1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.  

For my STEP Signature Project I had an internship with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. As the communications and marketing intern, I worked on various internal and external assignments such as writing monthly columns, website uploads, creating a monthly internal newsletter, and social media- related projects.  

1. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.  

Working for the Ohio Chamber changed my views about the world in many ways, both professionally and socially. However, the one thing I learned most about myself was how much I enjoyed doing fulfilling work. Because our organization is so heavily involved with politics, I had many opportunities to educate myself and others about the different issues impacting the lives of everyday Ohioans. One of my favorite columns I wrote focused on the importance of childcare accessibility; I found it very fulfilling to write about a topic that was so important to the community and state. This taught me how important it is to always advocate for others, especially when you are in a position to help uplift underrepresented voices.  

1. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.  

There were many aspects of this internship that impacted my development. For one, the events and workshops that I’ve attended and participated in have impacted my growth as an individual and professional tremendously. This year, the Chamber decided we would be putting on more events than we had in previous years. Each of our events touch on themes from The Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future, a comprehensive report that focuses on six strategic areas of opportunity to increase Ohio’s competitiveness including Education & Workforce, Sense of Place, Taxes & Costs, Business Friendliness, Innovation & Collaboration, and Infrastructure. Some of these summits included a Women in Business event, State of Business event, and more. These events allowed me to learn about the issues impacting Ohio while engaging with professionals and experts from all over the state. 

Furthermore, the relationships I have built at the Chamber have helped me enhance my understanding of our political climate. Many of my coworkers are at the statehouse every week to help push for different bills and because of this, I’ve gotten to learn so much about advocacy and policies. This has allowed me to have a better understanding on the tremendous opportunity working for the Chamber provides when it comes for advocating for Ohioans and making a difference in our community.  

Finally, I learned how important doing purposeful work is for me. I never imagined I would ever work in politics, but working for the Chamber has opened my eyes to how much I enjoy doing the type of fulfilling work that being involved with politics provides. I find that I am more motivated to do my work when I know it is important, so I have really appreciated having the opportunity to educate myself and others on matters that are impacting everyday people.  

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans.

I have always known I’ve wanted to be an author, and as a creative writer, I know how it is essential to weave different themes and ideas into the message of the story. Working for the Chamber has helped me understand the opportunity that fiction writing provides: the chance to disect real-world problems and share them with readers in a different light. I admire when authors can use their work as a commentary on present day, and after realizing how much I enjoy writing about political matters, this internship has ultimately given me the foundation to implement real-world issues into my work and create stories that will have a stronger impact on my readers.

My STEP Signature Project in Frankfurt, Germany focused on providing consulting services to ECO Group, a conglomerate of companies focused on providing sustainable personal care solutions to all. Within this, we were asked to help ECO Group with their expansion into the U.S. market since there is a ton of opportunity. This entailed conducting research and creating a plan for one company in the portfolio, Ben&Anna, to make the transition into a new market smooth and simple.

In America, there is a ton of value placed on work as it is seen as the centerfold of our lives by many. This is a concept I’ve struggled with because I truly value everything outside of my work life so much and have grown to be extremely thankful for the freedom I have as a student. Being overseas in Germany I witnessed a lack of emphasis on work and more on well-being. People do not live every hour of their lives worrying about the next big thing at work and rather are always lax to the point where it sometimes feels like everyone isn’t even working. I had always heard of people saying in America we live to work but in Europe, they work to live. Overall, I gained a greater appreciation for another way to live life while feeling a greater understanding behind American work culture.

As it pertains to this transformation, I have been a huge people watcher ever since I was younger. The small details I noticed truly emphasized the massive difference in cultures. To start, people normally take their time as for example, people would go grab an hour-long lunch break in the middle of the day to just enjoy themselves. This is extremely abnormal in America as we tend to take 30-minute breaks or just eat while working. While they take this time to eat people will even enjoy alcohol to loosen up and just let the time pass. There is such an emphasis on maximizing your work value, but with work unions as well there is so much job security overseas where it isn’t a huge worry for people.

