I was born in the suburbs of Cleveland on February 19, 1998. I’ve grown up my whole life living in the city of Avon Lake, a predominantly white neighborhood that was fairly affluent. My whole life, family has always been the utmost priority for me. My dad’s parents both were born in West Virginia, both kids of coal miner families. My mom’s parents came from Sicily in the late 1950s, traveling by boat over to Ellis Island and eventually planting roots in Bellevue, Ohio. I’m 80% Italian and am in love with my heritage. I’ve always been very close with my mom’s mom, establishing many traditions with her. Some of these include planting her gardens, making homemade bread and sauce, and even learning to speak some Italian. I believe that being selfless is an important quality to have and that putting others ahead of yourself can bring a lot of joy to people. In college I hope to make lasting relationships with good friends.
I am at college now because I wish to be able to explore different paths for careers for my future. I hope I am able to find a sound vocation that will allow me to support a family, but at the same time a job that I can pour myself into and truly enjoy. Throughout high school, I really began to take interests in biological sciences and the study of the natural world. I’ve always been huge into hunting and fishing and hiking, so these kinds of studies really grabbed my attention. In college I plan to continue to study the environment, and hopefully find an even more specific field to which I will love being a part of.
Back in high school I had a field trip where I went to a cliff and got to look for fossils buried into the limestone cliffs. Although we barely found anything, I really enjoyed the fact I wasn’t in the classroom. I love being able to immerse myself into an activity to learn how it works rather than be lectured about it in a class.
While lately I haven’t been able to decide on a specific major, I have always loved animals with a passion. I feel that OSU will give me the tools needed to pursue a career in a field such as Zoology or Marine Biology. There are many clubs here at OSU that offer opportunities that go along with these majors. I feel that pursuing these careers are possible, as long as I’m willing to put in the necessary amount of time and effort. In the future I hope to be able to help wild animals remain in untouched habitats where they will be able to live out their lives the way they were meant to.
Only after spending a week here in Columbus, I feel a very strong belonging to Ohio State. I’ve made several new friends, all of which are very smart. I feel that with good friends I will be pushed to be the best version of myself and to do the best I can regarding schoolwork and being successful in general.