First Year Experience Peer Leaders support all new students through their transition to Ohio State and help them build connections. They use their experiences as Ohio State students to connect students with essential resources. This significantly motivates and validates students, empowering them to continue their education at Ohio State through their second semester and beyond.
Please use the links above to navigate through the various initiatives FYE Peer LEaders support and discover ways to connect with our team!
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Paige Vanderpool
Mansfield OH
Biology and Anthropology
Quick fact:
What keeps me motivated is my dream life. I decided I wanted to be a doctor in the sixth grade, and my goal is to make the medical field a better place. It’s easy to get down on myself, but then I look at how far I've came and how I can’t stop now.
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Samantha Ramirez-Rodriguez
Grove City, OH
3rd Year Dental Hygiene
Quick fact:
A study tip is be confident in the material you do know and try not to let panic in there is always time. It benefited me because it helped me take myself less seriously when studying that my brain wasn’t just in a panic.
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Akasha Lancaster
Fairfield OH
4th Year Psychology
Getting started: The most significant resource that I used in my first year was the Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS). As someone who was going through the journey of getting better mental health, these services really helped me stay afloat during a busy and eventful year. |
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Owen Dennewitz
Portsmouth OH
3rd Year Communication Technology
Getting started: I’ve always had eyes on OSU ever since I was a little kid. I grew up in a small town and went to a small school, so I wanted to take advantage of the massive campus/population OSU provided!
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Lily Wood
Cranberry Township, PA
2nd Year Psychology
Getting started:
I came to Ohio State because I wanted a bigger school with a lot of opportunities. I wanted to be close to a city, and be provided with many places to explore. Ohio State was the perfect distance from my home, and offered many great opportunities for my college experience and my future.
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Azhani Perry
Akron, OH
2nd Year Actuarial Science and Finance
Getting started: I came to Ohio State because of the various opportunities presented to me here. I am planning to become an actuary after college and there are so many firms here that are able to offer me both internships and jobs. I also saw the multitude of clubs and student led activities on campus and it intrigued me.
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Xiyonne McCullough
Columbus, OH
3rd Year Journalism
Getting started: The most important piece of advice I would give new students is to allow yourself to live. Too often, we are our own worst critics and stop ourselves from experiencing our potential because we fear making mistakes or judgement of others. Remember: to live is to learn, and to learn is to grow.
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Natalie Rock
Saratoga Springs, NY
(?) Year Neuroscience and Psychology
Making connections: My favorite tradition is singing *Carmen Ohio* in The Shoe after every home football game. The students, players, and fans gather together to sing OSU’s alma mater no matter the weather, and I think it’s a special moment no matter how many times you’ve done it.
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Kenna Colwell
Leesburg, OH
4th Year Integrated Language Arts
Making connections: My time at Ohio State has been everything I hoped it would be. I came to OSU to get the life experience and knowledge of a large and diverse university, and I feel like I have learned so much about the world while being here.
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| Mary Stevens
Columbus, OH
Biology Pre-Health Major
Making connections: On campus, I feel most at home at Jennings. I have had classes there since my freshman year, and now work there too. I love the building and find it charming. I got involved with the manga club, which is a pretty unique hobby, so it was amazing to see it was a thing that existed! I am now the president, and it has been an amazing experience.
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Preston Wood
Magnetic Springs, OH
4th Year Exercise Science
Get Answers: The most important piece of advice I would have for an incoming first year student would be to try and branch from your comfort zone and try new things. You may find new things out about yourself that you had not previously known before coming to college.
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Gwyn Cable
Shadyside, OH
2nd Year Strategic Communication
Getting started: A piece of advice I wish I had received before coming to OSU is that your time here may look very different than you are currently picturing. I’ve loved being here, but it is definitely different than I originally imagined. I’ve become friends with unexpected people, become involved in organizations I didn’t know existed, and found new passions. Also, don’t worry about navigating campus—it’s a lot easier than it seems.
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| Jay Brocious
Pitsburg, OH
Integrated Language Arts
Making connections: I'm from a very small town with very few opportunities, and I wanted to get a real, good college education. My sister came to OSU and told me all about her life and how she was happier here than she ever had been before—she felt supported and like she belonged, and I wanted that.
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Kaijah Minor
Zanesville, OH
2nd Year International Studies, Security and Intelligence
On campus: I feel most at home at Hale Hall. Hale has always been such an accepting and welcoming space for me. Whether that be for club meetings or to study, I know I always have a home there.
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