My name is Julia Schleeter and I’m a first year student studying secondary education with a focus on integrated language arts.
I come from a line of Lima Buckeyes so it seemed only fitting that I would start my journey here at Ohio State Lima. But I actually sampled multiple colleges through my college credit plus classes while in high school, and ultimately, just fell in love with my professors at Ohio State. So here I am, and I couldn’t be happier.
I used to think I wanted to major in a STEM related field. I thought it was the only way to help people and I knew that helping people was at the core of what I wanted to do. But during high school, I began tutoring kindergarteners and first graders and eventually became a teacher’s aide. And I absolutely loved it! I also discovered I was really quite good at it, too. Eventually, I began tutoring high school students, and it was then that I knew I could help people as a high school English teacher.
I have been fortunate to receive several scholarships including the Heath Education Scholarship. When I learned about my awards, I was completely overwhelmed. It was so rewarding to see the hard work pay off and know that thanks to these scholarships, I could take advantage of so many things while in college.
I mentioned I come from a line of Lima Buckeyes. Most recently in this line, my sister attended this campus and graduated with a degree in biology with forensics concentration and a minor in physical anthropology. Like me, she wanted to help people, and it was a study abroad trip to Ireland that sparked her interests and led her to discover her career path.
So, I’ve already started researching different study abroad options for education majors. I found one in Japan that works with children with disabilities and one in London that focuses on advanced technology in schools. This is the beauty of Ohio State – the world is at my fingertips – and I’m able to dream big thanks to the scholarship support I’ve received.
Scholarships change so many lives. Without them, dreams would be smaller and passions might never be ignited. I appreciate our scholarship donor’s willingness to help move students forward on their path to success. I know I’m excited to see where my path will lead.