Fellow Profile: Natalie Hurst, JIF '13, Ohio State '18

Hi, my name is Natalie and I am not good at autobiographies.

I am presently a freshman in The Ohio State University’s Honors College. I am studying Molecular Genetics and Spanish on a pre-medical track, so basically, I am a pretty big nerd. Prior to attending college, I was birthed by my parents, Barb and Randy Hurst. I have three siblings: Carly (15) is a spitting image of Jennifer Lawrence. Julia (11) only has one leg, but she still does her thing. My only brother, Mike, is 21 and he is a lineman (not in the NFL, for an electric company). In addition, I have a dog, Patchy, a cat, Slinky, and five fish, all named Clarence. I previously resided in a small, rural community called Licking Valley. There were a lot of cows and a lot of corn. I lived a fairly average life, until the day I discovered a secret identity within myself. What is my secret identity, you may ask? Well, like all of you, I am a super scholar.

As a fellow Joyce Ivy Scholars, we can all say that our lives were changed monumentally after our programs. Because of the Joyce Ivy Foundation, I am attending a renowned university for free as an exemplar of diversity. (Hey, it might not be Harvard, but it is cheap! We also have really good smoothies here.) My trip to Brown University challenged me in ways I could never be challenged in my quaint town; I felt empowered to exit my comfort zone and heighten my aspirations to a new level. The deep passion in my nerdy soul for knowledge was excited like an electron near heat. The only exception was that I never descended from my high energy level. The feeling and subsequent events that resulted from my program would have never occurred if I hadn’t been chosen as a scholar. I perceived myself only as a first generation college student living in a blue-collar town, but the Joyce Ivy Foundation perceived me as an ambassador to demonstrate the true potential in the Midwest. My inspiration to succeed truly developed from the faith that was placed within me: my super scholar powers were revealed and I, like each of you, became a super hero.

As Uncle Ben in Spider Man says though, “With great power comes great responsibility.” As a group of super hero women (which NEVER happens in movies), it is our duty to spread awareness for the true potential found within each person. For me, volunteering as a Joyce Ivy Fellow is an ideal way to accomplish this goal. I am now able to influence others by helping to reveal their true potential, which sounds like a pretty nice job to me! It is a pleasure to work with you all. As a team, we can prove that the Midwest is more than just cows and corn. We are the academic powerhouse of the nation!