Cordelia Van der Veer was surrounded by Buckeye culture before she ever set foot on campus.

The Toledo, Ohio native was raised on game day traditions, but becoming a Buckeye was not always the obvious next step.

She had her sights set on out-of-state schools, ready for something new — until a scholarship offer from Ohio State made her reconsider.

Turns out: Home had more to offer than she thought.

The scholarship that brought her to Columbus opened a door, but it was the John Glenn College of Public Affairs that convinced her to walk through it. As one of the best public affairs programs in the country, the college puts students directly inside the work of public service in the state’s capital. It was the kind of environment that makes you want to do more. Double majoring in public policy analysis and political science, Cordelia found an academic home that gave her the foundation and direction she needed.

Sophomore year gave her a sharper lens. Through the Environmental History Initiative, she traveled to the UN Climate Summit in Dubai and sat with the reality of what global climate policy actually looks like up close: world leaders, high stakes and decisions that ripple far beyond the negotiating table. It was the kind of experience that reframes everything.

"Seeing those decisions made in real time made everything feel urgent. It showed me what it actually looks like to fight for the environment."

Back in Columbus, she channeled that urgency into action. She helped launch Ecospace, a student organization focused on identifying environmental issues in the community and building projects to address them. What started as a small group of students with a shared concern grew into something with real reach. The group secured a grant from the city of Columbus to install an air monitoring network around campus, collecting pollution data that gives the surrounding Buckeye community a clearer picture of the environmental conditions around them.

"We wanted to do something tangible. Not just discuss environmental issues, but actually do something about them."

With every opportunity, Cordelia found a network that made sure she was supported as she chased her ambitions.

Her professors were a big part of that. They answered emails, flagged opportunities, wrote recommendations and made time for her. At a place as big as Ohio State, those relationships are the backbone of what makes a student truly thrive.

And then there were the people Cordelia found along the way. Being a part of a scholarship community, she was connected to a range of opportunities and different perspectives that exposed her to new experiences. As a member of College Democrats, Model UN and Buckeye Leadership Fellows, she found a circle she could come back to each week, something she cared about and could keep investing in throughout her college years.

With graduation approaching, she’s heading into it carrying a senior thesis and an acceptance letter to a master’s program at the University of Oxford. Ultimately, she plans to pursue a PhD in political science, a research career centered on American environmental politics, and eventually, a classroom of her own.

It feels like a natural next step for someone who’s spent her time here chasing ideas and turning them into something real.

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and put yourself out there. It’s easy to come in with a plan but staying open and curious will take you further than any plan could. Build friendships, connect with mentors, and trust that you’ll find something you care about. Time goes by faster than you think, so make the most of it!”