Profiles_OSU_Jan2020_ConsecutivePgs

Columbus native Jalauna Phillips grew up in a Buckeye-centric household. Both her siblings attended The Ohio State University, where her mother also worked. It wasn’t until her senior year of high school, however, that Phillips decided to forge her own path within the Ohio State community. It didn’t take her long to be “all in.” As a freshman, Phillips formed an on-campus organization known as “Life Olympics,” designed to help fellow students navigate the ups and downs of college life; she is also active in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, both of which have helped her feel connected to her fellow Buckeyes. “No matter what, I know I’m surrounded by a community of Buckeyes. Because I go to The Ohio State, I feel like I will always be a part of that community,” she says. It’s a community she’s proud to have joined, and one that she represents as a recipient of Ohio State’s Sesquicentennial Scholarship. “They’re not just giving us a scholarship; they’re giving us an opportunity to become better leaders, to network and represent Ohio State as bigger than a college but as a community,” she says. Sesquicentennial scholars will participate in training sessions and workshops to hone their leadership skills designed to help them — well, help others. “Just being a resource and being available,” she says of sesquicentennial scholars’ roles in students’ lives. “Just being active in walking them to class is something simple that I feel like the scholarship is all about.” Phillips knows exactly how important those seemingly simple actions can be. Ohio State Newark was the only campus Phillips toured when it came time to make a college decision, and she could immediately tell it would be a fit. “It just felt comfortable,” she says of her initial visit. “I said, ‘I think I can do this.’” Phillips, now a sophomore, was drawn to the small class sizes and campus setting, which she can easily navigate. She appreciates the availability of professors and values resources such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs that allow her to connect with like-minded students. All these factors combine to create a higher education experience Phillips knows will take her far. After she earns her bachelor’s degree in social work, Phillips plans to use the leadership skills she’s gleaned as a student and sesquicentennial scholar in the workforce and beyond. “I just want to help people,” she says. WILL IT BE YOU TO BE AN ENGAGED CITIZEN? Finding Her Own Ohio State In honor of The Ohio State University’s sesquicentennial, the university launched the Sesquicentennial Scholar Leader Program. Through this program, 150 students ¬— 10 fromOhio State Newark — were awarded scholarships while they build the skills and fortitude essential to becoming engaged citizens through leadership development and ambassador opportunities.

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