Today's Update: Friday, January 24, 2025
January 24, 2025
Dear Student Life team,
Happy High Five Friday and O-H what a week it has been! I’m sure you won’t be surprised that my first High Five goes to THE Ohio State University football team and coaches for their hard-won title of National Champions! High Fives also go to our back-to-back Spirit Squad champions and Jazz Dance champions too. Next week I will share kudos to all Student Life team members who helped with the multiple student, faculty, staff and parent post-season football tours to games, service projects and more, along with some of my favorite pictures of the past weeks of the playoffs. GO BUCKS!
A big thanks to Mindy Clagg, Jaylen Lindsey, John Bledsoe, Kirk Winters, Ryan Lovell, Danny Glassmann, Ashley Grayson, Kathy Krajnak and Matt Couch who stepped up to help support our students on campus as they cheered on our National Championship winning Buckeyes from campus on Monday evening. I am scarlet and grateful to all of you, whether you were on call waiting by your computer or on campus working directly to assist students.
Another huge thanks to a crew of dedicated Facilities Operations staff who helped to ensure that we not only had staff on campus all night to assist with celebrations, but also to protect our facilities from the bitter cold. Thanks to Adam Cutright and Tom Roush who led the on-scene team which included Sam Raymond, Jonnie Hoy, Matthew Hope, Robert Robison, Nicholas Davis, Abdel Rhnim, Andres Collins, Eboni White, Kennedy North, Lamont Collier, Okello Dunbar and Fred Agyekum. Our facilities certainly looked beautiful and felt warm when we opened on Tuesday after a long and exciting holiday weekend!
High Five to Kelsea Brown and Madi Barnes for coordinating Pay it Forward’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. More than 600 participants braved the cold temperatures on Monday morning to volunteer for 22 nonprofit community organizations. High Fives also go to Austin Ahlborn, Kala Coyan-McClure, Kristen Rupert Davis, Justin Kohl, Jayden Messer, Meagen Rinard, Julie Schnell and Kristen Van Gundy for volunteering to support the event.
Chrisse Edmunds from the Center for the Study of Student Life gets a High Five for assisting the Health and Well-being team with a financial assessment project that has undergone many iterations. Her expertise and insight have been invaluable.
A High Five also goes to Jess Romer for all her support of our donor engagement efforts for the Monda Student Resource Center and athletic events.
High Five to Mollie Workman from Buckeye Careers and Sean Boiarski, Grant Dennis and Ross Meloro from Student Life Technology Services for working through a solution to ensure Ohio State alumni continue to have access to career resources and opportunities in Handshake.
Speaking of Buckeye Careers, High Five to Kristen Hill, Ryan Lovell, the Buckeye Careers team, Debbie Wakefield, Re’Nesha Weston, University Advancement, the Alumni Association and the Ohio State alumni from Cardinal Health who planned and implemented a successful Career Closet Pop-up event that benefitted 350 students. I had the opportunity to “pop” in to visit them and a special friend of Student Life who was helping advise students on their selections. It was a truly amazing event.
John Price receives a High Five for his outstanding leadership and support of the Ohio State Esports community and especially on the inaugural Esports Scholastic Awards that were presented earlier this month.
A High Five to Shawn Levstek from the Counseling and Consultation Service for shifting around his afternoon schedule to support one of our students with an urgent request.
Have a Scarlet and Great weekend (and I highly recommend watching a rerun of that game against Notre Dame if you can), and as absolutely always: Go Bucks!
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Life
The Ohio State University