Erin Lee sat down with the communications team in the Office of Student Life to share a little bit about her life as a Buckeye. We hope you will find her story as extraordinary as we do.

Erin Lee – a third year Sociology major who hails from Cleveland, Ohio – possesses the kind of warm and friendly smile that instantly conveys she doesn’t know an enemy, let alone a stranger. When asked why she chose Ohio State, Erin smiled wide. “I have a big personality! I honestly felt like OSU was big enough to handle me so I could stay busy.” It’s with this energy that Erin has become hyper-involved in the campus community. She has served as Vice President of the Society of Sisters, as a mentor in College Mentors for Kids, on the Leadership Cohort for Women’s Student Initiatives and as a Presidential Host.

This past summer, Erin journeyed to South Africa on a volunteer trip through Buck-I-SERV, which cemented her passion for serving children. She most enjoyed her time working in the schools in Cape Town, reflecting that even though she didn’t speak the same language, she could still communicate on a human basis using motions, hand gestures and hugs – “lots of hugs!”. During her stay, Erin spent time at a women’s co-op, challenged herself by climbing a mountain and enjoyed bonding with one of her mentors – Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston (Dr. J) who is the Vice President for Student Life at Ohio State.

Erin described her admiration for Dr. J this way: “She’s just brilliant, she has three undergraduate degrees, a master’s degree and a doctorate! We spent time reflecting every night on the trip, and I loved listening to her wisdom. Even though she’s been on the same trip a number of times, she learns something every time. She learns things from us, and we learn from her, too.” Erin shared that the silver elephant charm on her necklace was a present from Dr. J, which she now wears every day. Returning to the states, Erin thought about how the experience changed her. “It has motivated me to advocate for those who don’t have a voice, or the opportunities and privileges I have had. I want to spend my life giving back in that way.” With a minor in Public Health, Erin’s ultimate goal is simply to help others and hopefully work with children one day. Even though graduation seems like it is a long way off, she is already considering attending graduate school for occupational therapy so she can work with students who have physical disabilities to help them overcome challenges.

As a Marketing Intern in the Office of Student life, Erin enjoys learning about opportunities to be involved at Ohio State and spreading the word to her friends and peers. “Just being a student – and getting to see the work that other people do for us behind the scenes – is amazing. They really do have our best interests at heart. All the time.”

Vivian Wang sat down with the communications team in the Union Marketplace to share a little snippet of her time here as a Buckeye. We hope you find her story as extraordinary as we do.

Motivated, bubbly and adventurous are the three words Vivian Wang excitedly used to describe her electrifying personality. Arguably, we can’t disagree with this third year Public Health student from that state up north about her extraordinary charisma. Reigning from Okemos, Michigan, Vivian gets a pass by coming to create a fresh start here in the Buckeye state! When asked about her career goals, Vivian proudly stated her medical philosophy. With future aspirations to open her own primary care clinic focusing on both local and international health, our future doctor proclaimed, “Good health should be a human right.” Speaking like a true public health major, Vivian’s goal is to focus her efforts after medical school on international health, and her worldly travels truly attest to the beginning of her journey.

Describing herself as adventurous is an understatement for Vivian as she tells her story about traveling the continent of Asia on her own this past May. With one condition set by her parents – to call every day – Vivian traveled to Tokyo, Japan, Seoul, South Korea, and China. Vivian began to describe her time in Tokyo explaining that her experience was a lot different from what she expected. “The country is very clean and totally saving the earth. In Starbucks they have trash receptacles for you to destruct your cup and trash into paper, plastic, etc.” During her stay in Tokyo, Vivian toured the country learning about various public health issues, and witnessed the country’s steady recovery from the 2011 tsunami.

Although she is a native of Michigan, Vivian’s time at Ohio State has been nothing short of excellent. As a resident advisor in the new residence hall Bowen House, Vivian said that she loves meeting new people and acting as a guide for freshmen and transfer students. Vivian says that “being surrounded by like-minded people and the type of person that comes here has made the experience at Ohio State extraordinary.” Answering a question about her local Columbus hero and favorite spot off campus, Vivian smiled widely as she automatically knew what her response would be. Who else better to talk about than Jeni, the owner of the famous Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream? Jeni’s philosophy and work is what inspires Vivian, as a previous employee of Jeni’s, the most. And while most people claim the top floor of the Thompson Library, Vivian speaks very highly of the top floor of the new James Cancer Hospital as the most beautiful view of the city on campus.

As a cultured, enthusiastic, guitar playing, singing aficionado who holds jam sessions with her friends for fun, Vivian truly exemplifies an extraordinary student. Ending the interview on a high note, Vivian muses, “I wish to be remembered for how I live my life everyday. Not superficially speaking, but by concentrating on the relationships I form.”

Political Science and Spanish major Andrew Jackson spent a Friday afternoon with the communications team in the Office of Student Life to share his experience at Ohio State. There’s no doubt that Andrew’s story will continue to be extraordinary…

Andrew Jackson. It’s a name you should remember because it might show up on an election ballot again one day. Andrew is an aspiring human rights lawyer who sees entering the political arena as the perfect way to make a significant impact on human rights issues. He now works as a Stewardship Associate Intern in the Office of Student Life. Outside of work, Andrew can be found serving the student body in a variety of ways: he is a member of the Undergraduate Student Government, University Senate, Director of Service and Scholastics for the National Residence Hall Honorary and a founding father of Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity.

 
Even though he is only beginning his second year at the university, it sounds as though Andrew has had a full-fledged college career already given the depth of his activities and experiences. But Andrew has definitely set his sights on continuing to push himself and try new things. Before he graduates, his goal is to deliver a Ted Talk related to the importance of daily visibility and courage within the LGBTQ+ community. With the number of Ted events that occur on campus and in the city, Andrew will hopefully get to make this dream a reality and share his perspective.

 
Though Andrew isn’t originally from Columbus – he comes to us from Mt. Gilead, Ohio – he has fully embraced it as his home. In fact, this past summer he served as a Columbus Ambassador working to train the Resident Advisors in all the ways they too can become deeply engaged in the Columbus community. The Columbus Ambassador program aims to reach all students through the Resident Advisors in a similar way. Andrew speaks fondly of the experience #OSUinCBUS, recalling his bus tour visits to the Anthony Thomas Chocolate Factory, Nationwide Arena and the North Market. He really enjoyed getting to teach other Buckeyes about the major business and corporation offerings that exist in the city for Ohio State students. Andrew believes his work in Student Life is extraordinary because he has such a passion for ensuring every student’s experience is memorable and welcoming.

 
But Andrew’s life is certainly not all work. When asked to describe himself in three words, Andrew joked “Girl, I can’t!”…which does happen to be exactly three words. He also shared his favorite college memory thus far, which was laying on the grass with his best friends outside the stadium one night, gazing at the stars and engaging in meaningful conversation. “I knew Ohio State was right for me,” Andrew recalled, “when I first set foot on campus. I knew there would be so many opportunities for me to grow as a student and as a person.”