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For my Year of Service project this year, I have been volunteering as an ESL classroom assistant through an organization called Festa. I assist in planning and executing lessons, as well as occasionally talking with some of the students outside of class to help them improve their English skills. There have been many impactful moment through this experience, but there are a few specific ones that have especially stood out to me.

Something specific I have learned from this experience is how much a language barrier can impact an individual’s lives. On the outside it may not seem to be that big of a deal, but many of the students have told me that they often feel very self-conscious in public situations where they are approached in conversation, or when they have a question. They often feel very nervous and are unable to accurately convey their thoughts or emotions to the other person. In result, they often avoid doing this and instead isolate themselves. One of the students told me that she began to feel this way when her boss made her feel bad about not being fluent enough in English and having too much of an accent. This really frustrated me; I thought about how many wonderful things this person has to offer the world, yet someone was putting her down and discouraging her simply because of an accent. This made her more self-conscious in social situations, and even in ESL classes.

Language is obviously very important; it helps us to express who we are and to contribute to the world around us. It’s true that it is a big part of our lives, but this experience has helped to teach me how we communicate in more ways than simply the words we speak every day. Many of the students may not speak English perfectly, but they still convey their character in a variety of other ways. Many show up to class with a smile on their face and very motivated to learn. Many of them try over and over again, despite many of the lessons being difficult. Many of the students have even texted me on different holidays or when they knew that I had something meaningful going on in my life. It saddens me to think that there are some people in their lives that believe they are less worthy simply because they do not speak the same level of English as they do. I think that some people in the country correlate intelligence with English fluency. This is extremely ignorant. The fact that so many of these individuals are able to learn a new language well into their adult lives shows a very high level of intelligence. In their home countries, many of them had very prestigious jobs and high levels of education, and may be more qualified than many English speakers in their same position. Some of the most inspiring people I have ever known sat in these classes twice a week, and I feel grateful to have met them. They have taught me far more than I have taught them; especially in terms of how far a positive attitude can get us in life.

YOS PROJECT

It has taken me quite a long time to decide on a career path. I have changed my major and path multiple times. It may in some ways seem to be a waste of time, as I took some classes I now do not need. Although this is true, I do not regret being indecisive about my major and future career, because I have had the opportunity to experience a variety of classes and learn about a variety of careers that I probably would not have engaged in otherwise. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to explore, and I am thankful that I have been so cautious when choosing a path for my career.

I have always had an interest in the field of psychology. I have found psychology interesting for my whole life; the fact that our brains shape who we are and mold how we see the world is so fascinating to me. I considered majoring in psychology prior to college, but I was unsure of what to do with it. After doing some research and talking with many people, I learned about the field of school psychology. School psychologists help to diagnose students with learning disabilities, and help to create plans to help them learn and feel comfortable at school. I have always been passionate about education and helping children with learning disabilities, so I could see this being a good fit for me. I shadowed a school psychologist and I have done a lot of research about the field. I also hope to get involved in some psychology research next school year to have more hands-on experience in the field of psychology.

I am still not positive of this track, but it definitely is something I am interested in. I was going to be done with my psychology degree in three years, so I decided to add another major in case I wanted to expand my options. I am now double-majoring in psychology and business, possibly in a marketing concentration. I also hope to job-shadow in a marketing related field to see first-hand if I would be interested in a career in this field. My hope by adding another major was to give myself a wide variety of options, as I have been so unsure and uncertain of a future path. Thankfully, my classes, people I have met, and experiences at Ohio State have assisted in guiding me toward my interests.

I have been incredibly grateful for my time at Ohio State so far and for the experiences I have had, but I am also excited for what is to come. I have quite a few goals for my remaining time here at Ohio State and beyond.

Global Awareness: Appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences.

One of my biggest goals I hope to achieve in college is the chance to study abroad. Traveling and experiencing a variety of other cultures has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I am infatuated with the world and what is outside of the place that I have always known. I believe that the greatest way to learn about different parts of the world is to experience them first-hand. Understanding and being willing to learn about other cultures and parts of the world makes us better citizens, and allows us to connect to a variety of other communities.

Entering college, I was unsure of a lot. Mostly, I was very unsure of the path I wanted to take for my life. I still am very unsure most of the time. Something I was sure about was the fact that I wanted to study Spanish, and this is something I have never had doubts about. The classes have gotten to be difficult, but I find it only motivates me more. I love the idea of learning another language, because I feel that this gives me another whole perspective of the world. Knowing multiple languages allows us to understand even more of the world population, therefore giving us more insight in a variety of areas. I plan to go to Barcelona, Spain in the summer of 2023 to study abroad. I am looking forward to improving my language skill and knowledge of the culture while abroad.

Original Inquiry: Understand the research process by engaging in experiences

I am studying psychology, so I hope to possibly get involved in research while at Ohio State. Specifically, I would like to do research involving child and adolescent psychology. I am not sure what career I would like to pursue, but I have considered going to graduate school for school psychology. Research in these areas would be beneficial in this case. Even if this is not the route I decide to go, I believe it would still be fascinating to study and learn more about. I will do this in terms of advanced course work as well.

Academic Enrichment: Academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom

I hope to maintain a high GPA throughout the remainder of college. I would like to remain focused and organized in order to keep up with my school work while also staying involved in extra-curriculars. I also would like to make it a goal to be more engaged and involved while in class. I sometimes struggle with participating as I get nervous answering questions at times, so I would like to reach outside of my comfort zone and attempt to do this more often throughout the next few years.

Leadership Development: 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.

I hope to be involved in the Post-Mount Board after graduating from the scholars program in the spring. I have enjoyed my time in the program, and I believe it would be a nice way to give back and help plan future events for Mount scholars of all years.

