Learn more about my service initiative, KindCarts! With a mission to help those at the James Cancer Hospital, Kindness on the Carts donates cheery pick-me-ups and stress-relief kits to patients in order to help foster a more conducive healing environment.

KindCarts Overview 20160410

KindCarts Donation Overview 20161010

Before attending the Annual Leadership Conference, I had the chance to finally take StrengthsQuest and find out my top strengths!

Drumroll, please . . .

1. Input
2. Strategic
3. Communication
4. Includer
5. Maximizer

At first, this meant very little, so I decided to do more research and find out what these words actually meant. According to StrengthQuest’s official definitions:

“People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information. People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues. People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters. People strong in the Inclusiveness theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them. People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.”

A couple of strengths here surprised me. To me, strategy seems more business-minded, which is the last adjective that I would use to describe myself. However, with more self-reflection, I definitely saw how my tendency to find multiple paths to the same destination would fall into this category. I really identify with the first and last strengths: Input and Maximizer. Curiosity and a craving for knowledge have defined me since I was old enough to explore my crib, and since I came into my leadership style, bringing my passions and peers to their full potential has been a cornerstone of my philosophy.

Overall, taking StrengthsQuest was an interesting experience. Learning more about myself and my strengths has been helpful in communicating my leadership style and values.

I’ve been so lucky to be able to participate in so many different service experiences on- and off-campus! When students discuss service, many automatically think of volunteering in a soup kitchen or a food pantry. Yet, there are so many varied ways to serve, and the incredible impact that it leaves on the community, and yourself, creates a special feeling that only spurs me onward.

Pay It Forward Portfolio 20151217

Ana Sucaldito Scientific Resume 20160506

Up-to-Date as of May, 6, 2016

Ana Sucaldito Resume Format I20160506 

Ana Sucaldito Resume Format II 20160506

Up-to-Date as of May 6, 2016

Honors Peer Mentor Training (2014, 2015, 2016)

REACH Suicide Prevention Training and Certification

Mirrors Sophomore Honorary Leadership Workshop and Retreat-Group Dynamics and Team Development

Instituitonal Animal Care and Use Committee (IUCAC) Training and Certification

Buckeyes Got Your Back Bystander Training

Big Six Organizations Spring Retreat 2014

Involved Living Facilitator Training and Certification

Big Six Organizations Fall Retreat 2014

Annual Conference on Leadership and Civic Engagement:Strong Leaders Building Strong Communities 2015

Big Six Organizations Spring Retreat 2015

Summer Undergraduate Research Institute 2015

Bringing Leadership Skills to a Job Bootcamp

Online Training for Preventing and Responding to Sexual Misconduct and Relationship Violence-Training and Certification

“Buckeye Certified”

Leaders Emerging and Developing (L.E.A.D.) Retreat

Annual Conference on Leadership and Civic Engagement: Life Links 2016

6th Annual Women’s Summit-Power of Me

Involved Living Organizations Retreat

Summer Undergraduate Research 2016

Leadershape Institute

2016 Ohio College Personnel Association Careers in Student Affairs Conference

Midwestern Asian-American Student Union (MAASU) Conference 2018

Norman Y. Mineta Leadership Institute 2018

4th Annual Public Health Advocacy Workshop: Building a Road Map to Improve Mental Health through Advocacy

Living and Dying on Campus: Mimi Khuc

Working with Survivors of Sexual Assault: A Brief Introduction

Identifying & Responding to Human Trafficking: A Brief Introduction

Mental Health First Aid Training

Up-to-date as of 4/22/19

Reflect on your experience as a peer mentor to date.

Becoming an Honors Peer Mentor was, and has been, an amazing experience that I hope to continue for the rest of my college career. Sitting in on survey, adding my viewpoint and acting as a peer has given me so much more than I could have expected when I sent in my application.

I remember reading through the weekly advising emails and seeing a notice for upcoming peer mentors. It drew me immediately—I remembered my peer mentors, who seemed like bright, interesting people, but mostly I remembered their “transition story,” their accounts of their first year struggles. I remembered feeling more connected to them because of it.

At the time when I saw the notice, I’d just finished going a particularly rough patch. Although it was done, it remained fresh in my mind, and I was seeking a way to turn the experience around, make it an opportunity for growth, instead of loss, and reaching out for a way to find myself again. Peer Mentors seemed like the answer. I didn’t know anyone who had been through a similar situation, and despite all the social awareness that OSU works to cultivate, this was something that was never discussed. I decided to apply because I wanted to help the people in my situation, especially those in the earlier stages, and thought sharing my story would let them know that they weren’t alone. However, besides the transition challenge, I didn’t know what else the position would require.

