Having recently returned from studying abroad in Rome, Italy, senior Shelby Daugherty couldn’t stop smiling in her interview for the OSU Spotlight blog. Read on to find out why she has so many reasons to smile…

Shelby Daugherty described the prospect of graduating in May of 2017 as both terrible and exciting. Coming to Ohio State initially was quite a culture shock for Shelby, coming from a small community in Bowerston, Ohio where she attended high school with just 40 classmates. She recalled her first days at the university living in Patterson as a first-year, falling in love with the building’s bright red doors and the people who lived inside. Her advice to incoming Buckeyes? “Be yourself. I had to learn who I was without my family and free of any old high school stereotypes. At Ohio State, there’s always a place to fit in, so you should strive to be who you truly are.”

Shelby chose Ohio State in part because her brother had a great experience here, which lead him to a career working in the Ohio Union. He actually passed by during her interview, highlighting her point about a strong family connection with perfect timing. But family wasn’t the only reason Shelby chose to come here – Ohio State has a well-respected Visual Communication Design Program. “You get a very well-rounded education at Ohio State. From all Student Life aspects, to football, to traditions, you get a full experience.”

And Ms. Daugherty has made the most of this full experience. Shelby is a member of Kappa Delta sorority, supports BuckeyeThon through both fundraising and dancing and has served to help re-establish the Ohio State chapter of AIGA. Most recently, Shelby joined the School of Architecture’s summer study abroad program in Rome, Italy, spending 33 days sketching buildings and gaining a new perspective on city planning. She so enjoyed studying in Rome and assimilating into the life there, and fondly described daily experiences of buying fresh groceries and exploring gardens and villas alike. Shelby loved the cultural element of preparing fresh foods, and hopes to keep it alive in her life in the states. She will keep an open mind to her options post-graduation and mused about moving to the West Coast or living somewhere abroad, above a café.

A talented artist, Shelby holds the inscription on Hayes Hall close to her heart: the cultured mind, the skillful hand. Self-described as genuine, empathetic and “a little bit weird”, Shelby has combined her infectious personality and skilled artist’s hand in a unique way by serving our blog team. She is one of the students who has designed the unique quotation art pieces featuring hand-lettering that accompany these blog features. Shelby has enjoyed being a part of the project as a creator and described her process as reading an interview, getting a feel for the individual and then visualizing their words. Shelby found value in this project because she feels featuring real students, their accomplishments and aspirations allows incoming students to envision their own potential at Ohio State. “We’re real people, not one-in-a-million,” Shelby declared, reflecting on this common misconception.

Recognizing the impact that “real people” can have on one another, Shelby hopes to one day give back by donating a scholarship for another Buckeye to study abroad because her own experience was so life-changing. Wherever opportunities take her after graduation, we know Shelby’s heart will always be in the right place.

“As I sat and watched my first Ohio State football game from somewhere other than in the Ohio Stadium, I think it finally hit me just how magical of a place The Ohio State University is. I made the choice to get extremely involved during my time as an undergraduate and my advice to incoming freshman, or anyone with time left in school, is to do the same. As an officer for Block O, I spent so many Saturdays getting to games 4 hours early, setting up the Shoe and, most of all, getting to know incredibly passionate, brilliant, remarkable people. In those moments, I may have complained about how early it was, how hot or cold it was, or any number of other petty things. But sitting and watching a home game on television for the first time, I would have given anything to be back in the happiest place on earth (no, not Disney World) again. The atmosphere on game days is really not that different from the atmosphere on campus daily. Wherever you turn on campus, so many individuals are striving to make our campus – and the world – a better place. Inspiration is all around, from extending gratitude and cheering for our student athletes; to working to find a cure for cancer as a part of BuckeyeThon, Team Buckeye and world-renowned research teams; to winning Olympic medals; to rethinking how the world works. It is a feeling that is almost indescribable to those who have never set foot on campus. This feeling is why we wear our Buckeye gear more often than just on game days. This feeling is why “Go Bucks!” can be heard in any state or country that you visit. It’s one thing to have gotten an amazing education during my time at school, but finding a home and a community that I am so proud to be a part of drives me to live up to those Buckeye Alumni who have come before me…and those who will follow me long after. I will always be a #BuckeyeForLife.”

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.

