[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":146},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Fstories\u002Ffamiliar-grounds-new-roots":3},{"id":4,"type":5,"path":6,"published":7,"publishDate":8,"author":9,"taxonomy":10,"headerType":13,"image":14,"video":18,"title":20,"subtitle":11,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"social":21,"bodyBlocks":25,"slug":11,"description":97,"metaDescription":98,"metaTitle":11,"relatedStories":99,"created":135,"changed":136,"breadcrumbs":137},"cfca63d1-cff2-4b46-b301-f4e28ceb27ac","story","stories\u002Ffamiliar-grounds-new-roots",true,"March 12, 2026","Jamie Hoelscher",{"name":11,"slug":12},null,"","image",{"url":15,"alt":16,"caption":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fediting.intcomm.osu.edu\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fstyles\u002Fwidescreen\u002Fpublic\u002Fmedia\u002Fimage\u002F2026\u002F04\u002Famalia_resized.jpg","A student sits inside a Block O display","Ohio State student Amalia Rodriguez-Giusti took advantage of the wide range of student organizations during her time at the university. (Ohio State photo)",{"url":11,"transcript":19},{"text":11},"Familiar grounds, new roots",{"title":22,"description":23,"imageUrl":24},"How Amalia Made Ohio State Her Own","Growing up around Ohio State, Amalia Rodriguez‑Giusti knew campus well — but it wasn’t until she found cultural community and leadership opportunities that she discovered where she truly belonged.\r\n","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.osu.edu\u002Fimages\u002Fohio-state-social-generic.jpeg",[26,33,39,45,55,61,67,73,79,85,91],{"blockName":27,"attrs":28,"innerBlocks":30,"innerHTML":31,"innerContent":32},"core\u002Fparagraph",{"uuid":29},"a6e67b21",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Amalia Rodriguez-Giusti was born to be a Buckeye.\u003C\u002Fp>",[31],{"blockName":27,"attrs":34,"innerBlocks":36,"innerHTML":37,"innerContent":38},{"uuid":35},"af3f2356",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">With two Ohio State professors as parents, she didn’t just grow up near the university, she grew up with it. Constantly visiting her parents at work, she knew that being a Buckeye meant thriving in a setting that already felt like home. Surrounded by the academic energy and endless opportunities of the campus, Amalia knew where she belonged.\u003C\u002Fp>",[37],{"blockName":27,"attrs":40,"innerBlocks":42,"innerHTML":43,"innerContent":44},{"uuid":41},"59646d4e",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Still, when she officially committed as a student, Amalia knew she wanted her experience to be her own. She spent so much time growing up around the university, and now it was time to finally find her place \u003Cem>within\u003C\u002Fem> it.\u003C\u002Fp>",[43],{"blockName":46,"attrs":47,"innerBlocks":52,"innerHTML":53,"innerContent":54},"media-text\u002Fbux-quote",{"quote":48,"author":49,"source":50,"uuid":51},"\u003Cmeta charset=\"utf-8\">“Step outside your comfort zone — while a large university can feel overwhelming, the wide range of opportunities gives you the chance to find your place.”","\u003Cmeta charset=\"utf-8\">Amalia Rodriguez-Giusti","\u003Cmeta charset=\"utf-8\">Ohio State student in the College of Education and Human Ecology","4a2f46c9",[],"\u003Cbux-quote class=\"wp-block-media-text-bux-quote\">\u003Cspan slot=\"quote\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">“Step outside your comfort zone — while a large university can feel overwhelming, the wide range of opportunities gives you the chance to find your place.”\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan slot=\"author\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Amalia Rodriguez-Giusti\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan slot=\"source\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Ohio State student in the College of Education and Human Ecology\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fbux-quote>",[53],{"blockName":27,"attrs":56,"innerBlocks":58,"innerHTML":59,"innerContent":60},{"uuid":57},"bab5b21b",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Her journey began with getting involved. She found herself drawn to organizations that aligned with her values, particularly within the Latine community. Through her work with the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Forg.osu.edu\u002Fuclo\u002F\" class=\"bux-link\">University-Wide Council for Latinx Organizations (UCLO)\u003C\u002Fa> and the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Factivities.osu.edu\u002Finvolvement\u002Fstudent_organizations\u002Ffind_a_student_org\u002F?i=90edf765-04bc-4f74-bbfe-968ab8163c3c&l=P&c=all&page=1\" class=\"bux-link\">Peruvian Association\u003C\u002Fa>, Amalia began to establish roots. She even helped found the Eta Theta chapter of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Factivities.osu.edu\u002Finvolvement\u002Fstudent_organizations\u002Ffind_a_student_org\u002F?i=3a4cc9b4-f38a-410f-9c5e-3a54ea160187&l=L&c=Columbus&page=0\" class=\"bux-link\">Lambda Theta Alpha\u003C\u002Fa>, the only Latina sorority on campus. These organizations gave her space to grow as a leader and gain confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>",[59],{"blockName":27,"attrs":62,"innerBlocks":64,"innerHTML":65,"innerContent":66},{"uuid":63},"89f2d27e",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“Being in spaces where I see my culture represented has been especially meaningful as a minority at such a large university,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp>",[65],{"blockName":27,"attrs":68,"innerBlocks":70,"innerHTML":71,"innerContent":72},{"uuid":69},"b477fc78",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">While the campus had always been familiar, it wasn’t until she found this community that Ohio State truly began to feel like her own. Finding spaces where she felt connected, seen and understood made all the difference. Relationships that were built on shared culture, values and purpose became the foundation of her college journey. With a strong support system behind her, Amalia found it easier to face academic challenges and life transitions. She could lean on her community, just as they could lean on her.