Year 1
What significant relationships or connections have you developed this year? How have those relationships impacted your experience?
One of the downsides of picking the University of Cincinnati was that most of my friends were staying home and going to Ohio State. While it was great to get away, I knew that I would have to find a lot of new friends. Luckily, I ended up with three really good roommates that were all really supportive. We all got along (which I guess was lucky, hearing from my other friends about their roommates) and almost always did things together. Some of us would go to church together on Sundays, eat together, and a few of us even got a lifting group together to work out a couple days a week. Two of my roommates were from the Cincinnati area so I was able to become mutual friends with their friends from high school. I even got lucky enough to be able to live with eight guys next year that I had met in my first year of college, with one of them being my roommate. I also met some really good friends through classes and clubs. One of my friends that I go rock climbing and play racquetball with even convinced me to take yoga with him next fall! Making lots of friends in my freshman year at UC definitely made my first year of college the most memorable of my life.
How have you used your gifts and talents to give back to the community and society?
One of my goals coming into to college was being able to find a way to give back to my community like I did in my home town. One of the ways I was able to do this was through an organization called Bearcat Buddies. Bearcat Buddies is a program that allows college students to go once a week to a local elementary school and tutor the student in math or English. I loved Bearcat Buddies because it reminded me of the program SON Ministries that I volunteered at many times back home. I went to a different school each semester and got to make an impact on multiple kid’s lives. Through Bearcat Buddies I was able to use my talents at math and English to help kids in the community that I live in.
I also was able to give back to the community through volunteering with different clubs on campus at Matthew 25 or at the local food bank. I went on two separate occasions to Matthew 25 with a club on campus, AICHE, and helped do all kind of odd jobs from recycling paint to packing hair dye into boxes. Since Matthew 25 helps people all over the world I not only was able to impact the community but the world.
What piece of advice would you like to give yourself as you prepare for the upcoming year, be that academically, personally, or both?
One piece of advice that I have set for myself is to be able to spend enough time on each of my clubs while also keeping up on my classwork. For my sophomore year I have taken a lot more positions in my clubs instead of just being members which means I will have to spend more of my time on my activities. I will be the treasurer for the Engineering and Applied Science Tribunal while also being the fundraising chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE). I have not had this much responsibility yet in college so I want to be able to divide my time up so that I’m not focusing too long on one group and neglecting the others.
How have your thoughts about who you are and what you want to do changed or evolved this year? How will that inform your next steps?
My first year of college definitely turned out a lot different than I envisioned. Going into college UC had talked about such great opportunities that they offered at UC, such as study tours and the ACCEND program. I always blew off the idea of doing any of them because I felt that they were not for me. But after hearing my upperclassmen friends talk about their experiences I was suddenly interested. When I found out that study tours could count as an honors experience I thought, “Why not go somewhere cool while I have the chance and when the Honors program will pay for some it?” So I signed up for the Rome honors tour and have an amazing time and believe that it made me a better person. My parents travel a lot but had yet to be in Europe so it was really cool to show them pictures of places that they have never been before.
Another program that I took advantage of was signing up for the ACCEND program. I told a ton of my upperclassmen friends about my situation of being ahead in my curriculum and they asked me if I was going to do the ACCEND program. Coming into college I never thought about trying to go for my masters but after realizing the opportunity I had in front of me I decided to go for my MBA along with my undergraduate. I have yet to take any classes for it yet but I believe that my masters will help me with my career down the road and at a little to no extra cost than my undergraduate. I learned over this past year to see the opportunities that have been placed in front of you and to not be afraid to take advantage of them.
What is at least one goal that you have set for yourself for the upcoming year?
One goal I have set for this upcoming year is to make sure I keep my grades up. As stated from above I will be taking more of a leadership role in my clubs which means I will need to spend more time on them. I can’t let this affect the time I spend on my classes and have my grades slip so I will have to know how to prioritize my classwork even more than in my freshman year.
What significant relationships or connections have you developed this year? How have those relationships impacted your experience?
One of the downsides of picking the University of Cincinnati was that most of my friends were staying home and going to Ohio State. While it was great to get away, I knew that I would have to find a lot of new friends. Luckily, I ended up with three really good roommates that were all really supportive. We all got along (which I guess was lucky, hearing from my other friends about their roommates) and almost always did things together. Some of us would go to church together on Sundays, eat together, and a few of us even got a lifting group together to work out a couple days a week. Two of my roommates were from the Cincinnati area so I was able to become mutual friends with their friends from high school. I even got lucky enough to be able to live with eight guys next year that I had met in my first year of college, with one of them being my roommate. I also met some really good friends through classes and clubs. One of my friends that I go rock climbing and play racquetball with even convinced me to take yoga with him next fall! Making lots of friends in my freshman year at UC definitely made my first year of college the most memorable of my life.
