As a part of my experience as an Advocates for Communities and Education Scholar I participate in a second year capstone project to complete the program. As previously discussed on this page, I am mentoring a freshmen ACES scholar as they transition to OSU. My mentee, Payton, and I got together to explore Columbus and our interests on a cold evening in November.

When initialing being paired, Payton and I both spoke of our interests in fashion and sustainability. I thought that visiting a local thrift shop might be good for our “Explore Columbus” assignment. After speaking with Payton I knew just where to go!

In earlier conversations Payton had mentioned that her older sister who attends OSU loved to thrift shop in Columbus, but that she herself hadn’t had the chance to try it yet. Coming from a small hometown, Payton said that there were few second hand stores that she could shop at it. She said that she was excited to try thrifting in Columbus, but that she felt a little overwhelmed. I told her I would be happy to show her around as I have been living and thrifting in Columbus for going on six years.

We decided to go to the Goodwill on N High St, per my recommendation. The shop is one of the closest to campus, right off of the bus line, and cheaper than the stores in the Short North. Additionally, Payton hadn’t been to Old North Columbus yet. I know as a freshmen people told me a lot about Short North and German Village, but rarely spoke of the neighborhoods North of Campus. I though getting “out” and “up” could be helpful for Payton, and I was eager to chare my favorite Columbus neighborhood with her.

We met at the Ohio Union and crossed the street to the COTA stop in front of Midway. While at the bus stop we discussed what was new in Payton’s life and on the fifth floor of Smeeb. We waited in the cold until the number 2 bus finally arrived. It was Payton’s first time riding the city bus. Although it was a little unusual due to COVID-19 restrictions I explained to her how it worked and how simple it was to get around town using just your Buck-id. I did warn her of the frequency of delays and how quickly ETAs could change. On the ride we discussed Old North and the neighborhoods around campus. I pointed out the townhouse I am going to live in next year and we discussed off campus housing options, as there is a lot more choice and planning involved than underclassmen dorm housing.

After riding the bus up High Street we hopped off the Hudson stop, conveniently right in front of the Goodwill we were headed to. We hurried inside to get out of the late autumn cold. While there we wondered the aisles looking for someone else’s trash that was soon to be our new treasure. We thumbed through racks of clothes looking for the cutest, ugliest, and strangest things we could fine. We each found a top that we were happy to add to our wardrobe. After paying at the register we ventured back outside to wait for our bus. We rode the mile back to the Ohio Union where we had started our evening.

I think thrifting is a great way to explore a city. It’s cheap, accessible, and you can tell a lot about a community by the clothes and home goods they use and give away. The Goodwill in Old North is an excellent choice to shop at as it is right off of two bus lines and next to a lot of other Columbus hidden gems. Across the intersection is Jack and Benny’s, a fantastic breakfast spot serving classic diner cuisine. Up the the block is Ace of Cups, a really cool music venue in a converted bank. One of my favorite pizza places in the city, Hound Dogs, is just another block North.

I recommend a trip to Old North especially to Goodwill for other scholars that have an interest in clothes and/or secondhand shopping. It’s an excellent way to get out into the neighborhoods that students have the option to live in as juniors and seniors. Exploring the different neighborhoods around campus made the apartment hunting search easier for me because I really new what I was getting into. It’s never to early to start experiencing Columbus outside of the 43210.

The Goodwill on the Corner of Hudson Ave. and High St.

This year I have the privilege of working with an Advocates for Communities and Education Scholars freshmen on their transition to Ohio State. I was paired with psychology major, Payton Harvey. She and I share a love of plants, hiking, music, and art. We’re both interested in working with children. Payton and I sat down to get to know each other a little better and how I can best support her in her first year. I was happy to find that she is loving Ohio State so far!

Payton is from a small town in Ohio, Leesburg. She has adjusted well to city life in Cbus. As her older sister, a current OSU junior, has been attending the university for almost 3 years Payton spent a lot of time in Columbus before moving into the dorms this year. Her family also spent time in the city for fun when she was growing up. Although she hasn’t ad much of a chance to explore the city between classes and COVID restrictions she has been enjoying getting to know campus. She remarked that campus doesn’t feel very big at all after being here for a few weeks. In fact, she was really surprised at just how small it is. She often runs into friends and classmates when out and about. (What has surprised you about Ohio State since arriving on campus?)

Payton is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and considering a minor in Art. She hopes to become an art therapist because she is a fan of all types of art, especially painting. (What is your dream job and why?) She is interested in internships and gaining hands on experience in the field. I mentioned an art therapist that I had worked with at a previous job and the annual student internships at the Wexner Center for the Arts that may be of interest to her. Payton plans to attend graduate school for art therapy after completing her bachelors as it is essentially a requirement to practice in the field of art therapy. (What do you plan to do with your major after graduation?)

Payton is currently balancing a heavy 17 credit hour course load this semester. She has one in person class, Spanish, which is her favorite. The class that is giving her the most trouble is Calculus. (What has been your most challenging class so far and why?) Already a challenging course, the format has been changed this semester due to the distance learning format. I shared with her that this is a common experience this semester.

Payton is enjoying ACES so far. She chose the scholars program because of the community and her interest in service. (Why did you choose ACES?) She lives in the “connector” of Smith-Steeb and is very close with her fellow scholars in that hallway. She actually lives in the room next to mine last year. It is nice to see that so much laughter and joy is in that space again. She is very close with her roommate and they get along well. This is a relief as she went random. I shared with her that I had the same experience. Payton enjoyed volunteering in high school and looks forward to volunteering this semester and in the future through the program. She knows that that looks very different though due to COVID. I told her that we were working on planning more in person outdoor service events. Hopefully we will be able to volunteer together soon.

Looking to the future, Payton and I are going to explore her interests in the city. Her sister has spent a lot of time thrifting in town over the years. Payton hasn’t had the chance to visit any shops. We discussed spending an afternoon visiting the secondhand shops that can be reached by COTA. We’re looking forward to a year of learning together!

Payton and I with Brutus in the Ohio Union