The year of 2017 was a big one for me. I graduated high school and embarked on my first semester at the Ohio State University. Instead of focusing on the entire year of 2017 I’d like to focus specifically on my first semester at college and how it has shaped me and my future.
I was excited going into college but I don’t think I ever expected it to go the way it did. The semester had a lot of ups, a few downs, and most importantly a lot of new experiences. I came into college as a Mount Leadership Society Scholar and while I had been in contact with some of my fellow Mount Scholars over the summer, it was crazy to actually meet them in person. We moved in a week earlier than the rest of the campus in order to get to know each other and get acclimated to OSU’s huge campus and college life in general. That first week felt like a week at summer camp; we were living in dorms away from the homes and families we’d grown up with, we were living with so many other people which came from different places, backgrounds, and personalities, we were engaging in leadership training activities and going to meetings and school was the last thing on our minds. I made some amazing friends right from the beginning because of Mount and more importantly, found a community in which I belonged and could feel comfortable with. I thank Mount for what was a pretty easy adjustment to college; I wasn’t worried about making friends and meeting new people because I already had met a ton of new people and had made some great friends.
When school actually started, the summer camp aura definitely ended. Coming in as a Spanish major, I decided to add a double major in International Business. This excites me a lot as I embark on learning new things in subjects that I’m interested in. I also interviewed for a really competitive business internship through Young Entrepreneurs Across America and ended up getting the internship! This is incredibly exciting because not only will I gain invaluable experience that looks great on a resume, I also get to pursue business and see if it is something that I am really passionate about. Another success I had was getting a 4.00 GPA for my first semester in college.
There were some lows this semester, mostly with my social life, but my academic and professional successes give me a positive outlook on college life. Also, I am so lucky to have made some best friendships that I know will last a lifetime. Overall, it was a great semester that has got me looking forward not only to this next one, but to the rest of my college and professional career.