By: Cody Irwin

As my time with the Columbus Chamber is winding down I have started to reflect on my entire experience. From my very first day with the Chamber up through now I have seen myself grow as a writer as well as gain some valuable tips and experience in a business environment.

I appreciate the Chamber for giving me the opportunity to get involved this quarter. I enjoyed the opportunity to share my individual experiences with our community. Through my work I have been able to share my views and experiences on a variety of topics that could potentially impact other students and recent graduates. Through member testimonials and blog entries I’ve shared my initial expectations of joining the Chamber, interviewed current Chamber members, talked about my views of the city of Columbus, and was even able to attend the Chamber’s Annual Meeting. This potential impact on our community was one of the main reasons why I wanted to get involved with the Chamber.

I’ve learned several things through my time with the Chamber that will benefit my writing long term. The differences between academic writing and professional writing have become a lot clearer for me. I now realize professional writing has a more direct and straightforward style than normal academic writing. Through my blog entries I’ve learned the importance of keeping ideas short and to the point in order to make things easier on readers. 

My time at the Chamber also gave me the chance to get involved in an organization that strives to bring success to the entire Columbus Region. I was immediately welcomed and felt part of the team from the very beginning.  Early on I witnessed how the Chamber staff interacted with each other and how that benefits Chamber members and the local community. I witnessed big changes at the Chamber ranging from an office renovation to the announcement of a new President. Despite the changes things went smoothly and never affected any work.  The staff is a perfect example of a team working towards the same common goal. I received input and advice on my writing that came from multiple perspectives. With different people providing feedback on my writing I had new ideas to work with that ultimately benefitted my final drafts.

At the beginning of the quarter I was unsure of what to expect from working with the Chamber.  Now I am glad this opportunity came about. The benefits of my first writing internship will continue to help me in school as well as when I transition to my future career.

About Me:  I’m a lifelong Ohioan, born and raised in Canton, Ohio. Currently I am a senior at The Ohio State University, majoring in English. I will be graduating in June and plan on attending Law School in the fall.

By: Cody Irwin

Simply put, I’ve always looked at the city of Columbus as a place full of opportunities.

Columbus offers me the chance to earn a top notch education at one of the many area colleges or universities; Columbus is home to many of my favorite sports teams and entertainment venues. Essentially for me, Columbus is the center of it all.

Literally situated in the center of the state, Columbus is within manageable driving distances from almost any other place in Ohio. This centralized location is one of the reasons why I chose to come to Ohio State. Personally, I like the independence of being far enough away from home, while still having the option and benefits of being able to drive home whenever I want to. Columbus provides that perfect distance away from home.

Another reason why I really enjoy going to school in the area is the unique combination of campus life and a big city feel. This unique blend provides the best of both worlds. I have been able to experience the traditional campus lifestyle, featuring on-campus housing, green space, and recreational facilities, all the while being minutes away from the excitement that downtown Columbus brings. By having top-notch facilities on campus, as well as throughout the surrounding area, has really helped enhance my college experience. This combination always leaves me with tons of options and events whether on campus or minutes away in downtown.

            Columbus is extremely different than my hometown of Canton, Ohio and has provided me with a nice change of scenery. Being from a suburban neighborhood outside of Canton, I was rarely able to experience skyscrapers or the fast paced energy that a big city offers. Columbus has plenty of both.  One of my favorite places in Columbus is Huntington Park, home of the Columbus Clippers. I’ve been to several games and haven’t found a bad seat in the ballpark. My favorite places to sit are along the 1^st and 3^rd baselines that look out toward the Columbus skyline. The location of the ballpark adds to the atmosphere. 