Adding on to the part about loosening up, when working at the start-up, people weren’t ever stressing heavily about the next big item. Granted there are times when everything picked up, but it never felt like there was an urgent situation at hand that would lead to a huge problem. When I worked in corporate America at a large tech. consulting firm, there was always a sense of urgency to the point where if the work was not done well, it would be awful for my performance along with my team. This leads to people treating everything differently with pushing long days, etc, whereas people in Germany were done at 5 and always go to enjoy something rather than going home to work.

Lastly, when talking to people these differences were recognized again. There were countless people I talked to around Europe sharing how their first thought was never their work. I feel as though I’ve seen and talked to plenty of seasoned workers in America providing context to how late they work, how they are always stressed, and how it doesn’t slow down. The European people I talked to were always comfortable with what they had and didn’t feel as though they needed a ton to live a good life. Because of this, jobs were never daunting to them and they shared there’s no extensive need to climb the corporate ladder. This creates an astronomically different environment in your day-to-day life.

As someone who places a ton of value on having a good enough work-life balance to do the bare minimum, seeing Europeans live so freely reemphasized my want to make sure I sacrifice when I’m younger to be able to spend the proper time where needed. In the U.S. I recognize we will not live as carefree as they do, but there can be steps taken to make sure you can have it all in your life, just at different times. It truly showed me to not shy away from my beliefs and stick to my want to eventually have the flexibility to be as carefree as they are sooner than later.

1. For my STEP signature project, I participated in the “Fisher Global Consulting Corporate, Milan, Italy” program for the month of May. I worked for Safeguard Global which is a IT and HR consulting firm where we assisted in boosting their outreach to clients and applicants for their various vacancies. We also worked on improving their LinkedIn profiles and page overall.
2. During my stay in Milan, Italy, working for Safeguard Global, my understanding of international business and cultural diversity significantly deepened. I was able to immerse myself in the Italian business environment by collaborating with a diverse team that overall broadened my perspective on global business operations. Witnessing firsthand how the Italians approached problem-solving and business negotiations between the company and possible clients challenged my initial assumptions and taught me the value of adaptability and cultural significance.My experience expanded my view of the world as I was also able to live in a new country for extended period of time and work with new people. The decisions I made and advice that my team gave at the end of the project helped me to see the great responsibility that they hold in their market. Overall, my time in Milan was a very good experience that has helped me to understand global business and the important of culture.
3. Several key events, interactions, and activities during my STEP project in Milan led to the transformation in my understanding of international business and cultural diversity. One of the most impactful experiences was the opportunity to work closely with other Ohio State students and new people that are based In Milan with Safeguard Global. Being able to collaborate together from different backgrounds was very eye opening and helped us to come together as we all worked on our project and presentation. This environment was challenging but also very fun as we were able to have lots of lunches together and spend some time out of the office too! 

   Another significant aspect of the trip was the time we were able to spend visiting the city of Milan. It was a very beautiful city that we were able to visit very well after work and on the weekends. Based on recommendations from our company we visited my historic sites, monuments, parks, and restaurants. This brought our overall group of 16 from OSU closely together as we spent a lot of time exploring together. This helped me to see various aspects of the city I would have never seen if it weren’t for my peers with me.

    

   Lastly, I believe the weekend trip that we took to Florence had a great impact on my overall experience. We were fortunate to find a great place to stay which led us to see all of the great culture of the city. Similar to Milan, we visited many museums, monuments, and overlooks. I was able to see the cultural impacts as well as we ventured out into the hills of Tuscany for a very fun vespa tour!

4. This change in my life directly enhanced my academic, personal, and professional goals. It was my dream to study abroad at some point in my college career and this program did a great job of making that come true. I was able to understand the internation business processes of Italy and the cultural diversity that comes with it. I will now be able to continue my learns at Ohio State with new knowledge of business operations from a worldly view. 

   On a more personal level, the project helped me to become more open minded and accepting of new things and adventures. I was able to navigate living in a new country along with my classmates for 3 weeks long which I never imagined would be possible. The memories I made will forever last! Professionally, I will be able to take new skills to the work force that I’ve developed during my stay in Milan. Overall, this program taught me many things and helped me become a more well-rounded business student!

