This semester at Ohio State, I pledged a co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Ever since high school, I have always done service events, such as serving meals for the homeless or helping run a vacation bible school kids camp. I was told about this fraternity by some friends who had joined the previous semester, so I decided to try it out, and it turned out to be a great fit. After the nine-week pledging process was completed, I had already fell in love with the organization. The best part about the whole thing is that the organization is filled with people who have the same mindset as me, wanting to get their own work done at college but selflessly helping others along the way.

Since joining this fraternity, I have had many opportunities to do service in and around Columbus. One of the most intriguing experiences I have had is when I helped the children, around 9 years old, of Somalian refugees with their after school homework. A few other and I drove to a neighborhood filled with refugees, and when we got out of the car, I was shocked to see how excited the kids were to see us, because they knew we were coming. This was not the first time the fraternity had done this, and because of that, the parents were happy to see us as well. For the next two hours, I helped the kids with their various subjects, math, science and reading. Not only was it a big help for the kids, but it was really cool from my point of view to help with homework that I did many years ago.

Alpha Phi Omega not only helped me give back to my community, but it was also a great way to meet new people, and I am extremely happy to have done so. Everyone brings their experiences and different personalities to the table, including varying majors and hobbies. Overall, Alpha Phi Omega has given me an opportunity to find my place at such a large university.

This year for International Affairs Scholars, we did a trip to Toronto, Ontario over fall break. During the trip, we toured both downtown and the outer parts of the city, while also exploring different important sites, such as the Royal Ontario Museum and the Toronto Ismaili Center. Throughout the trip, we learned both about the city and spent invaluable time with our classmates.

The trip represented something completely new for myself, because it was the first time I had exited the United States and entered a foreign country. This was quite the experience for me, as I was able to look at the United States, where I have live my entire life, from a different perspective. It was very interesting to be able to go through customs and get my passport stamped, as I was never able to see what that was like before. Not only was I able to explore a new country, but I was also able to explore a new city in general, which was a very unique experience. Throughout the trip, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting different famous spots throughout the city. In total, we went to Casa Loma, the Ismaili Center, the Aga Khan Museum. Kensington Market and the CN Tower. I liked the city a lot and would want to go back in the future if given the chance.

Throughout this trip, I learned a lot of information about Canada and its history, which was intriguing because throughout my past history classes I have never learned about Canadian History. The part I found most intereting was the Casa Loma exhibit. It is a mansion built like a castle on the hilltops north of Toronto. Pictured are three peers and myself representing Ohio on top of one of the towers of Casa Loma. Also, the trip to the Aga Khan Museum was very interesting because it gave me a new perspective on the religion of Islam. In middle school, I learned about different religions but never went in depth, and it was very neat to be able to see different artifacts and other factual evidence from the creation of Islam.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip to Toronto because I was exposed to many things I have never known before. I was able to go to a different country and have new experiences I never thought imaginable. I was able to learn about different parts of the city and the history behind both Canada and Toronto. After embarking on this trip, I am able to use knowledge gained about different peoples and cultures in my future endeavors at The Ohio State University and in my career

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