I entered my third year at OSU excited and refreshed after a wonderful summer completing research (in Columbus and Wooster) for my honors project and taking family vacations to Maine and the Bahamas. I was more than ready to get back into the swing of school and various organizations. After a weeklong retreat in southern Ohio for Animal Science Community Alliance (ASCA), I moved into my apartment and almost immediately started working alongside other members of Best Food Forward in preparation for the involvement fair as well as our first buy. Additionally, I helped out with the annual Eminence Fellows Scavenger Hunt and led some ice breakers for the freshman before after their first survey class.
This semester was academically difficult due to biochemistry, but also because I was finishing my application for the veterinary Early Commitment Program through Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, Animal Science Community Alliance plans and throws Back 2 School Bash at the end of August, an event to welcome all of the freshmen in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences to campus and introduce them to various organizations. This is a huge event with a budget around $25,000, and requires a great amount of work to facilitate and run. It was incredibly rewarding to see it go so successfully after spending a lot of my spring semester sophomore year planning it.
Additionally, I attended the fall undergraduate research forum to present my summer research project in swine nutrition that was funded by the Undergraduate Research Office at OSU. I also started ASCA’s volunteer program with Cristo Rey High School in downtown Columbus, which included taking them on a tour of the vet school. In October, I ran the Columbus Nationwide FULL marathon, a huge accomplishment for me which also took up a lot of my time on Saturdays in training for long runs. The best moment of the fall semester was finding out I was accepted into the Veterinary Early Commitment Program, with an emphasis on swine medicine and health. I ended the semester on a high note, but eager to take a break from studying and school. I applied to several internships, and heard from Smithfield Hog Production in Missouri first. They flew me out to their facilities over winter break, and I accepted a position for the summer with them as a swine production intern.

Spring semester always seems to fly by much more quickly, despite being the same amount of time as fall!! This semester my favorite class was poultry production, in which I got to experience the entire production process of a broiler chicken. Additionally, I presented at the CFAES Research Forum where I earned 3rd place with my swine nutrition research and the Denman Research forum. I also led the organization and implementation of the Spring Mixer, an annual faculty/student event for the Department of Animal Sciences. I also finished up my training in group fitness which is within the Department of Student Life, and started teaching a cycle class at the RPAC. I also got inducted (surprise!) into Sphinx, the oldest organization and senior class honorary at Ohio State. This was the most exciting and inspiring moment of my semester, I feel incredibly honored and humbled as well as excited for my senior year in the organization. As for Best Food Forward, I am excited to hand over the organization to younger members and I am working on recruiting underclassmen into the organization. Next year, I will serve as a peer-mentor for the Kellogg-Moser Food Security Learning Community. Overall, this year has been full of academic achievements but also unexpected personal developments. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I have had, and the people I have met. I am more than ready for an interesting and educational summer with Smithfield, and to dive into my senior/final year at OSU!