Year of Service Synopsis

 

I was placed at the Broad Street Achievement (BSA) Program which is a licensed after-school enrichment program for children grades K-12.  BSA prides themselves on four primary objectives: academic assessment, academic enrichment, healthy living promotion, and mentorship. BSA serves the children and families of inner city Columbus. It is important to acknowledge that there are many different situations and backgrounds that these children come from, but in order to give the best service to these students, one must analyze the backgrounds of the participants and structure the program around certain similarities. The majority of children that come through this program are African American and often come from impoverished families, broken homes, or traumatic situations. They attend some of the lowest ranked schools in the state that do not have the resources or funds to provide quality education to each student. Without BSA, many of these kids could not keep up with regular schoolwork or pass standardized tests to advance to the next grade level.

As a volunteer at BSA, I help with the after school program for kids grades K-8 from 3-6pm. A typical day at BSA first consists of snack time when the children arrive, then CHEWS, an activity that involves of cooking or baking to promote healthy eating and educate the students about nutritious and balanced diets. After CHEWS, we move into homework help, where each volunteer was paired with one or two students, giving them individualized attention and help that they need. The next part of the program consists of recreational time in order to promote physical fitness and wellness. The last part of the program is evening meal. The meals are provided by the Children’s Hunger Alliance, a partner of BSA. One cannot fully describe BSA without mentioning its tenacious leader, Francine Marchelle. Francine is one of the most driven, dedicated, and caring people I have met. She puts in long hours everyday filled with paperwork, emails, phone calls, and much more, in order to provide the program participants and their families with the best services that she can provide. It is truly inspiring to see her passion for helping students succeed not only in school, but in all facets of life.

 

BSA has allowed me to grow leaps and bounds in my ability to not only mentor and communicate with students, but also my ability to show empathy and compassion to those who are in need. It is easy to turn a blind eye to the outside world while on OSU’s campus, but my service has allowed me to remember the people in need in the Columbus community and the pressing social justice issues that surround us every day.  I have been able to make strong relationships with the students and staff at BSA, and the program will always hold a special place in my heart. I am so grateful for the time that I was able to commit to the program this year and for Mount, as it acted as a catalyst for the personal growth that resulted from this experience.

 

My experience at BSA and with my Year of Service has emphasized the importance of reflection on service. Without reflection, your service may lack meaning, purpose, and the ability to transform yourself and the people that you serve. These T&R’s aid in this reflection, but it is ultimately up to me to make sure that I am thinking critically and honestly about the impacts that I have on BSA and that BSA has on me. In the future, I will continue to serve others with passion, empathy, and an intention to create lasting and meaningful relationships. In the near future, I will look for ways and opportunities to stay involved with BSA and hopefully continue volunteering with them.

Artifact Two: Club Tennis Nationals

 

I am a member of the Scarlet Club Tennis Team here at OSU. Last April, I competed in the USTA Tennis on Campus National Tournament in Surprise, Arizona. However, the road to nationals was no easy task. I had to try out among my own teammates, proving that I one of the top 5 girls on our team. As a precursor to nationals, we competed in the Regional Tournament in Madison, Wisconsin. There, we took 1st place and qualified for nationals. This tournament was such a great opportunity for our team to make a name for ourselves and show the school and the those who work with club sports how hard our team works and how we compare to the other club teams in the nation. Additionally, club tennis has provided me with my closest friends here on campus. There is something very special and something so infectious about sharing the same love and passion for a sport. Most of us have dedicated a lot of time and money to this sport, and still love to play at such a competitive level. These commonalities bring us so close together and create lifelong friendships. At nationals, our team finished 9th in the nation, but more importantly created lifelong memories and bonds that I hold so close to my heart.

