This first image feature the iconic and necessary O-H-I-O picture. It was my first time ever making one, and I did so on the ENR camping trip. This image is significant to me since it was my first time ever making the O-H-I-O as a true buckeye. I had never gone camping regularly, but this trip only reinvigorated my love for the outdoors. I watched as some of my peers showcased expert-level camping skills, while others were just down to pee in the woods. I loved it. I decided that whenever I had the opportunity, I would take part in a camping trip, and I did so for the Lake Hope Camping trip in the spring semester.

 This is perhaps my favorite picture on this list. It was the first picture I took with the four best friends I met in college. It was before the first football game we went to together, Ohio State vs. Western Michigan. Though I will always cheer for my buckeyes, the significance of this picture isn’t the win, but the friends behind it. Our little group formed on the camping trip, and stayed together ever since. In high school, I was rather quiet and stayed within my comfort zone.  When I first arrived, I learned college was a place to start over, and simply be yourself. It’s personalities, not clicks, that form friendships. I loved it. I became best friends with people who I may have never encountered in high school, and I am so grateful for it. This is possibly the greatest aspect about college, people seek out those who are kind and respectful. Keeping this in mind, I want to continue my college career without fears of judgment or insecurity.

I love this picture because it is a perfect representation of making the best out of a bad situation.  It is widely known that the class of 2019 is the first Ohio State class required to live on campus for their sophomore year.  I would not necessarily call living in Morrill Tower a bad situation, though I was initially disappointed when I learned it was the dorm for ENR scholars. However, not only did I fall in love with Morrill, we created one of the coolest dorms on campus. Maureen and I moved both of our bunk beds to one side of the room to create space for a hangout are and a card table. Instead of sulking about our living situation, we did something to change it. I am proudly returning to Morrill tower, and participating in STEP. I want to continue with this attitude, making the best of a bad situation, and responding to adversity with positivity.

This picture is a view from inside the Ohio State steam tunnels. We scavenged through them one night with a grand pursuit of adventure. I like this picture because it represents my adventurous side. I like to explore and and do some wild things, something I fear I did not do enough of in college. That’s why I like this picture, since it shows something crazy and adventurous. I feel that I spent a lot of my time on weekends just hanging out with friends, when I could have sought exploration of abandoned buildings or found some interesting hole-in-the-wall places of Columbus. I want to begin next semester with this attitude in mind, and make the most of my time spent in the amazing city of Columbus.

This picture was our last weekend at Ohio State before finals week. Maureen, Matt, and I decided to go to the spring concert. There, we ran into some friends from south campus, Katie and Clay. Not only was this concert amazing, and the memories I shared with friends, I knew I wanted to spend more time with friends throughout campus. Living so far away in Morrill, you can become stuck inside your own little shell. Next semester I want to make sure I make the effort to explore things beyond this shell, such as intramural sports, and simply hang out on the oval for a bit.

All in all, I absolutely loved my first year at Ohio State. There is a reason why I cried when I locked the door to room 1012 one last time. College has been an amazing experience so far, and I learned many things about myself as well as the world around me. In regards to the Earth Month Challenge, the weeks I spent actively reusing and composting forced me to embrace the amount of waste myself and my school produces. I learned a lot about recycling, what is accepted and what is not. As I go forward, I want to keep in mind this knowledge of recyclable items, and reuse as much as possible. The service I have done with ENR scholars has been a great experience as well, but I do wish to serve the world in a greater manner. I plan to either work as an STNA for the Wexner Center next semester, or simply volunteer at the hospital as a plan to do this summer.  If I hadn’t participated in Environmental Scholars, I never would have formed the amazing relationships with my best friends, or made memories that will last a lifetime.