This is my first interview with my mentee. Breanna Snow is a first year majoring in exercise science. She does not have a minor yet but is curious about ASL if she does end up needing a minor. I have asked Breanna a series of questions and we went into great detail for each.

• What has been your most challenging class so far and why?

“Chemistry has been my most challenging class so far because it is all new material to me and it is hard to learn it all online”. We talked about almost everyone who takes gen chem struggles, but I realized that was with in person class, recitation, and office hours. Being online is hard because you feel more and more disconnected with your class and TA to ask questions, and it is a hard class to tackle your first semester of college online.  

• Why did you choose ACES?

“I chose ACES because in high school I was involved with Key Club which also did community service activities and projects”.  I was not aware of what Key Club is because my school never had that and I am not sure if OSU has one either. After talking, it is similar to other community service clubs like LEOS club that I had in my high school. I enjoyed hearing about her community services and passion for helping people. Bre likes working with kids, so I suggested doing pen pals, which is a club that writes to Columbus city school kids and be a mentor and friend to them. I think she would like to join. ACES has lots of community service events as well and we learn a lot about how to address certain situations we may not have been aware of before.

• What kind of involvement are you interested in on campus?“Because I did Key Club in high school, I am possibly interested in a circle k club”. Again, I suggested other clubs I am aware of like pen pals, but also joining a sorority. I know sororities have a lot of events and are involved in the community with food drives, clothing donation, and soup kitchens. although I am not in a sorority, I though having a different experience and trying something I haven’t tried would be cool and great to talk about. She is very interested in being involved in the community, but hates virtual service events, which I totally agree with. we are hoping for next year to have more insolvent and options in person. 

• What is your dream job and why?

“My dream job is to be a pediatric physical therapist at either a children’s hospital or at a preschool”.

I thought this was perfect for her since we talked about how much she likes helping people and enjoys working with kids. She is also a swimmer, so helping people get back into the physical shape and state they were in is probably close to her. Even if she worked with athletes would be really cool and an option she can look into.

•  What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus

“I was really surprised with how easy campus was to navigate and how small it felt once I got used to it because when I was first looking at going there it felt way bigger”. I think many students feel this way, even our families. I felt like OSU was so big and I would get lost often, but walking on campus helped me get to know the area more and I was able to make the big campus feel smaller and find my community within it. Im glad she feels this way, even with online classes.

I plan to use all of this info to help plan our trips and activities next semester. I will also help with communication and future discussions on her life and in school.

This year, my mentee Breanna Snow and I had a virtual explore Columbus event via FaceTime. First we talked about our day and any life updates we wanted to share. Breanna is a life guard at you community pool, which she says is very hectic since every school in her district are not using this same pool. I told her about my new job as a tutor, and we talked about how classes and finals are going. After catching up on our daily lives, we discussed what we would have done if we were in person. I told Breanna all about the short north market–which is a great place for getting a variety of foods and goods like bubble tea or waffles, as well as Condado’s Mexican place, which is an amazing build your own taco restaurant. I know that my mentee loves Mexican food which is why condados tacos was the best locations. I also learned that she likes bubble tea and fresh veggies, which is why the market was a great spot as well. The market has all the things we both like as well as some new options we could both try. During the call, I walked through how the day would go. The main resource mentioned was the COTA bus, which I explained is great to use while she is a student here at Ohio State. The COTA is free with just a swipe of our buck ID which is great traveling and exploring Columbus any day of the week. I also explained how she can use it and next get lost by using her Ohio State App. The app shows when the busses will arrive and where, as well as which bus is the best option to take when traveling. I also showed her how the app shows you what stores and shops use and can accept Buck ID cash, which is a great way to spend you money without spending your actual money. I showed her how to all works and how I bought so many things like clothes and food with my buck ID.

After we discussed how we must get together in person. next semester for our explore Columbus trip, Breanna has expressed some frustration with getting out and exploring Columbus due to lack of interest and communication with her peers this semester. Being a part of the Stadium Scholarship Program (which I was also a part of), she saw that many people in her dorm are not at close and inclusive as I described to her from previous years. Before, we would do community service together, have competitions, celebrate birthdays, and even have moviemakers nights in the common areas together with gatherings over 15 people. Without getting to know people outside of zoom calls, it is hards to get people to meet up in person and go on adventurous trips with you, especially in the middle of a pandemic. She also told me that many resources are not only new, but not understood since it wasn’t explained in person. I understand her frustration, especially as a freshman. This is not how anyone envisions their years in college–being lost and confused with only online friends. I tried to answer as many questions and concerns she had, and hoped it helped for further experiences. I hope things get back to normal next year so freshman like Breanna can explore Columbus and enjoy their college experience. I remember exploring Columbus almost ever weekend I could with my friends, many that I met through aces. If it weren’t for the pandemic, Im sure Breanna would have fun and experience a great time in the city as much as she could, while also doing well in school and in the classroom.

It has been hard to connect to Breanna online because I was used to being with my mentor all in person with face to face interactions all last year. It is hard to have motivation to do anything in the middle of a pandemic. Many people are scared to leave the house, or even come to campus to engage in activities or get out and meet new people. I think my relationship could have been a lot stronger if we had more things like meetings, events, social gatherings, and activities in person so we could have face to face conversations. Now, they feel so less personal and important to the other. although we got to share things that are difficult for each other, it would have been better to do more with each other.

On November 16, my group presented a project on the documentary The Homestretch, which is about youth homelessness in Chicago. The documentary focused on three students that each had different situations that caused them to become homeless. The documentary also showed the different programs in Chicago in the public school system, and in the public, like food kitchens, and homeless shelters. The programs provided flood, shelter, education, transportation, and career resources/opportunities for these kids. It was an eye opening documentary that everyone should watch because it can help others see that being homeless is just a situation and doesn’t define someone. It also helps others develop cultural sensitivity and to become more aware of these situations and realize their privilege that is taken for granted. This is important to me because I have seen friends at home suffer with homelessness. It is hard to understand other peoples situations without knowing them or their story, but it can help better understand why they are the way they are. I want to be an active volunteer for youth homelessness in my community and help kids get out of bad situations and to be apart of a better life.

This is a picture of my close friends on my track team my senior year of high school. They have pushed me and taught me what a leader should be like, what a teammate should be like, what a sister and friends should be like. I learned a lot my senior year. We each had victory’s as well has rough patches, but that helped us grow closer. As I moved away from home for college, many of them stayed home, or are still in high school (they were underclassmen). They look up to me for being a student athlete at a huge and well known university. I am motivated to do well in school not just for my future, but for them to be motivated and to have a role model. I still stay in contact with them as well. It is important to stay in touch and check up on people to make sure they are achieving the goals they set for themselves. It helps when there is someone there to help you.