How have you used your gifts and talents to give back to the community and society?
One of my goals coming into to college was being able to find a way to give back to my community like I did in my home town. One of the ways I was able to do this was through an organization called Bearcat Buddies. Bearcat Buddies is a program that allows college students to go once a week to a local elementary school and tutor the student in math or English. I loved Bearcat Buddies because it reminded me of the program SON Ministries that I volunteered at many times back home. I went to a different school each semester and got to make an impact on multiple kid’s lives. Through Bearcat Buddies I was able to use my talents at math and English to help kids in the community that I live in.
I also was able to give back to the community through volunteering with different clubs on campus at Matthew 25 or at the local food bank. I went on two separate occasions to Matthew 25 with a club on campus, AICHE, and helped do all kind of odd jobs from recycling paint to packing hair dye into boxes. Since Matthew 25 helps people all over the world I not only was able to impact the community but the world.
What piece of advice would you like to give yourself as you prepare for the upcoming year, be that academically, personally, or both?
One piece of advice that I have set for myself is to be able to spend enough time on each of my clubs while also keeping up on my classwork. For my sophomore year I have taken a lot more positions in my clubs instead of just being members which means I will have to spend more of my time on my activities. I will be the treasurer for the Engineering and Applied Science Tribunal while also being the fundraising chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE). I have not had this much responsibility yet in college so I want to be able to divide my time up so that I’m not focusing too long on one group and neglecting the others.
How have your thoughts about who you are and what you want to do changed or evolved this year? How will that inform your next steps?
My first year of college definitely turned out a lot different than I envisioned. Going into college UC had talked about such great opportunities that they offered at UC, such as study tours and the ACCEND program. I always blew off the idea of doing any of them because I felt that they were not for me. But after hearing my upperclassmen friends talk about their experiences I was suddenly interested. When I found out that study tours could count as an honors experience I thought, “Why not go somewhere cool while I have the chance and when the Honors program will pay for some it?” So I signed up for the Rome honors tour and have an amazing time and believe that it made me a better person. My parents travel a lot but had yet to be in Europe so it was really cool to show them pictures of places that they have never been before.
Another program that I took advantage of was signing up for the ACCEND program. I told a ton of my upperclassmen friends about my situation of being ahead in my curriculum and they asked me if I was going to do the ACCEND program. Coming into college I never thought about trying to go for my masters but after realizing the opportunity I had in front of me I decided to go for my MBA along with my undergraduate. I have yet to take any classes for it yet but I believe that my masters will help me with my career down the road and at a little to no extra cost than my undergraduate. I learned over this past year to see the opportunities that have been placed in front of you and to not be afraid to take advantage of them.
What is at least one goal that you have set for yourself for the upcoming year?
One goal I have set for this upcoming year is to make sure I keep my grades up. As stated from above I will be taking more of a leadership role in my clubs which means I will need to spend more time on them. I can’t let this affect the time I spend on my classes and have my grades slip so I will have to know how to prioritize my classwork even more than in my freshman year.
Year 2
My second year at the University of Cincinnati was very eye opening. I got to not only further myself in my academic studies and take on more leadership positions, but I was able to also apply my knowledge on a real life basis during my co-op rotations.
During my second year at the University of Cincinnati I was able to take on more leadership roles. Last year I was heavily invested in the Engineering and Applied Science Tribunal and was able to win the election for the fall of 2016 treasurer position. The experience was very beneficial as I was able to enhance my financial skills while still being able to be involved in a great organization like EAS Tribunal. I plan to run again for treasurer for EAS Tribunal as well.
Also in my second year I was chosen to be the fundraising chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or AICHE. My first year in AICHE I was only a member of a few committees but I decided to apply for a committee and with one of my friends, Nathan Tiffany, we were able to fundraise money for AICHE. Being a part of AICHE is also great as the group has regional and national conferences every year and this year I was fortunate to be one of the people to attend both. I got to experience San Francisco and Chicago with some amazing people and made memories I will probably never forget. I enjoyed the fundraising position so much I applied again and was chosen for spring 2018 when I will be back on campus.
Over the summer of 2016 and spring of 2017, I co-oped with Ashland Specialty Ingredients in Columbus, OH where I learned important skills and lessons on how what a chemical engineer in the maintenance department actually does on a day to day basis. These rotations definitely showed me that my passion lies in working at the plant level, not so much at a corporate site. The first summer was very fast paced and I was learning things on the fly and had to ask for a lot of help. Luckily, with my return trip the following spring, I was able to slow things down and master the tasks that I learned the previous summer. One piece of advice I would give myself though is to try to not learn just my position at the plant, but to learn others as I try understand all of the facets that go into a chemical plant. My time at the Columbus, OH plant was invaluable as it also has helped me secure my next co-op where I will experience the process engineering side of the company at a different Ashland plant.
