Stephanie Cedeno

Cedeno.2@osu.edu

Major: International Studies

Minor: East AsianStudies

Rank: Sophomore

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Other campus involvement: PLI, Morrison Tower Hall Council as office representative, OA for Morrison Tower, and currently working on Delta Xi Phi.

How did you hear about PASS and why did you choose to apply?- I heard about PASS by a letter that was sent to me, and I thought (and was right) it would be an awesome way to get to know amazing people, and get involved on campus. I really enjoyed the idea of being a group that embraced multiculturalism.

Why did you apply to become a PASS Peer Leader?- I wanted to be able to continue the amazing experience that I had with PASS, and also be able to return the favor by guiding the new members of PASS through the year and the program. I also knew this was a great way to help build my leadership skills, so that I not only help other people grow, but I also help myself grow as well.

What is one PASS experience that you really enjoyed and why?- My favorite PASS experience was the joint trip with MUNDO to California. It was my first time in the west coast, and California was beautiful. Not only did I get to go to warm, sunny, California while it was snowing in Ohio, I was able to connect with other members of PASS that went, along with the other trips members, but also embark on some great experiences such as delivering meals for Meals on Wheels, and speaking with ex-gang members of East L.A. through Homeboy Industries. Meeting Will Smith was nice too.

What is one thing that you learned from a PASS event? What was the event?- Other than Indian food is too spicy for my poor tongue to handle, I really enjoyed many of our speakers about multiculturalism. My favorite speaker was an Indian man who came in and spoke about keeping your ethnic identity and tradition, but also being able to assimilate in American culture. It's quite a hard task to do, but he was encouraging and very motivational.

What do you see as one or two benefits of PASS?- I think the biggest benefit about PASS is being able to get know a lot of people on campus, and being able to have good, intelligent conversations, about topics that are important to our campus and society. Once we get on a hot topic we can spend an entire meeting on it, but I love it. I love how people are enthusiastic about learning and helping, and the energy is awesome. Also getting to know people before school even starts, with the early arrival program, helps make the big campus seem smaller.

Favorite thing about OSU:My favorite things about Ohio State are:

1. The SIZE. I love how big the school is and I could never imagine going to a school smaller.

2. Ohio State Pride. I love how people take such pride in being a buckeye, especially during football season where everyone is decked out in scarlet and gray.

3. All of the amazing things our campus offers. From the RPAC, to the amazing speakers/comedians/ authors..etc, it's almost impossible to be bored on this campus.

Courtney Ross

Ross.697@osu.edu

Rank: Sophomore

Major: Biology

Minor: Theater

Hometown: Dayton, OH

Other campus involvement: Treasurer of Bridge Activities Board, 2008 Bridge PeerLeader, Buckeye Mentoring Hub, Black Student Association, Pre-Medical Initiative, African American Heritage Festival Community Service Sub-Committee Member.

How did you hear about PASS and why did you choose to apply?- I heard about PASS from a pamphlet in the mail and my family and I thought it sounded likes something neat to do so I decided to apply.

Why did you apply to become a PASS Peer Leader?- I became a peer leader because this is one of the organizations that helped me to really blossom and meet new people and quality friends. I strongly believe that if it had not been for PASS some of the people I met and some of the things I was a part of would not have happened. I think PASS helped make my transition and first year very memorable. It was because of this that I decided to give back to the program through serving as a peer leader.

What is one PASS experience that you really enjoyed and why?- One PASS experience that I really enjoyed was the service at Creative Living because that was the first time that everybody did a service together. It was a lot of fun and I love doing community service and I was happy that this service was actually serving the students at the university.

What is one thing that you learned from a PASS event? What was the event?- At the Creative Living event, I learned that you never have room to complain about how hard you think something is because odds are, there is somebody out there, struggling tens time harder than you and they have a smile on their face.

What do you see as one or two benefits of PASS?- One benefit of PASS is that the meetings are very informative as far as resources on campus and how to succeed at Ohio State. The weekly meetings are also beneficial because it really builds strong bonds and relationships with the rest of the cohort and sometimes it's good to know you have a safe place to go where your opinion and uniqueness is accepted and welcomed.

Favorite thing about OSU: My favorite thing about OSU is the spirit. There is so much pride on all of the people on this campus. Even during the toughest finals week or the worst snow storm, if I yell out "O-H!" somebody will always reply, "I-O!". I also like all of the opportunities that are just waiting for people to grab them up and take advantage.

Helina Selemon

Major: Microbiology

Rank: Sophomore

Hometown: Gahanna, OH

Other campus involvement: ODNUM, Diversity in Medicine Initiative.

