Part 1: What? So What?
My freshman year at UC has been one of the best years of my life. I went into my freshman year of college with a positive attitude, excited about being around new people from different places.
I became a member of Darwin T. Turner Scholars, University Honors Ambassadors, ROAR Tour Guides, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, First Year Leadership Program, Administrative Review Committee (UC Judicial Affairs), Psychology Club, and Pre-Law Club. I also got the opportunity to participate in a service learning trip to Ecuador.
The most significant connections I developed this year came from the activities I am involved in outside of the classroom. Not only did I form relationships with other freshman, but I also found friends in upperclassmen. The friendships I found in upperclassmen were significant because they served as role models and mentors. These friendships have impacted my experience at UC because I would not have been aware of or applied for some programs if it was not for upperclassmen friends encouraging me to do so. These relationships also made my time at UC one of the best years of my life.
Additionally, I became very close to my University Honors Program (UHP) advisors as well as other UHP advisors not assigned to me. My advisor for the Turner Scholars Program also became a valuable relationship. The advisors here at UC truly care about their students and are knowledgeable about the many aspects of the college experience. Never before had I had such a close, personal relationship with an advisor or counselor. I attribute my successful freshman year to both my hard work and the support of my friends and advisors.
The biggest challenge my freshman year was recovering from a spinal fusion back surgery, which I had over winter break. After the surgery, I could not walk without assistance for about two weeks. I was not back to full mobility until about six months later. Throughout my recovery, many friends and acquaintances helped me, comforted me, and encouraged me. This experience was influential because it taught me to appreciate the mobility and independence that I have.
Part 2: Now What?
I have always had a passion for social justice and human rights. This passion evolved this year after participating in a die-in on campus and attending various forums about race and the criminal justice system. This summer, I am interning at the Ohio Justice and Policy Center (OJPC), which works to reform the criminal justice system. So far, it had been an eye-opening experience. It has made me even more aware of the issues within various systems in the United States and how they oppress certain groups of people. This internship will inform my next steps because it will help me gauge what I want to do with my degree and what career path I want to take.
One goal I have set for myself for this upcoming year is to maintain my high GPA. Beyond my various extracurricular activities, I studied for hours a night to earn a 4.0. I am proud of that accomplishment and hope to work just as hard in the upcoming school year.
However, I would also like to make more time for friends and enjoying life. One piece of advice I would like to give myself is to make more time for people I care about. I have met some truly amazing individuals in my time at UC and I would like to focus more on fostering those friendships. This summer has made me realize that I did not appreciate how close all of my new friends lived during the school year. This summer, some of my friends live over two hours away from me. It was much easier to see them when they lived a short walk away from my residence hall.
If you would have told me in high school that I would attend UC, I would have doubted you. I would have told you that I am not going to college so close to home. I would have told you that I wanted to go to school somewhere that I would not know anyone, and could get a fresh start.
Now I can tell you that I would not want to go anywhere else.