The student newspaper at Ohio State, The Lantern, recently pointed out that more and more students are choosing to stay in the area. My experiences the last four years have helped me understand why. In my opinion, there are plenty of reasons to explain this increase in students staying in the area. Columbus is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest, but it still has a small city feel to it. Driving through downtown, you don’t get the intimidation factors that are present in other major U.S. cities. Along with this feeling of accessibility, resources such as,  www.LiveWorkPlayColumbus.com (produced by the Columbus Chamber) do an excellent job of showcasing the benefits of living in Columbus to students and outsiders. These sites have really piqued my interests by highlighting the main (and many) attractions of the region. Over time I have realized most of the amenities that other major U.S. cities offer are available right here in Columbus. Professional sports teams, historical sites, major shopping/entertainment centers, and lots of parks space are located here. Once I began to appreciate these elements, I began to realize the benefits of calling this area my home.

Now as I’ve lived in the area for the last four years, my view of the city of Columbus hasn’t changed. I still see it as the center of everything, and full of opportunities.

 About Me:  I’m a lifelong Ohioan, born and raised in Canton, Ohio. Currently I am a senior at The Ohio State University, majoring in English. I will be graduating in June and plan on attending Law School in the fall.

By: Cody Irwin

Experience is a word most college students and young adults have heard quite a bit. Growing up and throughout high school we were always told about the “college experience,” once in college, we were told our resumes needed more “volunteer or work experience,” and now as graduation is right around the corner, upcoming job interviews have us worried that we just flat out “lack experience.”

I wanted to work with the Columbus Chamber to gain this much needed, valuable experience that will be beneficial me when I eventually head out into the work world. Experience can be broken down into tangible and intangible skills that I hope to gain as a result of working at the Chamber.

When offered the opportunity to work with the Chamber, I immediately jumped at the idea of being able to continue to learn and interact with businesses and local organizations. I’ve been going to school and living in the Columbus Region for the last four years. Clippers’ games at Huntington Park, Blue Jackets’ games at Nationwide Arena, movies at the Arena Grand Movie Theater, lunches in the Short North and trips to Goodale Park have helped introduced me to the area. At the same time, I am extremely excited to help encourage recent graduates and young professionals to stay in the region and help the city continue to progress economically.

Interactions with recent graduates and other members of the community are another reason for my Chamber involvement. Whether it is co-workers or individuals from local organizations and businesses, I am intrigued at the opportunity to interact with people from differing backgrounds and experience levels. These interactions will provide me with additional communication skills that are different from my typical day to day interactions with classmates and professors.

Having spent the last four years at The Ohio State University studying English, I believe that I have a sense of what academic writing is all about. I really want to gain a better understanding of professional or business writing. I’m interested in understanding and learning about the differences between the two different types of writing. I am looking forward to being exposed to things such as organizational newsletters, blogs, and things as simple as business emails. Being able to understand and differentiate between academic and professional writing will be a valuable tool to learn as I make the inevitable transition into the real world.

Lastly, and going along with that notion of professional writing, I am very interested in finally being able to write something that truly counts or will have an impact. Of course in the classroom my writing counts in the sense that it gets a grade, but I’m excited to start using my writing skills to influence local businesses and organizations to get involved with the chamber and offer my prospective to other area students contemplating their futures. I really want to make a positive impact on trying to keep recent graduates in the area, or attract outside businesses and organizations and show them the wonderful opportunities that the Columbus Region has to offer.

All in all the exposure to local businesses and organizations in a professional manner will provide me a wonderful opportunity to learn about new aspects to professional writing which will ultimately allow me to use my voice to benefit the region.

What are some reasons why you chose to go for that first internship opportunity? I’m guessing “gaining experience” played a pretty big role at first, like it did for me. But when looking past that, experience is just a general term; it’s really made up of skills learned, knowledge gained, and the opportunity to accomplish tasks firsthand. Developing these skills along the way will really make the internship worthwhile and leave us with “tons of experience.”

 About Me:  I’m a lifelong Ohioan, born and raised in Canton, Ohio. Currently I am a senior at The Ohio State University, majoring in English. I will be graduating in June and plan on attending Law School in the fall.