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End of Year Review

I am so grateful for all of the experiences I got to have during my first year at Ohio State, both good and bad. I learned so much about myself and what is is best for my mental and physical health.

One of my favorite classes that I took this year was a film and literature class, but it wasn’t my favorite because of the content; it was my favorite because of my professor. This class was much smaller than my 600-person lectures, with only about 30 of us total, and we met three times a week in a small classroom in Evans Laboratory. Everyday before class started, our professor would ring a set of chimes they carried with them and we would take about two minutes to meditate. After that, we went around the room answering a check-in question; this was anything from “what’s your favorite flavor of soup?” to “in what spaces do you feel your identity is not accepted?”. The first time we did these exercises, there was an obvious level of discomfort amongst the students, but our professor pushed us to be kind and open with each other. After doing these things every single class, I found myself feeling closer with these classmates than I was in any other class. Our professor cultivated a space where we could escape the daily stresses of what it means to be a student, and allowed us to express ourselves and accept each other. I was able to put my trust into this professor, and was able to go to them about things I was struggling with. Even after our class has ended, I am still in touch with both my classmates and my professor. Without this class and the space this professor provided, my first semester of college would have been a much greater struggle. I am truly grateful for what I was able to experience in this class.

This year was probably the hardest year of my life thus far, but also one of the greatest. Moving to Columbus and living on my own was the biggest life change I have had yet, and I am now able to look back and reflect on everything that was wonderful and difficult. About halfway through the autumn semester, my depression hit me harder than ever; I had never had to deal with it without the immediate comfort of my family, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t struggle. My depression became a battle I was constantly fighting, and I still am today. But despite this, I was able to find and experience so much joy this year. I moved into a suite of twelve girls I had never met, whom I can now proudly call my best friends. I joined the Mountaineers club and went on backpacking trips into the Appalachian Mountains with people who had the same appreciation for nature that I do. I had support from my ENR Scholars group, sharing passion and friendship with its members and mentors. I was able to try new things and get better at hobbies, like yoga and meditation. I was able to laugh, to cry, to scream in the Ohio Stadium, and to marvel at the huge sycamores on the Oval. This year was completely full of ups and downs, and was the best adventure I’ve had yet. I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time at Ohio State brings me, and I’m proud to be a Buckeye for life.

My Enneagram Test – Personal Leadership Style

After taking the Enneagram test, my results showed that I am a Type Seven: “The Enthusiast” or “The Adventurer”. Sevens are described briefly as “extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous” (https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-7) , which I feel describes my personality very accurately. Each Enneagram type has different levels of development, with level one being the type at their best, and level nine being the type at their worst. At their best, Sevens are described to be child-like regarding their wonder and curiosity for the world. I was this way as a child myself, and have now come back to that same level of whimsy as an adult. I was very excited to read that bout Type Seven because as I have grown and been discovering who I am, the ways in which I am able to find joy in simple things and in nature has become one of my favorite parts about myself.

At their worst, Sevens are described to be self-centered, materialistic, and greedy; I was surprised when I read this because these qualities are the opposite of who I am (and I believe that that my friends and family would agree with this). However, Sevens also tend to overextend themselves by taking on new projects and experiences, which I feel I definitely do.

I think that personality tests like this are fascinating and can help us to better understand some of our traits and tendencies, but I do not think that they should be the “end all be all” to who we are. While I personally think that this test showed accuracy for my personality, I do not think that it should be an excuse for behavior that I may exhibit. Who we are is also completely fluid with time; when I took this test in high school, I was most certainly a Type Eight, and found that who I am today no longer matches those qualities. Overall I enjoyed taking this test and learning more about how some of my qualities have changed with my growth as a person.

Columbus To-Do List Part 2

For the remainder of my Columbus To-Do List, I chose to go to Kafé Kerouac and to Highbanks Metro Park. I was most excited to go to Kafé Kerouac because I do not know much about the coffee scene in Columbus, and I have been wanting to explore what coffee shops are available. I ended up walking from the Ohio Union to Kafé Kerouac to meet up with a friend; I enjoyed the walk more than I think I would have enjoyed taking the COTA bus because I felt that I got to experience more of Old North Columbus. The café itself was different than a lot of coffee shops I had been to in the past; I really loved the overall mood of the shop, especially the art they had hung and the music they were playing. The coffees they sold were all named after famous authors which I found to be particularly clever, especially since the walls were lined with books, comics, and records. I ordered an iced vanilla latte was able to have an awesome time with my friend. Kafé Kerouac created a relaxing and cozy environment, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to chat with a friend or do some studying.

