The 2013 Ohio State Homecoming Queen, Jordan Edelheit, shares her experiences and her involvement around campus:
HC: What is your year/major?
JE: Fourth year majoring in Public Affairs.
HC: Are you involved with any groups around campus?
JE: Yes, there are a couple organizations that I’m involved with around campus, such as TEDxOhioStateUniversity and Ohio Staters.
HC: What kinds of things do these organizations do?
JE: Ohio Staters, Inc. is a service organization that aims to create projects to brighten our campus community. TEDxOhioStateUniversity is based off the global organization “TED,” which creates a platform for speakers to share ideas in 18 minutes or less. TEDxMarionCorrectional was the first TEDx event to take place in a prison. The goal of TEDxMarionCorrectional is to lend a new perspective to incarceration. Now I coordinate and co-organize various special projects as they arise with the incarcerated men I work with.
HC: Is it hard to juggle all that you are involved in with school?
JE: Learning time management skills and developing a better balance between involvement and other aspects of life is really challenging. I try to find role models that are an example for how to better balance yourself academically and socially–and overall I strive to have a more holistic balance. I really appreciate being able to learn from my peers and mentors who take time to teach me and help me grow both personally and professionally, including always taking time to assess where I’m at and look for ways to improve.
HC: How were you nominated to become Homecoming Queen?
JE: Most people don’t know that Homecoming Court members at Ohio State are selected through an application process from the Homecoming website. The court members are chosen based on their leadership qualities, spirit, and their involvement at Ohio State.
HC: So, what made you want to apply for the Homecoming Court?
JE: I wanted to apply for the Homecoming Court because I just felt like it was an awesome opportunity to be part of a great tradition on campus!
HC: Are there any perks to being queen?
JE: The Homecoming Court members serve as ambassadors for the university at events during Welcome Week and throughout the year. Homecoming King and Queen also get to help welcome the next class of Homecoming Court members and come back next year to pass down the crown to the next Homecoming King and Queen.
HC: Did you ever think you would be Homecoming Queen at OSU?
JE: With a school of 50,000+ individuals, I didn’t even know that Homecoming Court existed! However, these past few years have been filled with friendships and people who constantly challenge me to grow and have opened up even the idea that being on Homecoming Court is a possibility.
HC: If you could give a piece of advice to girls who are looking to get involved or put themselves out there, what would it be?
JE: Advice that I have found helpful and would want to share with others is the understanding that we each have strengths that have the opportunity to add value to any conversation, organization, or experience around us. Be confident in the experiences that have shaped your lens of life and bring those to others! We each have a story to share and lessons to learn from one another–be confident in your story and take time to appreciate the unexpected lessons you’ve learned outside of the traditional classroom.