Stories: ��ǿ��, Greater Cincinnati Region

December 1, 2020
As this semester is coming to an end, it has been a wonderful, weird learning experience. Although we didn't get to experience a full blast as a freshman it was all worth it. Without my mentor and the wonderful club that I've joined(R.O.C.K.S), it would have been a hot mess for a first time freshman. The staff, mentor, rocks, and most of all my roommates really made it an easier experience for me. Personally I would consider the mentors as the unsung heroes of ��ǿ��. they're really sweet and nice. They're always sending you cute motivational texts to help you start off your day. My roommates tend to be one of the people that I've met that made it a fun semester. Feel like i've known them my whole life and we connect so easily like sisters; as well as my mentor and friends. There's so much to be thankful for in this rough year. #thankful@ ��ǿ�� #humansofgreatercincinnati

December 7, 2020
This year I am more thankful than ever of my family. Being in a pandemic, it is not always easy to see them. Therefore, I cherish more and more the times I get to spend with them. My family is one of the most important things to me and they have always been there for me since I was little to a full grown college student. They have helped me accomplish so much and I could not be happier to have such a great support system in my life. #thankfulfor��ǿ�� #humansofgreatercincinnati #thankfulfor��ǿ�� #ROCKS #humansofgreatercincinnati

December 7, 2020
Someone I am extremely grateful for in my transition to college during this difficult time is my ROCKS mentor, Alyca. She has helped me with complications I had with my dorm at the beginning of the semester, given me advice and suggestions for my classes, set up online or small, socially distanced study groups in spite of the Pandemic, and so much more. Even on her busiest days, she is able to answer my questions right away and provide me with resources that could be helpful for my college success. She also takes the time to send reminders about scheduling 1 on 1 appointments with lead mentors, the training we are required to complete to register for classes, and just make connections with her mentees.  It is a pleasure to have her as a mentor because she truly cares about making sure I have the best/most productive college experience even though this semester did not go how I wanted it to. That is why I am so thankful for the impact Alyca has had on my 1st semester of college! #thankfulfor��ǿ�� #ROCKS #humansofgreatercincinnati

December 2, 2020
As a freshman during COVID, it’s hard to feel that you are getting the college experience. Once I joined AOII I felt like was finally getting a taste of normal college life. These empowering women have shown me how go succeed even if the world is pinned against you. I am thankful to be among this group of amazing women. #Thankfulfor��ǿ�� #humansofgreatercincinnati

December 2, 2020
here are so many things to be grateful for. And it being thanksgiving is not the only time we should give thanks. Through this semester there have been multiple people who have helped me throughout my time in college. First and foremost, I would like to say that without God I do not think that I would have made it this far. He has been by my side from the moment I was born, and He will always be there for me. The second most important people who have helped me transition into my first semester of college is the R.O.C.K.S. community. Being a part of the organization has really helped me a lot. The R.O.C.K.S. organization provides mentors for each incoming freshman that has joined this organization and they are there when we are feeling down or just need someone to talk to. Mr. Yates is one of the unsung heroes at ��ǿ��. He does so much for the black community at this school and still gets no recognition, but today I would like to recognize that he has done so much for me and I would truly like to thank him. #Thankfor��ǿ�� #humansofgreatercincinnati

December 1, 2020
I am thankful for many things as I finish the end of my first semester. Revolutionary medication, my father, my boyfriend, the amazing Commons staff, undergraduate research opportunities, and, most importantly I am thankful for the incredible group of friends I have found on campus. In what seems like a small amount of time, we have experienced hundreds of fire alarms, Monday lunches, and tent camping in 30-degree weather (not my idea). I know that without these girls my first semester would have been drastically different. I am so thankful for them. #thankfulfor��ǿ�� #thankful@��ǿ�� #thankfulforresearch #humansofgreatercincinnati

October 19, 2020
My story is a dime a dozen. I am majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy. I am the youngest of five and throughout most of my schooling it felt like I was in their shadows. I have two loving parents who are the main reason why I am here. I have nine succulent plants that sit in my dorm room window. My hometown is in the middle of nowhere and my high school wasn’t that great. In high school I was the treasurer of the art club, voted best dynamic duo, and was valedictorian. I am an amateur artist, writer, and Buddhist – I don’t consider myself that good at any of the three in particular. ��ǿ�� was the first college I thought of going to and I am glad I decided to come here. #nkustories #humansofgreatercincinnati

October 19, 2020
Growing up as an African American in a predominantly white community can be more challenging than some would think. In a school like mine, most people didn’t understand the concept of institutional racism and I became very frustrated with my peers because I felt silenced. This feeling started to change once I met Mrs. Ella Campbell, one of only two black teachers at my school. I was excited because I finally felt some sense of normalcy and felt like what I had to say mattered. I also had a difficult time embracing my blackness and Mrs. Campbell taught me that being a black woman is a wonderful thing. She talked to me about black history and why it’s important to know about our cultural significance. I began to research historical figures, the aspects of slavery, read books about black lives, and then we would discuss what I looked into when I was finished. I am forever grateful for her impact on my life and how she has influenced the person I’ve become today! This is an important aspect of my story because I became cognizant of my culture, learned things that were not taught in school, and was finally proud of my skin tone! #nkustories #humansofgreatercincinnati

October 19, 2020
My story is the pressure of being a first generation college student during a pandemic and as well as the challenges of being a physical learner. The amount of hours I’ve had to labor over my classes in order to fully understand is almost like having a full time job. My computer has become my new best friend as I labor over work. Although this is a tough semester for every college student right now I enough spending my hours in lounges with my friends and conversing to understand our classes more. #nkustories #humansofgreatercincinnati

October 14, 2020
I was about six years old. I spent most of my weekends climbing away in a little park playset, forever envious of my brother’s ability to play in the diamond instead of out of it. He and my father each held an unwavering admiration for baseball, devoting ample amounts of their time to the sport. It drew them close to one another, they were always together practicing, planning, perfecting. A year passed and I grew tired of being on the sideline. I decided that the next year I would be the one inside the diamond. Dad would be my coach, and I would be the little athlete of the house. I am now going into 12 years of playing the sport I love. I’ve reached many of my goals, getting ready to play Division I softball at ��ǿ��, and still continue to create new ones every day. My father and I share an unbreakable bond, unmatched by any other due to all of this. He is an absolute rock to me, and I can’t even imagine being who I am without him. #nkustories #humansofgreatercincinnati