Written by: Cat Dismukes

“Home is a relative concept,” shared Jasmine Ashby, a senior who has spent the majority of her life moving between countries including Norway, Indonesia and Singapore. From the smile on her face and the excitement in her voice, Jasmine has clearly found a home here at Ohio State as well. How did she choose Ohio State after all this world traveling? Jasmine discovered her love for Ohio State while visiting on Go Buckeye Day. Overwhelmed by the passionate people surrounding her, Jasmine’s Buckeye fever set in.

Jasmine’s own passions have been able to flourish at the university while she earns a dual degree in Economics and International Studies focusing on Development Studies with a minor in Public Health. Not only does she juggle three areas of study, but she has served as a resident advisor, a mentor for the Program for Advising in Scholarship and Service, the treasurer for Operation Smile, a Buck-I-SERV leader and a member of the Council of Black Student Leaders. Jasmine was prepared for our follow-up question: how do you manage all of those commitments? Letting us in on her secret, she explained that deadlines and pressures of a busy schedule motivate her to stay on track. Jasmine joked that nothing gets done on the weekends because of all the free time on her hands.

Jasmine’s future goals are rooted in creating lasting connections through international service. Fully immersing herself in the culture of those she helps is incredibly important; she wants to learn the language, interact and form relationships that will enhance the lives of others long-term. She wants to not only provide hands-on aid, but later create public policy to benefit the people she helped. Jasmine plans to take on fifteen years of international service and eventually obtain a PhD, putting knowledge to use through public policy.

While her goals are vast and also well-planned, she was still intimidated with Ohio State’s size as a freshman. “Ohio State was intimidating at first,” she thought. “But you find niches.” It’s just like walking on The Oval: the large university is in front of you, but you always end up seeing familiar faces along the way. During her time as a resident advisor, Jasmine has made sure to reach out to her residents so others can have those familiar faces as well. Connections are an integral theme of her time at Ohio State that she will carry into her post-graduate life. “Let your experiences shape your college career,” she advised. Whether you are a first year, fifth year or anything in between, Jasmine’s philosophy for students is to approach college with an open-mind and a willingness to expand themselves.

Every Buckeye has wondered what it’s like to put on a uniform and walk onto the field in the ‘shoe, whether that ensemble is a numbered jersey and helmet or a crisp scarlet and white band uniform. Junior John LaVange of Warren, Ohio always dreamed of donning the latter. Read on to find out more about his extraordinary journey…

Heading into his third year at The Ohio State University studying finance and economics, John LaVange has been able to showcase his talents both on the field and in the classroom. Like many other students, when he first began looking at colleges, John did not know exactly what he wanted to study. But one thing was certain: John knew he wanted to become the drum major at Ohio State, a role deeply rooted in Buckeye tradition since the 1920s. His story is a great example of turning a dream into reality, as John will have the honor of serving as the marching band’s head drum major this year.

“In the band,” John shared, “we have a saying – pick up your feet, turn your corners square and drive, drive, drive. That means in whatever you’re doing, if you give 110%, you’ll do well in any aspect of life.” Though many might think a passion for hard work and success might be centered on his own goals, John has turned that passion to focus on others. He cares deeply about teaching younger students through the marching band’s programs and cites his mother’s career in education as an inspiration to him. John is considering teaching as well, possibly at the college-level after a career in policy first sparked by his internship this past spring with the Ohio State House of Representatives.

On campus, John is also active in Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity and is considering joining the Boo Radley Society, a group that carries out random acts of kindness. With so many responsibilities and interests, it’s a wonder how John finds time to study in his favorite spot on campus – the Ohio Stadium Band Center – to maintain his impressive 3.9 GPA. His best piece of advice for incoming Buckeyes is to manage your time well from the first day here, setting the tone for classes, hard work and a busy but rewarding schedule.

Self-described as excitable, passionate and curious, John continues to set ambitious goals for himself. What’s next? Performing a round-off back-handspring in a pregame routine, a feat that’s yet to be achieved by any drum major at Ohio State. Looking even farther ahead, John hopes to attend graduate school for an MBA at either Stanford or Harvard. But no matter where he takes his talents next, John will always hold his alma mater close to heart. One day, he hopes to give back to Ohio State and the marching band in order to foster experiences for others that have made his time here so transformative.

“I had a lot of expectations before coming to Ohio State. But the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had are much different than I could have ever imagined. You have free range of so many opportunities here, and I am really excited for the next two years.”