Artifact One: Empty Bowls

Empty Bowls was a project that Mount Scholars worked on for months in order to raise money for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. We made these bowls out of clay, fired them, and then glazed them, so we could sell them and give the proceeds to the Food Bank. I really enjoyed this project because there were multiple stages to it and it allowed us to stay engaged in the project and see the whole process through, which really embodies the Mount Essential of Being Prepared and Following Through. Additionally, it allowed us to Create and Nurture Relationships with our connection teams. Each bowl was sold for $10, which, raised $110 for the Food Bank. Between the almost 120 first year Mount Scholars, over 300 bowls were sold, raising over $35,000 for the Food Bank. This number far surpassed the project’s goal and was exciting to achieve together. Additionally, my connection team sold the most bowls of all the connection teams. This project showed me that when people come together, they can achieve something larger than themselves. Selling over 300 bowls seemed like a daunting task, but with all of the Mounties working together for weeks to spread the work and sell the bowls, we were able to far surpass our goal.

Semester in Review

My first semester at Ohio State has allowed me to grow as a person and learn a lot more about myself than I ever thought was possible. The transition to college can be a tough one for many students, but, fortunately, for me, the transition was smoother than I could’ve imagined. Arriving to campus and automatically being surrounded by 120 Mounties that were kind, ambitious, caring, intelligent people, never left me feeling alone. I was never one that had a lot of friends in high school, but college has taught me to surround myself with people who truly care about me and will help me out whenever I need it. College, and Mount, specifically, has taught me the importance of connecting with people and showing them you care. A smile or wave from across campus can go a long way. As a student, I’ve found that it takes a lot of self-motivation and discipline to excel. Luckily for me, these are a couple strengths of mine. Don’t get me wrong – college is hard. But I’ve been able to utilize my resources, seek help when I need it, and manage my time. Overall, I could not have dreamed of a better start to my college career. If my first semester was any indication of what is to come, I cannot wait to see what Ohio State has in store for me!

G.O.A.L.S.

At OSU, the Honors & Scholars Program strives to create a well rounded and engaged citizen, focusing on achieving their G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. OSU and Mount Leadership Society Scholars offers many opportunities to reach my G.O.A.L.S..

 

GLOBAL AWARENESS

Coming to a large university from a small suburban town in Ohio, required that I appreciate and cultivate diversity in my everyday life. From meeting students that come from different backgrounds and home lives, to working with international students in my ENGR 1181 class projects, I have been able to develop my global awareness here at Ohio State. I plan to continue this by studying abroad with the assistance of the STEP program. I plan to participate in a study abroad program through the College of Engineering, allowing me to learn about and appreciate the engineering capabilities of past, present, and future people of another country. This will allow me to take this knowledge back and use it to gain my own perspective on engineering here in the United States.

ORIGINAL INQUIRY

By nature engineering provides numerous opportunities for original inquiry. Before coming to Ohio State, I thought that engineering was very black and white. The answer was either right, or it was wrong. However, I am learning that this is not the case. Engineers try to solve problems that have no solutions. They try to innovate and invent something that has never been done before. For example, in ENGR 1182, I collaborated with 3 of my peers on a semester-long Integrated Transportation System. The project had very loose guidelines and allowed for creativity and original solutions. Our group, especially, took advantage of this opportunity and 3-D printed and laser cut parts for our vehicle. We were able to use original inquiry to come up with solutions to problems and create a product that was successful overall. I plan to continue this endeavor of original inquiry by participating in more engineering projects or possibly a design team here at OSU.

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

It is no secret that engineering classes at Ohio State are difficult. No matter how good of a student you are, there are times where you will be challenged and your commitment to your studies will be tested. I have chosen engineering because it presents a challenge, but is also something that I am passionate about. I plan to pursue academic excellence in this field through making it a goal to maintain above at 3.5 GPA. I also plan to purse a minor on top of my engineering degree to make me a more competitive job applicant and get the most out of my undergraduate education that I can. Later down the road, I plan to further enrich my academics by getting my Masters in Business Administration.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

As a member of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars Program, I have committed a large portion of my time at OSU to becoming a leader and practicing leadership in my everyday life. For example, I am the Society of Women Engineers 5K and Volleyball Tournament Chair. I have also led many smaller project groups and subcommittees. I plan to continue this leadership development at OSU by becoming a member of the Club Tennis Executive Board. Additionally, in my career I plan to get my MBA and work in an upper level management position at an engineering company. Overall, leadership is something that I am very passionate about and something that I am very dedicated to as a Mount Scholar.