During the Summer of 2024, I took the opportunity to take part in the Fisher Global Consulting Program, and spent nearly a month in Singapore on a consulting project. I worked for Pasture Group, a local pharmaceuticals and medical supplies company. During this time, I worked on a few projects with a team of four other individuals, which allowed me to gain some experience as an intern. The projects included detailing a guide on the different products the company sells, developing a database for the company to establish partnerships with nonprofits and health ministries of other nations, as well as going into the warehouse and providing solutions for processing orders. I also developed a deeper understanding of the industry and how it works, as well as knowledge about the consulting field.

One of the major things I learned about myself is that I thrive a lot more when I am with people that come from different walks of life. Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures and languages. Being around people that are different means being able to appreciate and understand different perspectives, especially in such an environment. I also developed an appreciation for people working in the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies industry. During my time as an intern, I learned of different regulations and policies that products have to go through before being approved and sold in other countries. Prior to that, I did not realize the work and effort it takes for that to happen. One of the values that the Pasture Group had was to put people and community first. This is something that aligned with me personally, and I felt like I was doing just that during my time there.

There were a lot of things that happened during this time that resulted in my transformation. As mentioned before, Singapore is a very diverse country, with people coming from different backgrounds. Even at work, there were a lot of people who were from other countries other than Singapore. Apart from that, I also was with fellow students from Ohio State with whom I got to share this experience. Apart from working at our respective companies, we also spent time with each other and explored the city. One of the most special moments that I still think about was doing a river cruise and looking at the city skyline.

 One of the projects I really enjoyed doing was building a database for the company. As an Information Systems major, this project really aligned with my interests and what I want to do. It allowed me to apply technology to business in order to make things more efficient. The project itself allowed me to apply and improve my technical skills while also narrowing down specific fields I would like to pursue post-graduation.

Another event that will stay with me during this time was doing a weekend trip with my group to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since we did not work on the weekends, we had the idea of traveling to another country in Southeast Asia. This was another opportunity for me to learn about and appreciate another country, its people and culture. Being in the city reminded me a lot of my own childhood, visiting family overseas. We also did a tour of the Mekong River and its surrounding areas. Getting to learn about the land and the people made me develop a greater appreciation for the things I have in my life, and realize that some people are not as fortunate.

The opportunity to intern in a different country, and the other activities and events that came with it had a profound impact on me. For one, I gained internship experience, which I had been nervous about before. I was not sure what would come out of it or what I wanted to do afterwards. However, it actually allowed me to narrow down my interests and in which direction I wanted to go in post-graduation. I also really enjoy traveling and getting to visit other countries and learning about them, which I was able to do. Not only was I exposed to different cultures, values and perspectives, but I also learned that I would love to work and live abroad one day. It would allow me to continue learning outside the classroom and understand the world around me. Though that time flew by fast, it is also a major highlight of my time as undergraduate student at The Ohio State University.

1. My STEP project was used for the Fisher Global Consulting Program. I went to Sweden with a group of Ohio State students and participated in an project for a company called Scania. My group and I presented to a panel of professionals about how AI can help with service sales.

2. When I went to Sweden for my STEP Signature Project, I didn’t really know what to expect. I have never gone to the nordic countries before and I was a little nervous when I got there. But, once I got there, there was nothing to really worry about. In Sweden, our group was based in Stockholm which is the capital of Sweden. It had some familiarities to American cities but at the same time it was totally different. We got around by train, which made it really easy to go where we wanted to. After I got back, it made me realize there is so much to see in this world. Sometimes we can think America is the center of the world, and most of the time it is. But, I realized that I want to see other things than just America. I want to travel and appreciate other counties and live my life to the fullest.

3. While I was in Sweden, I think I realized a lot of things that I would not have if I were to stay in America. The whole experience really opened my eyes to many different things. From realizing what I want to do in the future for my job to learning that I want to explore this world as much as possible. And I did not know that I would have this feeling when getting back to the United States.