I also am interested in finding more clubs to join and get involved in throughout campus.

Service Engagement: Commit to service to the community

For my year of service through Mount, I have been volunteering with Festa; an organization that hosts ESL classes as well as childcare for the parents that participate in the classes. I volunteer in one of the adult ESL classrooms. I have truly enjoyed every minute of it. I have met so many wonderful people, and it has taught me so much about English as well as other languages. This is something I hope to continue participating in throughout college and possibly once I graduate.

I am incredibly grateful for my first-year at Ohio State. It has been quite an unusual year amidst the pandemic and many regulations, but I feel that I have still made the most of it. I have made lifelong friends and many memories that I know I will treasure forever. It is a strange feeling when reflecting where I was a year ago compared to where I am now; my past self would be very excited to see where I am now and how much I am enjoying college life.

Deciding to participate in the Mount Leadership Society Scholar’s program has been very impactful throughout my first year of college. I have always valued service and I have always been motivated to learn more about how to lead in a positive way; I feel that I have already grown in these areas throughout my first year as a Mount scholar. Helping to plan events in ROW and in other ways through Mount has helped increase my confidence in my leadership abilities. I have also been able to meet many inspiring and amazing people throughout my first year through Mount, and this truly made my first year a wonderful experience. Beginning my college career in the middle of a pandemic was a bit difficult in terms of adjusting to the academic course load, but reflecting now I am proud of the work I put in, even when it was very difficult. It felt isolating at times being unable to go to class and build relationships, but I still feel as if I learned a lot through my courses. I have also been able to discover more about myself and what I would like to pursue in the future through these experiences, which has also been incredibly beneficial.

During my sophomore year of high school I had the opportunity to represent my high school at  the Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership Conference held at Youngstown State University. Many other high school students from across Ohio represented their high school at this conference as well. The conference occurred over the span of a weekend, and it was a great experience that allowed me to better my leadership skills and meet other people of all different backgrounds. There were many influential speakers throughout the week that spoke about what it means to be a leader and how to positively influence your community and those around you. 

The experience was very unique for me at the time. It was intimidating in the beginning since I went in not knowing anyone, and I had to spend a weekend in this new, unknown environment. The experience taught me a lot and opened my eyes to the importance of leadership and what it means to be a leader. I learned that often we see a leader as someone who is extremely outgoing and involved. While this certainly can be true, it is important to acknowledge that everyone can express leadership in different ways. Without these differences in leadership styles, the world would be at a fault. It was interesting getting to know all of the new people throughout the week and learning about their backgrounds and how they exemplify leadership within their schools and communities. At the end of the conference, we all participated in a community service project and reflected on our experiences throughout the weekend. 

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the Hugh O’ Brien Youth Leadership Conference. It was an unforgettable experience that truly helped me to grow as a person. 

For my first artifact, I have decided to discuss an opportunity that I had my senior year of high school to visit and help out in an elementary school classroom multiple times a week. I believe that this experience truly impacted my life, and it taught me a lot about who I want to be and the impact that I want to make in my community.

Our high school offered a “class” where we were able to visit a local elementary school for a period of the school day to help out in the classroom. I have always loved working with kids and I have wanted to be a teacher my whole life, so I decided it would be a good idea to have experience in a classroom. I was able to help out in a third grade classroom throughout the year and it was an incredible experience. My main job there was to help out certain students that were struggling in certain areas. I would often work with them individually to help them better these skills. I learned that I enjoyed working with the students one-on-one, and it brought me so much joy to see them improve skills after working so hard. Not only is it important to help the students better certain skills, but I also learned how important it is to simply listen to the students and make them feel heard. Even young children can be extremely stressed and overwhelmed either due to school or their home lives. I made an effort to really listen to the students during the time I had with them while helping them improve academically. By the end of the year, I believe that a few students really opened up to me, and I am grateful that I was able to provide a safe place for them. I think about this experience often, and I hope everyday that I was able to make a positive impact on their lives.

I have considered pursuing a career in education, but after a lot of thought I have decided to continue on the pre-med track. I am incredibly passionate about helping people, and I believe that doctors and teachers both make a profound impact on the world. No matter what I decide to pursue, working with these children last year really helped show me the kind of person that I want to be throughout my life. I hope to be a lifelong learner and to do what I can to improve lives. I am grateful for this experience, and I will never forget what the students taught me.

Reflecting on my experience in the school my senior year made such an impact on my life because it helped guide me to what I’m passionate about. Spending time thinking about these experiences are important, because they are able to act as a guide throughout you life. I will never forget this experience I had and the lessons that I learned.

Hello, my name is Lauren Wright. Currently I am a first-year student here at The Ohio State University. I am a member of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars program and I am a new member on the Recruitment, Outreach, and Welcome Committee (ROW) within the Mount Scholars program. I am from Geneva, Ohio and graduated from Geneva High School. I was very actively involved throughout my time in high school; contributing to my community and doing what I can to help has always been a passion of mine. My sophomore year I was chosen to represent my school at the HOBY Leadership Conference held at Youngstown State University. This experience strengthened my leadership skills and helped me to learn more about myself. In high school I was on student council, I was secretary of National Honor Society and philanthropy club, and I was also an active member of an environmental club and Key Club. I also played volleyball all four years of high school.

Throughout my time here at The Ohio State University I hope to be just as involved as I was in high school. Mount Leadership Society Scholars has already presented me with great opportunities to get involved and to learn more about Ohio State. Down the line I hope to join more clubs and organizations throughout campus. I am not positive what career I want pursue, but I have such a passion for helping others, and I know that I want to spend my life doing what I can to help those in need. Whatever I decide to do, I truly hope that I am able to help improve the lives of others. I am so proud to be a student here at The Ohio State University, and I cannot wait for what the future holds.

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