SERVICE ENGAGEMENT

I have made a commitment to service to the community as a Mount Scholar. From monthly service projects my freshman year, to an entire Year of Service my sophomore year, Mount has helped me to become an engaged citizen that gives back my time to those in the community that need it the most. My Mount Legacy Week team created, planned, and executed two very successful service projects to combat the social justice issue of abuse. First, we made dog treats for the Columbus Humane Society and also helped the shelter with some projects that they needed completed. We also planned two activity nights for the kids at Huckleberry House in which we made food, played games, painted picture, and provided company for the kids. I am also doing a Year of Service at Broad Street Achievement Programs in Columbus, OH, helping tutor and mentor children. All of these service projects have allowed me to grow as a person and it has assured me that giving back to the community is something that I will continue for the remainder of my life.

Career Readiness: Bridgestone Internship

A copy of my resume can be found here: Resume_UPDATED_01142020.docx .

One of the applied experiences on my resume that I would like to highlight on my resume is my internship at Bridgestone. Following my senior year of high school, I worked at a full-time intern on the NVH team where I updated and consolidated work instructions and calibration documents. My favorite part of this experience was that I was able to work hands-on in an engineering lab. From this exposure, I gained valuable technical skills and learned the importance of documentation and calibration in testing. The classroom cannot possibly teach every important aspect of engineering, and I strongly believe that I never would have gained this knowledge and skill without this internship experience. Alongside great mentors and engineers, I was able to step foot in a real-life engineering setting, contributing to projects and action items every day. Not only did I acquire technical skills, but I also learned necessary soft skills such as working on a team, participating in meetings, email etiquette, professionalism, and so much more. I am very excited to say that I will be spending this coming summer interning at Bridgestone, and I am so excited to see what I can get my hands on this time!

Artifacts

Mount Summit has definitely been a highlight of Mount Scholars thus far. Summit was an opportunity to listen to keynote speakers and attend sessions that talked about becoming a leader in today’s society. This year’s theme focused on collaboration, which resonated with me because I find myself working in groups or attending study sessions with others quite often. I really enjoyed this experience because there were many different sessions to choose from, and I was able to choose which ones I attended based on my personal interests. I attended Chanel Crawford’s session called “Conquering Collaboration: Working Together to Get it DONE!” She spoke about working together with her business partner and how to overcome their personality clashes and differing opinions. This session gave insight into how important collaboration is in every field and how working together opens doors that you could not have opened by yourself. Second, I attended LTC Jim Bunyak’s session titled “TS=IS: Building and Leading Successful Teams.” I was interested in this session because I would love to lead or manage people during my career. The TS=IS part of his speech was very interesting. LTC Bunyak says, “Team Success is directly proportional to Individual Success.” The concept is simple, but the message speaks to the fact that in order to be successful yourself, you must be able to lead those around you to success as well. Overall, Mount Summit gave an interesting perspective on leadership and collaboration, and I will use what I learned to help me become a better leader each and every day.

About Me

Hi! My name is Maria Zivick and I am a sophomore at The Ohio State University in the Mount Leadership Society Scholars Program. Mount Scholars has provided many opportunities for me to grow in my leadership skills and continue my passion for service. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Growing up in a family of engineers has drawn me toward math and science, and I am excited to see where a career in STEM will take me. My dream job is to work for an aerospace company, such as NASA or Boeing. One of my biggest hobbies outside of the classroom is tennis. I have been playing tennis for over 11 years. Apart from tennis, I enjoy baking, watching movies, trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with my large family. I will stay involved on campus by joining the Club Tennis Team, where I will compete at a high level and travel to tournaments around the country. I am also an active member of Society of Women Engineers. These extracurricular activities have given me a wide variety of experiences and skills that I will use as I move forward in my academic career and beyond.