First of all, I think that this STEP Signature Project made me realize that my job will not be as important to me as I thought it would. The work culture in Sweden is a lot different than in the United States. In Sweden, people get in at 9, have an hour lunch break, and go home at 3. And here it’s a strict 9 to 5, and companies expect you to work at home as well. It just is a totally different philosophy than here in America. And that made me realize how much I want to prioritize my job, and it might not be as high as I thought. Don’t get me wrong, a job is very important, but I don’t think it will be as high of a priority as I thought.

While I was in Sweden, we had the chance to explore Stockholm and I really enjoyed it. It is a totally different city than I thought it was going to be. There was a bunch of canals that ran through the city, and it was really beautiful. In this STEP project, I had the chance to travel to Spain for a few days, which I really enjoyed. In Europe, everything is close together so we were bale to travel another country. I enjoyed this a lot, and I felt like I enjoyed Spain a lot more. This made me realize that seeing the world might be a higher priority than I thought.

4. The STEP Signature Project really helped me decide what I want to do professionally and helped my development as a person. While I was over there, I worked for Scania and I really enjoyed the work that I was doing, so this could help me decide what I want to pursue in a career. As far as my development as a person, life experiences are very important to me and this was a big one for me. I never really thought I would be able to do something like this. But STEP helped me achieve this goal of mine. By doing this internship, I feel like I will remember this for the rest of my life, and that was a goal of mine.

1. For my STEP Signature Project, I had the opportunity to work as a Legislative Page for the Ohio House of Representatives. For this position, I worked for the Minority Caucus, serving 32 of the 99 Representatives on daily tasks and ongoing projects. These included mailing assignments, delivering messages, working in the House Chamber during sessions, working on constituent cases, and even doing a bit of media and advertisement work.

2. Throughout my time, I was able to learn not only what goes into the law-making process, but also a little bit about the work ethic of public servants, and the importance of working not just for money, but for the public. What started as a part-time internship developed into an aspiration to work for the people, and I ended up applying for a promotion. I will continue serving at the Ohio House of Representatives as a Constituent Aide, building on the experience I learned as a Page. These experiences transformed me by making me think more about what I wanted to do in the future, helping me understand the importance of being a public servant, and showing me how to find joy in work.

3. By networking with the full-time staff, I was able to learn the various options I had for my Political Science degree once I graduate. For example, my Coworker Doug went to Law School and earned his JD. I’ve had many opportunities to discuss with him how to prepare for Law School if that’s the route I decide to take post-graduation. Alternatively, I’ve met many Legislative Aides, full-time workers who assist a specific Representative directly, who received their bachelor’s degree and began working at the Statehouse right out of college. These networking opportunities allowed me to think further about my future, and consider working as a public servant.

One of the specific tasks that contributed to my transformational experience was working directly with constituents of specific districts, either through email or over the phone. Whether I was helping them understand a Bill or Law, apply for unemployment benefits, or get them connected with their State Representative, I was able to learn the importance of public service. Many people view politics as a game, with a few elites trying to come out on top. Though this may be the case for some, many people in government aspire to better the lives of those they work for. By connecting with the citizens within a constituency, and helping address their needs, I learned the importance of working for the people.

Additionally, interacting with the other Legislative Pages helped show me that work can be fun. I often fear working in a cubicle all day, sitting and staring at a computer, and losing passion for my job. My friends in the program, however, showed me how much teamwork goes into government work, and how having a solid team can be the difference between whether or not you are passionate about what you do. If it weren’t for my friend Iman, in particular, I would have never considered applying for a promotion or staying at the Statehouse over the summer, for that matter.

4. These changes are especially relevant to my life and my educational experience. I’ve spent my entire college career as a Political Science major fearful that I would not be able to find work. On so many occasions, people would ask me why I was getting a “pointless degree.” Working as a Legislative Page showed me how applicable my degree can be, and how I can directly apply what I was learning about policy and government in the classroom to a real work environment. I am thankful for all of the skills I developed as a legislative Page and all that I learned about public service as a profession.

1. My STEP Project was a semester-long internship in Cambridge, MA at landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand. I spent my five months with the firm doing project and promotional work such as comprehensive planning, 3D modeling, and illustrative diagramming for clients and sites including The Alamo in San Antonio, The Morton Arboretum outside Chicago, Harvard Medical School, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum. It was an amazing experience working with leaders in my field and such compelling and educational projects.

