Spring Scholars Service Hours

Buckeyethon!

This semester, all of my service hours used for DSWS were completed at the annual Buckeyethon dance marathon. I spent 10 hours on my feet silent disco-ing, raving, eating, playing with animals, and of course interacting with the Buckeyethon families while trying to raise some final money to go towards ending and treating pediatric cancer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It was awesome to see the impact of a completely student run organization which raised over 1.7 million dollars in efforts to help those affected by cancer- what an incredible experience that I am honored to have been a part of!

The DSWS group at Buckeyethon!

Scholars Service Hours

2 hours volunteering at the OSU Homecoming parade:

I and a team of others volunteered to be pacers for the homecoming parade from 5:00-7:00 pm on Friday, October 5.  We were given assignments and trained on what our tasks were- basically keep time for the groups in the parade so it ran smoothly- and then starting at 6:00, we walked with the parade. It was a very enjoyable experience to be a part of an OSU tradtion and see the hundreds of happy families and students along the route, cheering on the parade groups. Our leader’s name was Emily, and her email is osuhomecomingparade@gmail.com. After the parade, we even got a picture with President Drake!

5 hours volunteering at the Dream Center:

On the DSWS day of service, October 17, I and a group of fellow DSWS scholars met and went to the Dream Center from 12:00-5:00 pm to serve the local community. It was near Thanksgiving, so we helped the center clean and prepare for their upcoming holiday meal that would be open to the public. Tasks included cleaning tables, organizing coats, and making goodie bags full of essential hygene items that many go without. Then we went out into the neighborhood and went door to door placing flyers inviting people to the meal. There was a great sense of fellowship amongst all of the people serving, and it was incredible to be out in the community which we were serving. The experience really made me greatful for the community I was brought up in. Afterwards, we met with the other DSWS groups and debriefed.

 

3 hours taking care of neighbor’s pets:

My next door neighbor went out of state for Thanksgiving, and I always watch her cats when she is gone. This time, I took care of then from midday on November 21 to evening on November 22. I went and fed the cats multiple times, did their litter, and played with them for a few hours. I did not receive pay for this. It was wonderful to get to play with the cats and know that I was helping out a neighbor and friend during the hectic holiday season. My neighbor is Dawn Wendorff, who can be reached at dwendorff@columbus.rr.com

My neighbor’s cat, Maggie, wanting me to play with her and her brother Sam

Some parade Pacers with Dr. Drake

True Colors Reflection

Today, we took a personality test to categorize ourselves into our true “color”. The colors, orange, gold, green, and blue correspond to those who are outgoing and fun,  those who are traditional and principled, those who are logical and analytical, and those who are emotional and people-oriented. My strongest category is blue, with gold in second. This is useful to know because as a blue, I value people and relationships, so when working with DSWS, or at my job, I know that I will seek to bring harmony to a situation and I will take into account the individual. I also know that I feel very deeply,  so I need to be attentive to the reality of the situation I am in and not let my emotions cloud my judgement or take things someone may say too personally. I bring compassion and morals to a group- I care for people so that they are able to feel more confident in themselves and thrive- that is how I contribute to the group. I also, however, am pretty balanced amongst the four colors, which allows me to try to understand different situations and adapt to the personality type or types that I am working with.

Leadership

Leadership is the ability to stand up and show a group the way to succeed in their goals while letting the group benefit, not just the leader. It requires committment and dedication to the members of the group and the cause for which they are working. A good leader does not command and let the group do the work, but guides and shows the group a path to success while letting the group members capitalize on their strengths while strengthening their weaknesses.

Leadership is evident all around me, in peers and personal acquaintances, but I have also seen leadership throughout the many great sports films of our time. Friday Night Lights is a movie that, in particular, has helped shape my team oriented mentality. Coach Gary Gaines is invested and committed to his players. He doesn’t just instruct them, he leads by example, he shows them the way while letting his players walk their own paths. His leadership is evident through his committment to helping his players and other coaches succeed and his willingness to push his team to work harder and go farther than they would when left to their own valition.  He doesn’t let the team settle, but motivates them to strive to be their best as individuals and as a group. And when the group does their best, using their maximum potential as players and people, they are winners regardless of the score on the board.

About Me

  Hello there! My name is Madison Tortora (or simply Maddie), and I am currently entering my first year as a student at the Ohio State University. I am studying psychology on a pre-medicine track with a minor in film studies. My career goal is to be a physician with a present interest in becoming a gastroenterologist, clinical psychologist, or a general practitioner with a concentration in sports medicine. I am also involved in the Dunn Sports and Wellness Scholars program because of my enjoyment of both watching and playing sports while being active and social.  My interests in a wide variety of areas stems from a true love of learning and gaining life experiences. Outside of my academics, I can be seen exploring Ohio, hiking, drinking coffee, watching classic cinema, catching the latest Clipper’s game, or any other variety of activities which bestow new life adventures and pleasures.

One of my passions is balancing and maintaining the multiple components of a healthy life, especially that of mental/emotional, spiritual, social, and physical health. These characteristics are, in part, lived out with my involvement in my church and its community, the Sports and Wellness program, and my advocacy for counseling and mental health awareness; I am excited to learn more about the ways to live a healthy, balanced life throughout my career at Ohio State.

Born and raised right here in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, I am a fourth generation Ohio State student and a life-long buckeye. Whether it is cheering at the Shoe on Saturdays, repping my OSU gear in my travels, or just exploring this beautiful campus, full of opportunities, I am in some way always conscious of my connection to the university. Both of my parents graduated with computer science degrees in 1980 and 1982 respectively, and my brother is a current fifth year in a creative writing concentration. Secretly my cat is also an Ohio State fan.  I am honored and extremely eager to continue the family tradition of being a buckeye and look forward to developing personally, academically, and professionally throughout my time here!

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]