On Saturday February 9th I participated in OSU’s annual BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon, the largest student led organization in Ohio, for 12 hours. I was lucky enough to be able to join the Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars Team where we were the third top fundraising team, contributing to the $1,704,184.19 that were raised for the children at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. BuckeyeThon is an event I had always dreamed about being apart of as I this cause is very special to me, and being a part of this day allowed me to witness the impact that thousands of people coming together for this cause can have on the lives of those suffering on a daily basis. Being a source of hope and inspiration for the kids by participating in games, dancing around the clock, and raising money for childhood cancer was just a small aspect

of this day that will stick with me for many years to come. Through this experience, I learned that fighting for those who can not reminds me not only of the importance of creating purpose in my everyday life but also the direct impact that my presence can make in the lives of those dealing with serious illnesses. BuckeyeThon truly lives out the saying of “Every Kid Deserves to be a Buckeye,” providing a perfect reminder to fight for what is good, no matter what position this may be in. Because of service, I am grateful for people around me who fight for better tomorrows.

<3 FTK

On Sunday, November 18th I volunteered at another local race, the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k and 5k run in downtown Columbus for 6 hours. This race promotes its runners to run for chocolate all while benefiting the Make- A- Wish foundation. Their website, https://www.hotchocolate15k.com/columbus/learn/about-us , provided helpful information regarding both the race and the volunteering opportunity. While volunteering here, I worked at the finish line, filling and handing out Gatorade cups to the finishers. As a result of my service, I learned that even while in college, I have the capability to become connected to the community. By making connections with those outside of OSU’s campus, I can gain more knowledge from the people and stories that I encounter along the way. This will help me grow as a person, and thus a leader. Because of volunteering I am better connected to the community in which I live in.

On Sunday, October 21st, myself and many of my fellow Dunn Scholars peers volunteered at water stop 12 in the Columbus Marathon for a total of 5 hours. I learned about this opportunity through our weekly scholars email and thought it would be fun to be apart of the event. I had previously watched my sister run in this event, but after hearing the director of the Columbus Marathon speak at our scholar’s meeting, I was amazed at all of the work that goes into this. In my volunteer hours here, I helped set up tables of Gatorade and water cups that the runners would receive at mile 17.3. Through this event, I learned that I could make a connection with someone, regardless of how fast they were passing by. Many runners stopped and made funny comments about their struggle in the race, but I learned that even by being a volunteer at water station, I could continue to provide encouragement and motivation to the runners. Volunteering has allowed me to see how even the smallest efforts make a big event possible, because without volunteers, this event would be missing a major component that makes it run smoothly. Because of volunteering I am more aware of how a small amount of time can go a long way and really make someone’s day.