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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.
The lists I’ve chosen on the Columbus To-Do-List site to do is the Ice Cream/Desserts list, Coffee and Tea list, and the Nature & Outdoor Recreation list. I am most looking forward to exploring the Columbus Metroparks! I have already been to many of the parks that are along the Olentangy River while out on runs, but I haven’t taken the time to explore & enjoy them. Specifically, I spent some time at Antrim Lake on a longer run as a break, and it definitely caught my eye as a place I’d like to revisit. Among the desserts and ice cream list, I’d like to try Jenni’s to see if it lives up to the hype, and Rocket Fizz seems like a super cool atmosphere. I’d love to check out some coffee shop locations, mostly because they serve as awesome study spaces! I hope to gain a better understanding of the culture of Columbus by going through this to-do list and also to familiarize myself with the the city itself, to learn what is where. One experience I’ve had so far on the to do list is a visit to Stauf’s Cafe! The cafe offered drinks from iced to hot, espresso, lattes, and cold brew drinks and had baked goods as well. Overall an awesome vibe from the re-purposed church building. I learned that there are so many places that Ohio State students can go to study that are off campus, as this cafe was filled with studiers. I would absolutely recommend Stauf’s to anyone who loves coffee, studying, or both!
I’d like to make a note that this photo was taken after several hours of studying for my Calc midterm, hence my miserable face. I was smiling when I left Stauf’s after being delighting with great service and great coffee.
Career
I reached out to OSU and ENR Scholars alum Connor Lemons. Connor earned a degree in Environmental Policy and Decision Making with course work surrounding sustainability. Since graduating last May, Connor is currently working part time as a sports journalist for OSU men’s basketball. He is looking for a career . working for a government agency, in the area of communications. While at OSU, Connor was a writer for the Lantern, a part of the Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio, Lead the Men’s Basketball student section in Block O, served as an ambassador for SENR, a peer mentor for SENR, and an ENR Scholar for 4 years. He has research experience as an assistant for his Environmental Policy professor researching fracking legislation, and for his political communications professor on why people of different backgrounds tend to avoid discussing politics with people unlike them. He interned with the Ohio State University Department of Energy Management and Sustainability as well. As an on-campus job, Connor worked part time at the Schott Center for 4 years. The advice he gave me for undergrad was to always reach out to people for help wherever help is needed, whether it was his peer ENR scholars or one of the many campus resources OSU provides. He also advised against pursuing 5-6 internships while in college. While they are beneficial, they are not the only pathway towards gaining experience or a strong resume. Skills learned through life experiences are more sought after than a quantity of “things” you were a part of at a time in your life. I definitely have a different outlook on academic involvement now after talking to Connor, it seems that gaining experience through research, campus organizations, and typical teen jobs can be just as valuable as a direct internship in the field of your study. He gave me the advice to avoid using “uhhhs” and “ummms” during interviews because it makes you come off as unprepared and unconfident. He also said to make sure you research on the company/person you are being interviewed by so that you know what to expect and what they will want to hear. He shared that his experiences, even those outside of his major, especially are helpful in finding work, for example his involvement with the men’s basketball student section helped him to become a sports journalist as his current job. He developed writing skills too, just from being a science major. I learned from this experience that I will not necessarily be locked down to a career that seems obvious from my major. For example, as an atmospheric science major many would see me becoming part of a weather broadcasting team, however what I learn could be applied to other related areas such as environmental consulting for businesses concerned about their own carbon emissions, or a high school physics or math teacher. After hearing from Connor I will surely be more open to taking skills I develop from various clubs, events, activities, at OSU and ask myself “how can I take this experience and get hired from it.”
Artifacts
[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation. An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps. 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.]
About Me
My Name is Evan James Utterback and I am from Parma, Ohio. My hobbies include participating in recreational activities, such as golf, baseball, hiking, and backpacking. I am the youngest child of 4, and have two cats named Nugget & Sharkie. I am looking to pursue a double major degree in Environmental Science and Atmospheric Science, to go into climate research as it relates to the Earth and our inhabitability for the future. I plan on joining several student organizations relating to my field, such as the Meteorology Club & Recycling Club. As an Eagle Scout, my interest and involvement with the outdoors has always been high. I have done many wilderness trips in my life, the most exciting being a multiple day canoe trek through the Allegheny River, and an 80 mile backpacking trek in New Mexico. A dream of mine is to travel to all of the National Parks in my lifetime. It is during times I am outside surrounded by nature that I feel most calm and comfortable. I figured that it would be best for myself to study a field which provides so much for me so that I can give back, by becoming further educated on what we can do as humans to sustain and recover our beautiful planet as best we can. I am very hopeful that being an ENR Scholar will help me to grow in my outdoor manners so I can become a leader to others in the environmental movement. While at OSU, I will be looking into an internship to do involving climate science, hopefully in a state out west or even over seas!
Me at Pikes Peak, CO. On top on Baldy Mtn. Cimarron, NM.