My second year at the University of Cincinnati was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to see what it holds for me in my third year!
During my second year at the University of Cincinnati I was able to take on more leadership roles. Last year I was heavily invested in the Engineering and Applied Science Tribunal and was able to win the election for the fall of 2016 treasurer position. The experience was very beneficial as I was able to enhance my financial skills while still being able to be involved in a great organization like EAS Tribunal. I plan to run again for treasurer for EAS Tribunal as well.
Also in my second year I was chosen to be the fundraising chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or AICHE. My first year in AICHE I was only a member of a few committees but I decided to apply for a committee and with one of my friends, Nathan Tiffany, we were able to fundraise money for AICHE. Being a part of AICHE is also great as the group has regional and national conferences every year and this year I was fortunate to be one of the people to attend both. I got to experience San Francisco and Chicago with some amazing people and made memories I will probably never forget. I enjoyed the fundraising position so much I applied again and was chosen for spring 2018 when I will be back on campus.
Over the summer of 2016 and spring of 2017, I co-oped with Ashland Specialty Ingredients in Columbus, OH where I learned important skills and lessons on how what a chemical engineer in the maintenance department actually does on a day to day basis. These rotations definitely showed me that my passion lies in working at the plant level, not so much at a corporate site. The first summer was very fast paced and I was learning things on the fly and had to ask for a lot of help. Luckily, with my return trip the following spring, I was able to slow things down and master the tasks that I learned the previous summer. One piece of advice I would give myself though is to try to not learn just my position at the plant, but to learn others as I try understand all of the facets that go into a chemical plant. My time at the Columbus, OH plant was invaluable as it also has helped me secure my next co-op where I will experience the process engineering side of the company at a different Ashland plant.
My second year at the University of Cincinnati was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to see what it holds for me in my third year!
Year 3
The majority of my third year at UC was actually spent on co-op as I worked all but January to April. Through co-op I go the opportunity to transfer to Ashland's largest plant in Calvert City, Ky and work in the process engineering department. The downside of transferring plants was that I would have to move five hours away from anyone I had ever known. To go along with that, the plant is located out in the country where the nearest town is 30 minutes away. This was definitely a cultural shock as my entire childhood was spent in the bustling suburbs and I chose to go school that's campus is located in a very urban area. I was a city boy stranded in the country. Not only did I have to meet new people, but I had to find new things to do in an area where not much happens. I could have easily hated living out there but I decided to look at as an opportunity to explore an area I might never live in again. I took advantage of the many parks and hiking trails in the surrounding area and tried to explore different ones every weekend. Even though the location where I was living wasn't super interesting, there were many cities within driving distance that I was able to explore. Being in western Kentucky, I was able to go to Nashville, 2 hours away, and St Louis, 2.5 hours away. I had never been to Nashville before so seeing the city blew my mind. I was able to get to Nashville multiple times to see soccer games, concerts, and explore. I had been to St Louis when I was a kid but it was definitely a great feeling to go back and fun to see my Cincinnati Reds play the St Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium for the first time.
I look back at my two co-ops at the Calvert City plant and I definitely learned a lot that will help me further my education and career. But what I will remember the most is all of the people and places I visited and experienced in the seven months I lived there. Those experiences I had will impact me for the rest of my life. From my two co-ops I think the biggest lesson I learned was that no matter how bad a situation seems to be, there is always an opportunity to grow.
One goal that I have for this upcoming year is to be more aware of things happening in my community and attending them. Down in western Kentucky I had to search for things happening in my community, such as the yearly BBQ on the River or the Calloway County Fair.
As I come to over the halfway point and reflect on my college career, I am definitely happy with what I have accomplished. I have a set a solid foundation to make these last two years at the University of Cincinnati the most memorable yet.
I look back at my two co-ops at the Calvert City plant and I definitely learned a lot that will help me further my education and career. But what I will remember the most is all of the people and places I visited and experienced in the seven months I lived there. Those experiences I had will impact me for the rest of my life. From my two co-ops I think the biggest lesson I learned was that no matter how bad a situation seems to be, there is always an opportunity to grow.
One goal that I have for this upcoming year is to be more aware of things happening in my community and attending them. Down in western Kentucky I had to search for things happening in my community, such as the yearly BBQ on the River or the Calloway County Fair.
As I come to over the halfway point and reflect on my college career, I am definitely happy with what I have accomplished. I have a set a solid foundation to make these last two years at the University of Cincinnati the most memorable yet.