The Community Foundation for Crawford County is pleased to introduce Dalani Kiser, a 2024 recipient of one of the 19 Doug and Renee Leuthold Scholarship awards.
Dalani, the daughter of Danny Keith Kiser and Dawn Lynn Kiser is a 2023 graduate of Crestline High School. She is in her second year of a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Physiology at Ohio Northern University.
What is your favorite aspect of college life and why?
"My favorite aspect of college life would have to be the independence. In college you are responsible for yourself. You have to get yourself to class on time, feed yourself, and stand on your own two feet. You have to learn to become your own person and take care of yourself because no one is there to do it for you anymore. The independence aspect is my favorite part because I have been able to figure out who I am as a person on my own. I have realized what I am truly capable of and how far I can push myself."
What new interests or course of study have you discovered at college?
"A new interest I have discovered at college is cardiac rehab. I have learned so much about the heart and how much work it truly does every second of our lives. The heart is such an amazing organ that does so much more than people realize. I have a lot of people in my family that have struggled with heart issues so it is something that I care deeply about. With that being said, cardiac rehab might be a possible career in my future. I guess we will see."
In what way has the college experience changed/improved you?
"The college experience has definitely changed/improved me for the better. I have become more outgoing and have met so many new people because of it. I have also learned so much in just one year. I find my major so interesting, and I love learning new things about the human body and how it works. I have become so much more independent just by living on my own and taking care of things that need to be done. I have improved my study techniques and they have been so much more efficient. Of course there are many other ways that the college experience has changed/improved me, but these are some of my favorites."
What advice would you give an incoming college freshman?
"Advice that I would give to an incoming college freshman would be to TAKE BREAKS. For me personally, when it comes to studying exams and doing my assignments for class, I would burn myself out by studying for hours on end without taking breaks. I would get so overwhelmed and stressed, and I would just break down. Once I learned how to manage my time better and incorporated breaks into my studying time, I wasn't so overwhelmed and stressed. I also did better on quizzes and exams. So for all incoming college freshman, don't be so hard on yourself, and take breaks because you deserve them."
What is one item on your bucket list and why?
"One item on my bucket list is skydiving. I want to experience the rush and excitement of just free falling from the sky. I am 19 years old now, and you have to be 18 to do it, so I can finally go through with it, but I haven't found anyone willing to go with me, and it is quite expensive. Hopefully one day I will be able to cross it off my bucket list."
Congratulations and good luck in the future, Dalani!
To learn more about the scholarships offered through the Foundation, visit www.cfcrawford.org/scholarships
