Dylan Moore
When COVID hit last spring, Dylan Moore knew he was going to stay on plan to graduate from Ohio University in December.
He’s a dual degree student, with a B.S. in Communication Studies and a B.A. in History, not to mention a minor in English. And though algebra class loomed, he soon discovered he was going to easily crest that hill.
“I suppose the moment that this happened to me was last semester during the shutdown when in-person classes were suspended. I was taking college algebra that term and had to continue along on my own for the most part, and I ended up with a good grade. Considering math is the most challenging subject for me, it really gave me a sense of accomplishment that I was basically able to do that on my own.”
The Zanesville student says he has a lot of folks to thank—including faculty who inspired him to pursue has passion in history and the accessibility services coordinator who helped him find solutions along his journey.
Q: What stands out in your mind as you think about graduating despite COVID?
What stands out to me as I’m graduating despite the pandemic is that for a lot of individuals like myself it was a big transition, and I think a lot of gratitude has to be extended to the faculty and staff for doing their best and trying times to ensure that we receive a quality education despite the disruption.
Q: What are your next steps/future plans?
Right now, my future plans include applying to Ohio University for graduate study in history or East Asian studies or possibly communication. My long-term goal, however, is to eventually earn my doctorate in philosophy and become an East Asian history professor specializing in either Japan or China. My uncle’s mother was from Japan, and she had a profound impact on my interest in that corner of the world.
Q: Who were your favorite professors and how did they make an impact on your life?
This one is a tough question since there have been so many professors that have had an impact on my life as my career at the university progressed. I really appreciate Dr. Korcaighe Hale And Dr. Morten Bach (history professors at the Zanesville campus) for their endless amount of patience and knowledge concerning the graduate school process. I would also like to extend a particular thanks to Professor Michael McTeague, who has mentored me in the area of East Asian history and really went above and beyond the call of duty even offering to tutor me in independent studies. He’s the one in fact that really cemented my pursuing East Asian history as a specialty. Dr. Rita Ng Deserves recognition for her outstanding advising and support. Finally, I would like to extend my appreciation to Dr. Lisa Haven for encouraging me to pursue my English minor and develop my analytical skills.
Q: What was the hardest hill you had to climb at OHIO? And how did you overcome challenges or obstacles in your path?
The biggest obstacle that I’ve had to overcome in my time at the university was simply overcoming a physical disability. I have spastic cerebral palsy, which is a neurological condition. And that presents its own set of challenges such as having to arrange your class schedule around it. I overcame those challenges with a lot of support from my friends as well as faculty members and especially Ms. Nina Henderson, the accessibility services coordinator for the Zanesville campus, which I attend. She worked tirelessly to make sure that I got the accommodations I needed to be successful.
Q: What are your favorite OHIO memories?
I enjoyed all of the campus events that we had; one of my favorite memories is starting a history club at OUZ to promote history. I also enjoyed being a member of the communications club. International week was always a highlight for me since I got to learn about different cultures from around the world. And I enjoy seeing how happy everybody is around spring fest and fall fest as the semester is under way.
Q: What’s the one thing you would tell a new OHIO student not to miss?
The biggest thing that I would tell other OHIO students is to utilize the faculty members of the program that you’re interested in and build a relationship with them so that they can help you find careers or prepare for graduate school. This was really a key thing for me since I wanted to be an education major, but I got to establish a good relationship with some of the history faculty like Dr. Hale and that put me on my current path.
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