout of the city surrounding campus. The day where we went to the activities in the woods during welcome week was also a great experience. This was a really good way for the first years in DSWS to bond and get to know people we may not have previously interacted with. Once classes began, it became more difficult to find time during the week to spend time with friends, as the workload was fairly heavy, especially with classes like Chemistry. However, this intensive academic environment made those moments where we could simply relax and hang out that much more special and memorable. Early on a large group of us went to see the movie “It” at the AMC movie theater by Target. This was one of the first times we got off campus to do something as a group which made for a memorable experience. Another very memorable moment for me was getting my first Chemistry midterm grade. I was very worried going into this class that I wouldn’t be able to pass but after beating the test average by over 15 points, this showed me that if I continued to put in the required work, I could achieve my goal of finishing college with at least a 3.8 GPA.

SPRING 2018:

My second semester of my freshman year has certainly been full of ups and downs, but overall has been a success so far and I feel I will come out of this semester a stronger person and more aware of myself. I have just finished my bulking phase of bodybuilding and have now entered my contest preparation phase. This means a much stricter diet and intensified workout regimen, but I feel that this added structure and clear goal in sight will help me to thrive. This also means I will need more sleep than I required in the past, so I may have to sacrifice some social time for my physical well being. Academically I currently have three A’s and what is likely a B in chemistry, but I hope to pull that up to a B+ by the end of the semester and maintain my other grades. The Dunn Scholars program has helped me to make connections this semester through our weekly meetings where we engage with working professionals. One particularly beneficial meeting for me was when Nicki Meyer came in to talk with us. Her discussion of how important positive energy really stuck with me, as I feel that positivity is a very powerful tool and reminding yourself to stay positive can actually have a biological impact on brain chemistry. I’ve also learned a lot about people from my involvement with the DSWS program. We are an intellectually diverse group so getting to hear varying opinions on issues and consider new perspectives have been extremely advantageous to my growth as an individual. When I joined DSWS and entered college, I was an extremely shy individual. It took my a while to get firmly cemented in college but now I feel that I am a more outgoing and open person and actually feel more comfortable opening up to others. I still have to work at being more outgoing and open, but I do at least feel that I am on the right track towards improving this. I am going to do everything in my power to finish this semester strong and set myself on a path towards achieving success in my major and in my next bodybuilding competitions.