2. The most valuable transformation that occurred from my STEP project is my deepened understanding and critical view of the field of landscape architecture and its relationship with society. The more superficial layer of this transformation occurs in my broadened understanding of the field itself. As is the education in most other fields, the landscape architecture curriculum at Knowlton focuses much on preparing students with a methodology for working and a way of thinking – more abstract development rather than concrete comprehension of what everyday work would look like post-graduation. Working at Reed Hilderbrand, I was treated as a designer and able to have a good glimpse into the inner workings of the field. I was able to situate what I had learned in studio into the context of actual project work with real clients and real sites which helped to ground my existing knowledge and highlight how much further I had to learn.

With a stronger foundation of the realities of landscape architecture arose the opportunity to be critical of our work and the implications we have on our surroundings. Throughout my internship, I begged questions of the moral implications of working with exceedingly wealthy clients, of how the way we shape land affects the those who care for the land, of how much more we could use our power to promote environmental rehabilitation, or of how we respect those who did, do, and will occupy our land. Essentially, my internship has allowed me to sharpen the way I look at landscape architecture – a view of a critic where my field is capable of both great good and great harm.

3.  The critical outlook of landscape architecture was created from an assemblage of experiences and relationships that formed throughout my internship. One experience in particular was a visit to a construction site for a grandiose private vacation home in New Hampshire. The experience was educational in that I learned about grading and site materials, but also enlightening as I walked around such an impressive campus – it sparked many questions regarding wealth, responsibility, ethics, and moral justification. Not to say this particular client was morally questionable, but for all the sites we design for powerful and wealthy clients, residential or corporate or otherwise, it is important we hold ourselves accountable for the statements we make with the relationships we build and the projects we take on.

Another experience that opened up a critical mindset of landscape architecture was working on a study for existing conditions of green space in a city and how they impact their surroundings. I analyzed different conditions such as a bike path through a woodland or an open lawn for gatherings. It made me realize how shaping a landscape influences a condition to be more or less equitable for a community and pushed me to question why we would or would not prioritize accessibility. I also questioned how much landscape architects can do to increase biodiversity or carbon sequestration and why we would or would not prioritize the environment in all the work we do. This small activity gave me lenses to judge through and will continue to push me to think about the broader implications of my future project work in the field.

Of course the questions I was asking were not going completely unanswered. My outlook will only become further solidified with my own practice in the field, but I had mentors and friends along the way who did and will continue to give me words of wisdom and their own insight. Fabiana worked on my main project team as a designer. As we became closer, her advice turned from CAD help and GIS questions to sharing personal experience as a young professional. She was vulnerable about her own path through landscape architecture and helped me to develop a mindset and openness to be a lifelong student of the field. Aaron and Ambika were generous with their time and patience as office happy hours turned into evenings of talking and debating through tough topics that most people are not willing to explore with an intern. They shared their own conclusions they have gathered from years of work and research and pushed me to come to my own. These three friends allotted me three different perspectives to poke and prod and understand. With time and many conversations, the relationships helped me further develop the ever-transforming outlook of landscape architecture I have today.

4. This transformation is significant and valuable in my life because it helps me understand the power of my work and what I can accomplish in the field I am about to enter. Entering a new field as a recent graduate can be intimidating, but if you do not know how or why you are about to do contribute to society, it can also be disheartening. My internship has provided me some solace in better understanding why landscape architecture is such a small yet mighty field. The work I will do in my career has the power to directly impact the vitality of the community and environment around me for better or for worse, and understanding what tools I have at my disposal will help me make informed and selfless decisions to design healthy landscapes.

1. My STEP project was focused on an internship I had working as a sustainability intern for Facilities Operations and Development at The Ohio State University. While participating in this internship I completed a project for the Wexner Medical Center (WMC) focused on improving recycling and sustainability throughout the medical center. Me and one other intern completed waste audits at three separate WMC facilities and then installed six pallets of trash and recycling bins throughout these facilities.
2. The main transformation that occurred from this project was my growth as a professional. Before this internship, I had never worked a job that wasn’t food service, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Besides the days when we were physically doing recycling bin counts or delivering/installing the bins, all my work was done remotely so I had to learn how to best manage my time and be an effective worker when there was no one to hold me accountable. I developed skills that will apply to the rest of my career, and I now have a good foundation to build upon. Now I have the confidence in myself to know that I deserve to have internships and work in the sustainability field because of the experience I gained. I used to doubt if I could break into the field of sustainability because of my lack of knowledge within a complex field, but this job went hand in hand with my coursework, proving I’m on the right track.