How did you hear about PASS and why did you choose to apply?- I received a letter and brochure in the mail not long after graduation, and when I read about PASS, its goals, purposes, and benefits, I thought it was too good to be true! An organization that would help me to transition to college life, give me opportunities to meet people, hold discussions, travel, and play an active role in the community. It felt like the right choice to apply, to take advantage of this group that could give me the right structure and balance to be successful at OSU.

Why did you apply to become a PASS Peer Leader?- There are many reasons why I applied to become a PASS Peer Leader, but the two major reasons why I decided to apply were to give back to the program and to meet and hopefully guide the incoming class with my experience. I have no doubt that my freshman year would not have been as enriching without PASS, and my peer leaders have so much to do with that. They became more than mentors to me, they're friends. They were and are my go-to girls for anything, and I can always rely on them for advice or favors. Being a peer leader would enhance my leadership skills, but what's more important to me is being able to give my time and experience to helping make freshman year more special.

What is one PASS experience that you really enjoyed and why?- I loved the alternative break trip to Los Angeles! It was fun to tour the city, shop, eat and do community service with members of PASS and MUNDO. It was the most fun and fulfilling way to spend a week of winter break. I also really enjoy the discussions we had every week in PASS. I think the discussions were an integral part of bringing the whole group together, giving us a chance to voice our opinions, look at things another way, discover our strengths and shortcomings, and produce lots of interesting moments, definitely lots of laughs and memories!

What is one thing that you learned from a PASS event? What was the event?- I learned to never underestimate the power of will and perseverance of man. Through various events, first being the community service day PASS held during early arrival, I met people who overcame their greatest obstacles, the harsh judgment of society, and their old way of living to start anew and achieve far more than they ever had before. It's funny how inspirational people come about where you least expect them, and how their guidance and wisdom can be the words that linger in your mind and heart for a long time.

What do you see as one or two benefits of PASS?- Of all the benefits PASS can provide, two of them are opportunity and connection (which I think go hand in hand) and community. Both seem very general, but they are an essential and potent part of the program. Through weekly updates and meetings, you are made aware of the events, groups, scholarships, and activities available on campus. PASS opens up the door to traveling nationally or internationally, leadership training and experience, specialty workshops, undergrad research, and so much more. Through these events, you can network, find people, professionals, and groups that share your interest and can help you achieve your goals and more. The sense of community PASS brings to the table has been invaluable to me. My first friends at OSU were made through PASS, and honestly, your peers in PASS are probably the first students you'll meet at OSU, and in time they will be like a family. All in all, the connections you make here at OSU can have a greater impact on your future than you might imagine.

Favorite thing about OSU: For one, there is virtually no limit as to what you can do, see, make, and learn at OSU. Being at such a large university gives students the opportunity to find themselves and their passion through building community, joining student organizations, finding work and research in their areas of interest, giving back to the community, traveling the country and the world... All of these and more are here to help us broaden our minds, expand our horizons, and place us at top of every college and employer's list. The university experience is what you make of it, and being here gives me the feeling that anything is possible. This is really one of the best times of our lives, the time for us to grow and identify who we are and how we can change/ be a part of the world around us. It's the time to make lifelong memories, friendships, and success. If there's something you can count on here, it's that the spirit is alive and real at OSU, the potential infinite, and the opportunity within reach if you're willing to grasp it.

Theresa Thompson

Thompson.1668@osu.edu

Major: Human Nutrition

Minors: Dance and African American/African Studies

Rank: Sophomore

Hometown: Washington, DC

Other campus involvement: I am involved in Morrill Tower Activities Board as Diversity Chair, Dance Till You Drop Ballroom Dance team, PASS, and Delta Xi Phi Sorority.

How did you hear about PASS and why did you choose to apply?- I received information about PASS in the mail. I thought it would be a great way to network and meet other minority students like myself who were looking to make a difference on campus.

Why did you apply to become a PASS Peer Leader?- After being a part of PASS for an entire year and given so many opportunities and benefits I wanted to give back to the program that gave me so much.

What is one PASS experience that you really enjoyed and why?- One meeting focused on the "hook-up culture" was so fun and informative. I think it was one of the times that the entire group was involved in dialogue and really shared their opinions on the subjects brought to the table.

What is one thing that you learned from a PASS event? What was the event?- At the meeting run by my fellow PASS peers, I learned a great deal about my personality and that of my friends. Interesting facts about everyone came out at the meeting. But I think most of all I learned to never assume. You can have your opinion but investigate until you "know" the entire truth about something or someone.

What do you see as one or two benefits of PASS?- 1) Networking! and 2) Friends from similar backgrounds and lifestyles

Favorite thing about OSU: I am definitely biased in saying this but (1) my ballroom dance team—Dance Till You Drop—come check us out! And (2) all my mentors, friends and OSU family. The more people you know definitely makes this place seem smaller.