An OHIO Senior's Summer Reflection

When you graduate high school and before you go into college, every adult in your life begins to say, “The next four years of your life are gonna fly by.” It becomes an annoyingly repetitious thing that you just wordlessly agree with and nod along to. However, now I’m heading into my last year at Ohio University, and that feeling has hit me all at once. Where did all of the time truly go?

COVID-19 and the pandemic only partially affected the first part of my freshman year with mandatory masking and isolation rooms in the back South Green dorms. For the most part though, I got to experience a pretty normal time in college. Late night bites on Court Street, school spirit during Homecoming and the colorful seasonal changes of Appalachia are all things I fondly recall to everyone when I talk to them about OHIO.

I began working for the Libraries the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, as a friend of mine who had graduated recommended me for her job. She too was a journalism major in the Honors Tutorial College and talked about how working in the Dean’s Office and doing communications helped her apply what she learned in classes.

After interviews and accepting the job, I’m happy to say I’ve been in the position since then for about two years and counting. From the annual events like Camp Alden to exhibits and visiting speakers, the Libraries has expanded my repertoire as a writer, editor and communicator.

While I typically spent my time behind the desk in the dean’s office, I was able to help out and work alongside the other student workers in the dean’s office with social media video projects. For once I was no longer storytelling through words on a screen, but visually acting and showcasing what the Libraries’ has to offer.
 

The part time job I came into as a freshman has now guided me into my last year. I've been through two deans, one interim dean, and seven co-workers, but I wouldn’t give anything for the connections and experiences that all of them have left me with.

University Libraries has played a large part in my four years at OHIO, and I couldn’t imagine what I would have done with that time instead. Alden Library and the dean’s office has become another hOUme away from home. To those that have just arrived to OHIO, or may be approaching their finals years, enjoy it, because the time really does fly by.