Written by: Erin Lee
From local Upper Arlington, this senior Human Development and Family Science major is working her way to graduate school. Minoring in Disability Studies, Anne Montalto shared her dream with us to be an occupational therapist one day. Growing up, Anne always wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Realizing
that medical school wasn’t the only route to her future, Anne decided to pursue a clinical doctorate program focusing on occupational therapy specifically with children because she feels rewarded helping kids succeed. Experiences teaching swim lessons, donating and dancing with BuckeyeThon and serving children in South Africa have all cemented Anne’s passion for the kids.
Anne is a founding member of Zeta Tau Alpha and a leader of Ohio Stater’s, Inc. When talking about Ohio State, Anne’s face lit up as she her family’s rich history of tradition as Buckeyes. Following her parents’, sister’s and grandfather’s footsteps to campus, Anne grinned as she proclaimed Ohio State “home”. Coming to football and basketball games as a kid, Anne always knew she would one day be a Buckeye. “Even though it’s close to my home, when I step foot on campus I feel like I am in my own world and it feels so good to be here,” she beamed. With the biggest crush on Brutus, Anne shared a fond memory of her first love. “At every basketball game as a kid, I would always bring a zip lock bag candy for Brutus and it was such a special moment for me to find him at the games. Some Brutus out there enjoyed eating a ton of candy over the years!”
Today, as an Ohio Stater, Anne has been instrumental in planning events and initiatives related to our favorite mascot. Her latest project is the “Where is Brutus?” campaign. And working for the Office of Student Life, Anne contributed to the planning of Brutus Buckeye’s 50th Birthday Celebration. “It changed my perspective as a student because I got to learn about behind-the-scenes event planning, and that experience has allowed me to gain transferable skills for my future career.” Anne shared the following: “I would have never met half the people I know, and never touched the projects that I have worked on, if it weren’t for my internship. Student Life is everything outside of academics, and every student is involved with Student Life in some way – from Residence Life to Buckeyethon – it’s amazing!”
For those new to Ohio State, Anne’s piece of advice is not to be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. “Ohio State can be overwhelming, but just know that there is something here for you.” Coming into her own, the hardest lessons Anne had to learn was the art of saying ‘no’ sometimes. “Coming from Newark campus to main campus, I became very involved and I quickly learned I needed to take time for myself.” Although her journey here at Ohio State is far from over, Anne thought about several bucket list items she wishes to complete before graduation in May. Thus far, she has ventured on a Buck-I-SERV trip to Cape Town, South Africa this past May. Last year, Anne also participated in her first BuckeyeThon. Not only did she raise over a thousand dollars For The Kids, she also donated her hair! With a taste for adventure far and near, next on her list is trying every restaurant on High Street before she graduates.
We wish Anne the best of luck, and hope that you find her story as extraordinary as we do.