This Snellen Letter is dedicated to you! We are so incredibly proud of all you have accomplished and look forward to watching you achieve all that you have been working toward these past four years. You have left a lasting mark on our community and our hearts. It seems like just yesterday, you received your white coats! Next step: Doctoral hoods!

Be mindful of your self-care routine during finals week – take breaks, eat, sleep, laugh, take walks, talk to family or friends, etc.

To support your study breaks, starting on Wednesday, April 27, we will have snacks and other stress-relief items in common areas around Fry Hall. These treats are courtesy of a generous gift from Ohio State’s Student Life Wellness Center. Enjoy!

Need a tip for something you can do to relieve stress during finals week? Try practicing gratitude! Here are some tips for how to easily get started.

Finally, take a quick moment to reflect on how far you have come this year! Acknowledge and celebrate all you have learned and how you have grown and changed since August. Really, you are amazing!

Mental Health Awareness Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness around your own mental health, the mental health of others and how both impact the communities to which we belong. Raising awareness reduces the stigma around help seeking and opens up discussion about how we are really doing and the support we need in our lives. We all play a role in creating a campus culture of care. Here’s a place you can begin: Learn how to “Seize the Awkward.” Check out these conversation guides and tips to help you have conversations about mental health.

First, please transition your bank accounts to new club leaders before the end of the semester. If bank accounts are not properly transferred, your club may not be eligible for college funding or for registration with the university. Second, please send your new officer lists to Jen Bennett as soon as possible. If you have decided not to hold your elections until the fall semester, no problem, just let Jen know. If you have questions, contact Jen at bennett.1075@osu.edu.

Would you like to mentor an undergraduate student? Apply to join Buckeyes Forward, a new mentoring program in the Office of Student Life. By creating a structured support system, the mentorship program fosters a sense of inclusion and belonging while contributing to personal and professional development. Applications are open through Friday, May 13 at 11:59 p.m. on the Student Life website.

It’s never too early to start! Remember the resume workshops we held in OptomEyes and Dr. Fries’ class this year? If not, we have you covered! Everything you need is on your class Carmen page in the “Prepare for your Job Search, Residency Match, or Other Post-Graduation Plans” module. Here, you will find a recorded version of the resume workshop, a resume/cv template (with guidance!) a sample cover letter/letter of intent AND we even threw in a list of action verbs to help you write those bullet points! When you have a draft, contact Jen Bennett or Dr. Fries and we can help review your documents.

Jen Bennett, 614-292-2973, bennett.1075@osu.edu
Candace Johnson, 614-292-4247, johnson.5380@osu.edu
Becca Roby, 614-292-0497, roby.77@osu.edu

Dr. Shawn Levstek continues to be available to students via teletherapy on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and he also will be available for in-person sessions on Mondays in Fry Hall 539, if desired. All students with questions or concerns can contact Dr. Levstek directly at levstek.4@osu.edu. In addition, all Counseling and Consultation Service resources remain available, and that office can be reached at 614-292-5766 for crisis or urgent support, 24/7.

• If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19: Students can be tested with an order from a Student Health Services’ medical provider or a referral from the contact tracing team. For instructions for obtaining an order from a Student Health Services medical provider, please visit https://safeandhealthy.osu.edu/information/current-students/testing/symptomatic-testing. You can reach the contact tracing team at 614-688-2273 or ContactTracing@osu.edu.
• If you suspect you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are asymptomatic: contact the contact tracing team at 614-688-2273 or ContactTracing@osu.edu. You will be contacted, interviewed and given appropriate guidelines.
• If you happen to obtain a positive test OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY, you must report your positive test to the OSU Case Investigation Contact Tracing Team (CICTT) at 614-688-2273 or ContactTracing@osu.edu.
• Any positive COVID test must also be reported to the college so that patient care, laboratory, and teaching schedules can be appropriately managed. It is your responsibility to follow all absence notification procedures and personally notify your course or lab instructor of your absence. For clinic absences, e-mail your attending, service chief, and Kristen Campbell, campbell.2295@osu.edu. For EWG absences, e-mail Jeff Rohlf, rohlf.4@osu.edu.
• Please read all e-mail messages from the university carefully and follow all safety and testing protocols.
• For the latest university news, information, and resources related to COVID-19, visit https://safeandhealthy.osu.edu/current-students.
• Current university mask requirements and locations where you can obtain masks on campus: https://safeandhealthy.osu.edu/personal-protection-hygiene.
• Current university event and gathering guidelines: https://safeandhealthy.osu.edu/events.