\u003C\u002Fp>",[71],{"blockName":27,"attrs":74,"innerBlocks":76,"innerHTML":77,"innerContent":78},{"uuid":75},"c3bf710e",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“It’s a community that makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp>",[77],{"blockName":27,"attrs":80,"innerBlocks":82,"innerHTML":83,"innerContent":84},{"uuid":81},"5df8f1c7",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Now, Amalia is preparing for her next chapter: pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Boston College. Her passion for advocacy and uplifting others was sparked through the communities she built, the leadership roles she held, and the cultural pride she embraced. Social work offers her a path to continue that impact, allowing her to dive deeper into understanding people and championing those who need support the most.\u003C\u002Fp>",[83],{"blockName":27,"attrs":86,"innerBlocks":88,"innerHTML":89,"innerContent":90},{"uuid":87},"177f56c2",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>Amalia on her Ohio State experience:\u003C\u002Fstrong> “Whether it’s insisting on saying ‘THE Ohio State University,’ marking out the letter ‘M’ during football season, or hearing the ‘O-H’ ‘I-O’ chants from students and alumni, there’s a sense of tradition and connection that you don’t find everywhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>",[89],{"blockName":27,"attrs":92,"innerBlocks":94,"innerHTML":95,"innerContent":96},{"uuid":93},"a73cf779",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>Her advice to students: \u003C\u002Fstrong>“My advice would be to explore as many clubs and organizations as possible to find your community. Step outside your comfort zone — while a large university can feel overwhelming, the wide range of opportunities gives you the chance to find your place.”\u003C\u002Fp>",[95],"Raised around Ohio State, Amalia Rodriguez‑Giusti created her own Buckeye story by finding community, embracing her culture and becoming a campus leader — experiences that now guide her toward a future in social work.","Ohio State student Amalia Rodriguez‑Giusti turned a childhood surrounded by campus life into her own empowering Buckeye experience, finding community, leadership and cultural connection that shaped her path toward a career in social work.\r\n",[100,112,123],{"slug":101,"path":102,"title":103,"description":104,"subtitle":11,"taxonomy":105,"image":106,"video":109,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"hasVideo":111},"turning-ambition-into-achievement","stories\u002Fturning-ambition-into-achievement","Turning ambition into achievement","Biomedical science student Anitvir Taunque transformed ambition into impact at Ohio State — earning major scholarships, launching health-focused nonprofits and finding community as he prepares for a future in medicine.",{"name":11,"slug":12},{"url":107,"alt":108},"https:\u002F\u002Fediting.intcomm.osu.edu\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fmedia\u002Fimage\u002F2026\u002F03\u002Fresized_091124eminence3s6a6949_1.jpg","Anitvir Tanque sits",{"url":11,"transcript":110},{"text":11},false,{"slug":113,"path":114,"title":115,"description":116,"subtitle":11,"taxonomy":117,"image":118,"video":121,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"hasVideo":111},"forging-her-own-path","stories\u002Fforging-her-own-path","Forging her own path","Ohio State gave Tovah Kaiser the freedom to explore architecture, entrepreneurship, design and music — experiences that led her to launch a successful creative studio and design for major professional soccer teams.",{"name":11,"slug":12},{"url":119,"alt":120},"https:\u002F\u002Fediting.intcomm.osu.edu\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fmedia\u002Fimage\u002F2026\u002F03\u002Fscreenshot-2025-04-11-at-4.00.05-pm.png","Tovah Kaiser walks down the street in Philadelphia.",{"url":11,"transcript":122},{"text":11},{"slug":124,"path":125,"title":126,"description":127,"subtitle":128,"taxonomy":129,"image":130,"video":133,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"hasVideo":111},"buckeye-bound","stories\u002Fbuckeye-bound","Four reasons you should be Buckeye Bound","Ohio State offers unmatched academic breadth, a welcoming community, hands‑on experiences, strong career preparation and the opportunities of vibrant Columbus — helping students find their path, their people and their future as Buckeyes.\r\n","An endless wealth of resources and opportunities await students at The Ohio State University",{"name":11,"slug":12},{"url":131,"alt":132},"https:\u002F\u002Fediting.intcomm.osu.edu\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fmedia\u002Fimage\u002F2022\u002F12\u002Fbb_homepage.jpg","A group of Ohio State students stand together on the Oval.",{"url":11,"transcript":134},{"text":11},"2026-03-12T19:22:49+00:00","2026-04-06T15:06:29+00:00",[138,141,144],{"title":139,"path":140},"Home","\u002F",{"title":142,"path":143},"Stories","\u002Fstories",{"title":20,"path":145},"\u002Fstories\u002Ffamiliar-grounds-new-roots",1791484154380]