Who Am I?

My name is Kelly Walsh and I am a Freshman at OSU!  I am from Avon Lake, I have two younger sisters, and I love to dance.  Besides dancing I also love to read, babysit, be outside, and cook.  However, dancing has always been my favorite thing to do.  I have been dancing since I was three and it has taught me many life lessons and has also given me great friends.  I come from Magnificat High School which is an all girls catholic high school on the west side of Cleveland.

My most meaningful experience at Magnificat was when I traveled to Immokalee, Florida.  The summer going into Senior year, our Campus Ministry department goes on three different immersions trips, with ten girls on each trip.  I was lucky enough to be chosen to go to Immokalee.  Immokalee is a place where everybody knows everybody, the daily Catholic Mass is said in Spanish, and most importantly it is home to migrant farm workers. We traveled to Immokalee to immerse ourselves in the culture and lives of the Immokalee people. On our first day, we met with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a worker-based human rights organization fighting for fair pay for farm workers and to end human trafficking. The workers in Immokalee earn fifty cents for one thirty-two pound bucket of tomatoes that they pick; rates that don’t come close to minimum wage. I learned that just one cent more per pound of tomatoes would get workers to a minimum wage level.  Sadly, many major corporations will not sign a contract with CIW for even a one cent per pound increase. From working with Habitat for Humanity, to playing soccer with kindergarteners, I found myself growing in understanding of the people of Immokalee, of the people I came with, and of myself. The hardest part during my week was seeing the awful living and working conditions of these people. The family lives of the kids I worked with are so torn apart and the struggle to provide essential goods for one’s family is what every parent worries about every day. I went to Immokalee to help others, but the trip taught me so much more than just service.  I was taught by kids thirteen years younger than me that I should appreciate everything I have because I am blessed.  Immokalee was my home for a week, but Immokalee helped me find a home inside myself.  A place where I feel comfortable spreading awareness about issues in Immokalee. A place where I realize that because of my experiences in Immokalee, I am able to communicate my beliefs and feelings about fair wage issues to my peers; a place where I appreciate what I have and realize that what really matters and makes a person feel secure is love. I cannot thank Immokalee enough for giving me the best high school experience I could ever imagine. 

Aside from going to Immokalee, my high school experience consisted of a lot of time spent on figuring out good ways to study so that I could get the grades that I wanted.  I have always been very organized with my notes and my study habits which really helps me to learn better.  I also like to study in a quite place by myself.  I don’t do well in group study sessions because it’s harder for me to concentrate with others around.  My goals are to study hard and get the best possible grades that I can.  Aside from that I also want to be able to make new friends and create many memories throughout the next four years.  I still do not really know what I want to do once I graduate.  I’m thinking about opening up my own dance studio or even working at a children’s hospital as a dietitian.

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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]