This picture comes from the Mount Pinning ceremony where our “mini’s” receive their Mount pin and are officially inducted into the Mount Scholars Program.  I am pictured here admiring my mini’s interesting choice of shoes to go with his dress clothes.  Being a mega has been a really neat experience for me as I’ve helped Joey make this transition to college.  While I had a mega of my own last year, we did not have the same type of relationship that Joey and I have formed.  Joey is in one of my classes with me and we’ve been able to work on projects together.  I also took Joey on his first COTA ride which seems insignificant but I had no one to do that for me last year.  Joey and I have also enjoyed nights playing Wii Golf or watching the Buckeye football games with my roommates.  It has been cool to watch him transition to campus and find clubs and other things that have really worked for him.  It’s been a pleasure to serve as a mega and I can’t wait to see what Joey does with the rest of his first year.

I want to use my third artifact to talk about one of the best experiences that I’ve had thus far at Ohio State.  I had the opportunity to participate in Buckeyethon, Ohio State’s annual dance marathon for the kids at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  I originally joined because many of my friends were participating, but I very quickly saw the meaning behind what we were doing.  As I watched all the Buckeyethon kids smile and dance all night-kids who have undergone extensive cancer treatments and painful surgeries-my heart was filled with joy for them.  I was originally fearful of having to stay awake and on my feet from 7pm until 7am but the time passed so fast and I realized that what I was doing was for such a great cause.  I am so proud of my fellow Buckeyes for raising over $1.6 million dollars for the kids, and I cannot wait to participate in Buckeyethon next year.

The above picture was taken right before our team’s intramural Broomball game.  Broomball combines elements of soccer and hockey and is played on ice for a slippery and fun time.  I had no experience playing Broomball in the past, and was excited to try a new sport.  My team made it to the quarterfinals of the playoffs, and even though we did not win it all, had a successful season learning how to play and bonding as a team.  However, the reason I chose the above picture was not to talk about our Broomball successes and failures, but to talk about the people represented.  Both teams in that picture were comprised of first-year Mount Scholars.  The Mount Leadership Society was founded about 20 years ago to honor the legacy of Ruth Weimar Mount and the students accepted into the program demonstrated leadership qualities and a willingness to serve others.  Some things that I have been involved with since joining Mount include making ceramic bowls to sell to help a food bank in Columbus, helping a local community put on a large Halloween jamboree, and my personal favorite, helping run a wheelchair basketball tournament for paralyzed veterans.

My favorite element of being in Mount aside from the service aspect, is getting to live in a community with my fellow Mount scholars.  These are some of the most driven, goal-orientated, and focused people I have ever met and we all push each other to our limits in order that we may become as successful as possible.  Beyond that, I enjoy living with them because everyone shares similar values and ideals.  These people, in just a few short months, have become some of my best and closest friends.  As seen above, we can all be competitive and have fun at times, and at other times support and comfort one another.  I wrote in my first artifact about the Buckeye community at-large.  While I still feel the same about the large community, having a much smaller group of people (Mount is only about 110 people) with similar values and goals keeps me focused and pushes me to be successful both inside the classroom and outside.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of The Ohio State University.  My friends never really understood why I had such a passion for Ohio State.  I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and neither of my parents attended the University.  However, that love for the University, and the Buckeye culture is what drew me to attend The Ohio State University.  The picture above is from my first game in The Shoe as a Buckeye, and even though we lost the game, I for the first time felt like a Buckeye.  Being around passionate and crazy fans like me reminded me of why I came to the University in the first place.

Looking back at my first month at school, that picture means more to me now than it did at the time it was taken.  From left to right in that picture is my friends Annika, Charlie, myself, Jeff, and Timothy.  On August 16th, I did not know any of these people.  However, through my scholars program and the fact that they all live on the same floor as me, I have formed very close relationships with all of these people.  Annika and I bonded over our love for hockey.  Me and Charlie connected over the fact we went to similar high schools.  Jeff and Tim flank my room on either side and I see them every day.  But these friendships are more than just surface-level acquaintances.  Slowly we are learning about each other, our strengths and weaknesses, our hopes and fears.  But beyond that, we are supporting each other and really challenging each other to become the best versions of ourselves both inside the classroom and in the real world.

To me, that is what being a Buckeye is about.  The community I am surrounded with here at The Ohio State University is one of the most supportive I have ever been a part of.  Coming from a tightly-knit friend group in high school, I was scared to adjust to college life. However, getting to know friends like the ones I mentioned above has helped me ease into the challenges of college life.  They made sure I was focused during Midterm week so that I could perform at my highest level and they hold me accountable to attending various club and Mount scholars events.  My few short weeks in Columbus has taught me that “Being a Buckeye” is about more than screaming your head off on Saturday nights in the Shoe.  Being a Buckeye means supporting your fellow Buckeye no matter what, but also challenging them to become the best versions of themselves that they can possibly be.  I am incredibly excited to see what I can do with my time at The Ohio State University, and I know that I am surrounded with people who truly care about me.