I was also able to take a five mile hike at the Highbanks Metro Park. The route for my hike included two loop trails that merged together, essentially creating a large circle that went around and through the majority of the park. I went early in the morning so that I would be able to experience the sunrise throughout the hike. I was amazed at how beautiful this park was; for somewhere in both in Ohio and so close to a city, I was impressed with how much variety the trails had to offer. I also really appreciated the changes in elevation throughout the hike, which can sometimes be difficult to find in Ohio. The trail consisted of ravines, vast forests, bridges, and other viewing platforms. The hike ended on top of a 50 foot platform that overlooked the Olentangy River. I found the hike to be an equal level of relaxing and challenging, and as someone who does a lot of hiking I was very impressed with the quality of the trails. It was lots of fun to be able to explore what nature had in store in my own “backyard”.

Overall, I found the Columbus To-Do list to be incredibly beneficial to my Columbus living experience. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the places that I was able to visit. I have lived 30 minutes away from Columbus my entire life and am fairly familiar with what activities are available to me, but actually living in the city has allowed me to explore hidden gems that I would never have known existed. I would highly suggest anyone living in the Columbus area to go out and find small businesses that exist throughout the city.

 

 

 

Alumni Interview

For my ENR Scholars alumni interview, I got the opportunity to speak with Brooke Kauchak.  Brooke is a third year Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS) major at Ohio State. She currently works in the AEDE academic office as a student assistant. She was also an intern at the Licking Land Trust where she helped develop conservation and agricultural easements in order to preserve land. In her time as an undergraduate at Ohio State, she has been involved in the Air Force ROTC Program, including the Arnold Air Force Society and Silver Wings. She is currently involved in Refuge at OSU helping high school students seeking asylum in Columbus.

 

In speaking with Brooke I was able to learn about methods and skills that will be helpful to me throughout the rest of my college career. She spoke highly of being prepared for professional situations; planning ahead and preparing questions before going into an interview is a method she has found helpful in her professional career. The biggest lesson she has learned about being in the professional world is the importance of consistency. Going above and beyond in the work that you do will set you apart from others and make you a more competitive applicant.

 

Even in the short conversation I had with Brooke, it was clear to see that she is an extremely passionate person in all aspects of her life not only as a student, but as a professional. Hearing about how highly she spoke of her time in the ENR Scholars program encouraged me for my future. She helped teach me the importance of connections and friendships with your peers and how maintaining those connections with inevitably help your future. Brooke has only increased my excitement for the rest of my career at Ohio State and showed me more ways I can cherish my time here.

Columbus To-Do List: Part 1

For my Columbus To-Do List, I have chosen to complete the “Ice Cream and Desserts” list. I’m really looking forward to completing this list because I love trying new desserts. I’ve always been a huge fan of Jeni’s Ice Cream, so I am excited about expanding my horizons in the ice cream world as well. From this assignment I hope to learn more about what is available to me in the Columbus area, including both food and entertainment. I have lived in the Columbus area my entire life, but never really got to spend time exploring the city. An experience I had with my list so far was visiting Jeni’s Ice Cream in the North Market. I was downtown for the Climate March and decided to stop and get ice cream afterwards. I had not been to the North Market since I was about twelve years old, and had definitely never been without my parents. It was a lot of fun to be in the North Market with my friends; I also found that it was much smaller and less intimidating than I remembered. Getting there was fairly straightforward as we had just walked there from the convention center. However, I am not sure if I would have been able to get there by bus alone. As mentioned before, I have loved Jeni’s Ice Cream for a long time, so the actual process of getting ice cream was nothing surprising to me. I would absolutely recommend going to Jeni’s Ice Cream, the flavors totally unique. You will not get an experience like Jeni’s at any other ice cream shoppe!

 

About Me

Me and my good friend Sonny, an Aldabra giant tortoise who is 42 years old weighs nearly 500 lbs!

Hello! My name is Virginia Rose Whalen and I am a first year at The Ohio State University studying environmental science, as well a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Scholars program. I have always been someone who is enthusiastic and optimistic about almost everything I do; some have even described me as “switched on” at all times. In my free time I throughly enjoying any outdoor recreation, including rock climbing, paddle boarding, and hiking. When it comes to topics that I am passionate about, such as equal rights or wildlife conservation, I am incredibly tenacious about making myself and others’ voices heard. As a learner, I find myself eager to learn new information and skills, especially when they have to do with my areas of interest. From a young age, I have been deeply passionate about the environment and its protection. I have worked at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for the past four years educating guests and children in our camp program about the importance of conserving animal habitats. I believe that working to protect Earth’s creatures will not only bring us together as humans, but will encourage us to protect other parts of our planet as well. At Ohio State, I hope to gain the knowledge that I will need in order to do my part in sustaining Earth’s ecosystems. In the future, I hope to either have a career as an interpreter for exotic animals or as a wildlife biologist doing research in the field. I can’t wait to start this new college experience and to be around people who share the same passions as me!

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.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. 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.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

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 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.]