I absolutely loved what I found. Due to a restructuring of the program, I found myself doing more responsibilities than the peer mentors I had in my survey. There were more opportunities to speak to share my opinion of various classes, ways I de-stressed, my research experience, etc. Talking to the students was my favorite part. I enjoyed learning their names, their stories, and especially when they would reach out to me. My most rewarding experience was when one of my survey students emailed me for advice after survey had ended.

There were other responsibilities as well, including peer mentor events. These were difficult, as I wasn’t sure whether I should make them more academic or more fun. I planned my first event, going to the Fall Undergraduate Research Forum, due to the fact that the majority of the class were science majors, with interest in research. My confidence was bruised when no one came. As a result, I planned my second event to be more social, the H&S Kuhnival. Three students ended up coming and it was a new experience to see them interacting with each other and myself. Looking back, I feel as though the group setting loosened them and let me see more of their true personalities in a non-classroom setting. I also met up with another student for coffee, talk about research and how to get involved.

The “transition challenge” was indeed a challenge. I didn’t know how to format it in a way that was honest, and yet, didn’t make students too uncomfortable. The actual presentation gave me apprehension as well. At this point, I’d only told the story twice and I wasn’t sure how it would come across, even once I wrote it out. I volunteered to practice it during training the week before—the feedback was positive and constructive, and the reactions of my fellow mentors made me feel safer about sharing.

When the day came, I felt ready, and confident that I could tell my story exactly as I rehearsed. The class laughed at my jokes at the beginning and all seemed well. Yet, by the time I got to the middle, I found that it was harder to talk about than I had convinced myself it would be. I ended up deviating off-script and revealing more of my emotions than I originally meant to, but I think it actually gave me a breakthrough on some of the feelings I’d initially been denying.

When the semester came to a close, I knew that I wanted to continue with peer mentors for another year. It had given more confidence in speaking in front of the class (something that I considered different from speaking in front of strangers, which I was more comfortable with due to the fact that I wouldn’t see them again). I liked getting refreshers on campus resources, and I felt like I had become a resource myself. I walked away feeling as though my opinion and my experiences were valid and could truly help younger students figure out their first year.

This Year:

The main constructive criticism I had from my first year as a peer mentor was that I wanted even more responsibility. I wanted to do even more in the classroom, and thought it would be especially interesting to give a lesson, a suggestion that I gave during end of year wrap-up. So the news of the internship option gave me particular excitement, as well as the idea of being a Lead mentor this year.

The extra responsibilities is honestly my favorite difference between this year’s experience compared to last. From small things like putting together the schedule and archiving discussion boards, to larger projects like planning a lesson: it keeps me on my toes and lets me get more involved.

Compared to last year, I am more likely to speak up in class and share my student experience. A large part of this is the extra year of college. (Between this year and last, I now have experience with applying for grants, starting an organization/initiative, acting on executive boards, shadowing, etc.). But another part of it is the familiarity. Having been a peer mentor next year, I know some of the questions that the students have, so I can supply that information from a peer perspective. I also feel more comfortable, allowing my personality to come through more easily.

Last year’s experience has also prompted me to change my peer mentor events. This year, both of my events have a largely social component, and both are in the evening, when students are more likely to be free. I chose my first event, Jazz at Mirror Lake, due to its fun, laidback nature, which should allow for lots of time to get to know each other, as well as its timing (right before the first round of midterms, so that they can de-stress beforehand). I chose my second event, volunteering at the Buckeye Village Fall Festival, again, due to its fun nature, but also for the service component. As a group of largely pre-med students, I want them to be aware of service opportunities on campus that aren’t necessarily in the medical field.

Looking ahead, my internship project/lesson plan will most likely hold my focus. I’ve decided to deviate from the original syllabus and create my own lesson, focusing on the theme of how to communicate on difficult/uncomfortable topics. I believe that it’s important to know how to navigate a situation where you’re not in your comfort zone, whether that’s because you disagree with someone or because you’re are being triggered. This seems especially important for first-years, as many of them are entering the real world, where they may be living/working with people with fundamentally different views, and where more serious situations and considerations are entering their lives. As such, I want to focus my project on difficult communication, touching on the difference between dialogue, discussion and debate, how to navigate controversy and how to handle the conversation when they, or those around them, are triggered.

Looking back and looking forward, my time as an Honors Peer Mentor is, and has been, a learning experience, and a pleasure. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the year is going to turn out and how much more I can teach, and learn, from my time in survey.

Here, I collect information about my experiences and skills that will, one day, apply to my future career.  Just like my ever-shifting goals and dreams, my portfolio is constantly updating and evolving.