This experience also helped me come out of my shell. I’m typically quiet and reserved in unfamiliar situations, but I had to learn how to advocate for my project and overall sustainability within the med center and OSU. There were hours of Zoom meetings and countless email chains, and I learned that I do have a voice and an opinion that matters despite only being an intern. There were countless times during the spring semester when there was a direct correlation between my job and my coursework. I had to become comfortable in these meetings to share my thoughts as there were areas where I had more knowledge on a topic than others on my team. Before starting college, I could never imagine myself speaking up in a meeting with a dozen people in it, many of whom I did not know. But now I know that I can do that which will just help me in my endeavors once I leave college.

3. Many different experiences caused this internship to be transformative. The most important aspect was working in a professional setting for 20 hours a week. This internship lasted for eleven months (although my WMC project only lasted for four months), and in that time I was exposed to an entirely new environment. I was not only working with the sustainability team at Ohio State but also did projects for Transportation Management and Finance to name a few. I was continually interacting with professionals who worked for the university and who treated me as a professional. This exposure is what led to the greatest amount of growth because I was no longer being treated like a student. Being an intern for FOD turned me from a sustainability student to a sustainability professional.

Through this internship and my work at The WMC learned I how to be an independent worker. While I was an intern, I had two different bosses that I reported to, but me and another intern took point on the waste management project. The two of us audited three separate hospitals on our own and had to work independently from our bosses. When the pallets were delivered, we were the ones who had to coordinate with the dock managers and the delivery company. This was transformative because we were given a full list of responsibilities and were trusted to complete them without needing assistance from other professionals in our department. This is once again a skill that will help me immensely as I enter the sustainability field.

We also hand-delivered and set up dozens of trash cans and recycling bins. Originally, I was nervous that hospital workers would see us and question what we were doing or if we had the proper clearance. I came to understand that if you know and act like you belong in certain areas, then people will not question your presence. I thought we would meet barriers when having to install bins in restricted employee-only areas as we didn’t have keycard access to them. Instead, we would simply explain ourselves and our project to the administrators and they always were helpful and granted us the necessary access. This was another occasion where I was expecting to be treated like a student and instead was treated like a professional. We encountered many people who didn’t understand why our tasks (or sustainability) were necessary to the WMC, and countless times it felt like we were defending our project to strangers. There was even an instance when somebody complained to us about how we were helping the university waste millions of dollars on trash cans when there were other higher priority things to spend that money on. To us, a sustainability goal should be a top priority, but we had to explain that our whole project was funded by a SWACO grant. Our boss had applied for the grant, and we used the money for a new recycling program that would drastically reduce waste from the med center. We were in a position where money uncomfortable conversations were made with strangers, but it helped me come out of my shell and grow.

4. After graduation I want to enter the field of corporate sustainability and to get a job in that field you almost must have internship experience. So, on the most basic level, this internship has helped me improve my resume and has got me one step closer to my professional goals. I was also able to get a summer internship for the Ohio EPA this summer due to my previous internship experience. As I’ve mentioned, I grew immensely as a professional during my internship and waste management project. I now know how to act in a professional setting which will help me in job interviews and in any future job. I have also gained so much confidence in myself and my knowledge. I’m no longer scared to speak up in meetings when I’m knowledgeable about a topic. I’ll graduate from Ohio State next spring and am very grateful for the professional experience that I’ve gained this past semester. This was my first experience with a bit of project management and that will be a very important skill for me to have once I’m working in the corporate world. I have nothing but positive things to say about this extremely transformative experience.
5. This is a screenshot of how we organized our waste audits.
6. This is a picture of us on bin distribution day. We were on the dock and trying to get two bins separated that were stuck together!