Building foundations and finding passion on the regional campus

Junior agricultural communications major Renee McCreary came to Ohio State Marion from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, A town of about 6,500 residents and 75 minutes north of the bustling state capital and the larger Columbus campus of The Ohio State University. A solid student in high school, McCreary was accepted to begin her higher education as a Buckeye on Ohio State’s larger Columbus campus. But, as a first-generation college student from a small town in Ohio, she thought Ohio State Marion would be a better choice for her first year as a full-fledged college student.

“I was accepted to Ohio State Columbus campus, but I chose to attend Marion instead due to proximity and my own financial situation. I expected to only stay in Marion for a year and then campus change to Columbus.”

In her initial decision about where to attend McCreary said, “I chose Ohio State because they were ranked as one of the best schools in Ohio for my program of interest. I knew I wanted to stay closer to home, so Ohio State Marion is where I landed.”

“I valued a calmer transition into college life. My parents could not give me much guidance on how college worked, seeing as I am a first-gen student. I was very overwhelmed by things that seemed like common sense to others such as loans, living situations, and scholarships to name a few.

Her opinion of the smaller regional campus in Marion, Ohio changed after experiencing Ohio State Marion firsthand and becoming engaged in everything the campus had to offer, McCreary made a major shift in her college plan to leave for Columbus after year one and ended up staying an extra year at Ohio State Marion.

“I fell in love with the community and stayed another year. My attitudes about regional campuses did a complete 180, and I now advocate for the importance of regional campuses like Ohio State Marion,” McCreary said.

 

For McCreary it was about building confidence and garnering the support she needed to navigate life away from home and toward being more independent.

“Each year, I stepped up to make small changes that would go a long way,” she explained. “I was a commuter to Marion during my first year.”  Commuting 25 minutes from her hometown along Ohio State Route 23 each day. “I lived in Marion at an off-campus apartment complex my second year,” said McCreary. “As a third year, I made the transition to an off-campus apartment in Columbus. These changes were only made possible with the support from peers and mentors at Ohio State Marion”

While both are quintessentially the Buckeye experience, McCreary pointed out that each brought what she needed at the time to excel and further her academic career.

“At Marion,” she said, “I could be involved in so many parts of campus. I would pass any department and people would know who I was and what kind of work I was doing on campus.”

“In Columbus,” McCreary added, “There is what feels like an infinite number of options of how to be involved. Both have their ups and downs, but once you find out how you want to be involved, your experience will immediately be enhanced.”

For McCreary, that sense of support didn’t just help her navigate college logistics, but it helped her discover who she was becoming. The relationships she formed on the Marion campus reminded her that she didn’t have to figure everything out on her own, and that confidence helped her redefine her goals.

“Looking back, the biggest difference maker was that I didn’t feel lost,” she said. “I always knew I had someone to turn to—professors, staff, other students. I credit that to the environment at Marion. You’re encouraged to show up as yourself and grow from there.”

As McCreary prepared to transition to the Columbus campus, the shift felt less like leaving and more like building upon the strong foundation she had created. She knew the change would bring challenges, but she also knew she was ready.

“That first year taught me how to speak up and get involved,” she reflected. “At Marion, people saw potential in me before I saw it in myself.”

Her involvement—ranging from student ambassador to social media intern to sustainability and advocacy clubs—became a way for her to connect her passions with her future career. Through each role, she found new opportunities to build skills, meet mentors, and discover a sense of purpose.

When she moved to Columbus, she carried that energy with her.

 

“I didn’t want to lose the momentum I had built on the Marion campus,” McCreary said. “So, I jumped right in. I already knew that involvement is the heart of college. That’s something Marion taught me early on.”

 

Her experiences—from engaging with prospective students through outreach and recruitment to diving into her academic interests—continued to shape her professional aspirations. What started as a desire to stay close to home evolved into a mission to uplift communities and advocate for meaningful change in conservation.

“I plan to be a communications director for a conservation organization,” McCreary shared. “With my minor in human and animal interactions, I hope to specialize in wildlife conservation. I want to help others understand the stories behind these causes.”

And in many ways, Ohio State—both in Marion and Columbus—shaped that calling.

 

“Ohio State set me up with the ability to communicate with diverse communities,” she said. “With my background at a regional campus, I learned that my voice and my experience held an impact and a message.”

She credits her professors, her involvement, and the interconnected Buckeye community for showing her how powerful storytelling can be.

 

“Sharing a story is the core of a degree in communications, and my classes at Columbus are further specializing the types of stories I can communicate,” she explained. “However, it is Ohio State Marion that I owe for the foundations and the passion in what I do; that is what will ultimately prepare me to reach my goals.”

 

Now, as a junior, McCreary sees her journey not as two separate experiences, but as one interconnected Buckeye path—one that began on a regional campus that offered her space, support, and the confidence to grow.

“‘Not feeling like a Buckeye is a common fear I hear from incoming students thinking about attending a regional,” she said. “But I never once felt like I wasn't part of something bigger. Your Buckeye family only grows across campuses, and that family would never hold you back.”

For McCreary, Ohio State Marion wasn’t just the starting point, it was the place that shaped who she is today and who she strives to become.