Being presented the opportunity to “interview” one of my mentors, Katie Gorman (a second year Evolution and Ecology Major), turned out to be a lot more insightful than I had originally imagined. Katie had a lot of cool stories and advice to share with me and her answers to my questions were very unique and they provided me with a better understanding on what to expect in my new life as a college student. Starting off with every student’s favorite topic, I asked Katie what her most challenging class was and how she got through it. Although she answered with Organic Chemistry, a class which many people agree is difficult, her reasoning for why she believed it was difficult was though-provoking. As a person who is fond of science, Katie told me that O-Chem was strange for her because it forced her to work hard on a subject that she liked. This was weird for her because she was used to putting in extra effort for classes that didn’t come to her naturally, unlike chemistry classes which she usually enjoyed. This made me realize that no matter what you do in life, you will always come across projects or tasks which you believe are impossible to solve, even in the field you are most passionate about! However, this doesn’t mean you should go find another passion or skip over the task. Katie’s advice on how to succeed in hard classes proved this to me. She said that when you realize a class is going to be difficult, you have to stay on top of the material and study actively. Basically, she advised me to work hard and truly learn the material instead of attempt to comprehend it enough to pass a test.
Moving on from academics, I then asked Katie about volunteering opportunities and internships she has participated in at OSU and how exactly she got involved with them. That’s when she told me about the job shadow opportunity she received with the Fish and Wildlife service. To me, the cool thing about this was that ENR introduced her to this opportunity. She talked about this experience with lots of excitement. Katie volunteered with them twice. One of the opportunities involved introducing children to the wetlands to provide them with a chance to experience the outdoors. I thought this seemed like a cool project to participate in because not only was she able to learn more about the environment, she was also able to give children a chance to learn about it, too. Being able to pass knowledge to others, especially through hands-on experiences like this, is one of the many things I am excited for in ENR.
This led to my third question which was about how to make the most of ENR. Katie’s advice on this question was very inspirational. She told me the best way to make the most of ENR was to get involved and take initiative. Katie helped me realize that ENR is a program which each member has the ability to change and edit to gear it more towards their own interests. She emphasized that I need to take advantage of this moldable nature of the program. We then talked about outdoor adventure, something we are both passionate about. This helped me reflect more about the camping trip to Hocking Hills and the memories and friendships I made there. This then made me even more excited for future ENR events. Katie also mentioned to me the possibility of applying for the leadership council. She talked about how it pushed her to get out of her comfort zone and participate in public speaking. Listening to her talk about how this program is helping her become a better speaker was inspiring.
Later on, we talked about our dream jobs. She told me that her goal is to do conservation research. However, her dream job is to study conservation biology at the Smithsonian! This led to us talking about Bones, a TV show we both enjoyed very much. Talking about something as interesting and personal as our dreams really helped me realize that all the members of ENR scholars form a family and that we all have eachother’s backs. This was a really comforting concept for me to realize so soon in the year!
The last question I asked Katie was about what the most important thing she had learned at OSU was so far. She told me that she was amazed by how much she had changed during her first year. She was shocked at how accurate the common cliché was, but she told me that once she allowed herself to change, she realized how great college was. She also advised me to take care of myself and learn to balance my interests with my classwork. This was great advice because I came into college stressed out about how I was going to attempt to manage schoolwork with life. When Katie told me that I needed to realize the importance of being able to balance work and fun by putting aside time for a break doing things I enjoyed, I was able to really comprehend the fact that I was going to be okay and have a great college experience. Overall, talking to Katie helped me realize that even though college wouldn’t be easy, I will be able to make it through. She also helped me appreciate the ENR program more because I realized all of the opportunities it offers to me (both in and outside of my major). Without ENR, I wouldn’t have discovered the Mountaineering club, which is something I am very excited for. All in all, I am very happy to be a part of ENR scholars at OSU and I know now that with the help of my friends, professors, and both my mentors, I will be able to achieve anything I strive for here at OSU.