Posts

Explore Columbus!

 

My amazing mentor, Braylee, took me to Condado Tacos on Halloween. As a taco enthusiast, I was so excited to try out a fun restaurant that I had never heard of prior to coming to OSU. They have the BEST queso dip that I have ever tasted!!! I’m so glad Braylee and I had the opportunity to go out together and bond. : )

Film Project: On The Way To School

The ACES Pillars film project was a very educational experience for us first-year scholars. Each group was tasked with choosing a documentary and giving a presentation on how the film depicts ACES four pillars: positive social change, advocacy, community, and service. My group decided to watch and review the documentary On the Way to School. This film shows the great distances four children from different parts of the world travel to go to school. Despite the distance and difficulties these students face, they know that getting an education is the first step to living a better life.

Below is a link to my group’s presentation:

On the Way to School

 

Service Engagement

On November 2nd, I spent my day volunteering at Holt Crossing Intermediate School through a program called Communities In Schools. Communities In Schools works directly inside schools, building relationships that empower students to succeed inside and outside the classroom. At Holt Crossing, they were holding their Fall Festival. The fall festival was a part of a school-wide incentive for the 1st quarter, rewarding students who met their behavior, attendance and academic goals. Volunteers helped supervise games, crafts or food/drink stations.

I had a great time getting to know the kids and seeing the great relationship they had with the Communities iIn Schools Site Coordinator, Carrie. They seem very appreciative of the time Carrie gives to make sure they are succeeding in every way both in and out of school. This was an amazing experience and hope to work with Communities In Schools again in the future!

About Me

Hi, I am Kylie Volak. I am a first year sophomore at OSU. I am from Vermilion, OH, which is about 40 minutes west of Cleveland. I graduated from Vermilion High School, where I participated in National Honor Society, stage crew, theater, a cappella and show choir, and cheerleading.

I am currently majoring in biology, but I am switching to psychology at the end of the semester. In the future, I would like to pursue a career as either a school psychologist or guidance counselor.

I had the most amazing guidance counselor for 8th through 12th grade. I had the pleasure of working alongside her to plan things such as recruit training days and events for a school club called Move 2 Stand. M2S aims to prevent bullying, teach students to be up standers instead of bystanders, and to create a friendlier climate in our school. Through this, I saw just how passionate she was in making sure students’ voices were heard and that they felt valued. I admire those qualities, and she has inspired me to want to become a guidance counselor, as I also enjoy being there for those who need me and making a positive change in the lives of those around me.