“I’m very grateful that I had that experience, to get that great university exposure,” Mazzone said. “I think it gave me such a head start and a leg up.”
While Mazzone already had a relationship with the school through CCP, Ohio State Newark was always among his top choices.
“I already knew I wanted to attend a small university with a good healthcare program,” he explained. “I can say with certainty my CCP experience influenced me to choose Ohio State Newark.”
Mazzone will eventually have to split his time between the Newark and Columbus campuses as he continues his program. “Having the experience with how classes work, handling a high load of coursework, how to do research and student activities will absolutely help bridge the gap to take classes at Columbus,” he said. “And that’s not to mention the financial relief of starting at Newark.”
The small school advantage encouraged Mazzone to pursue both research and founding a student organization in his first year. In May of his freshman year, he began chemistry research into inhibitors to fight and treat COVID-19 with Özlem Doğan Ekici, PhD.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for growth, to learn so much about the field of medicine and the specific area I want to explore.”
He also founded Circle K, a collegiate branch of Kiwanis. “The goal is to be a service organization for students. We exist to serve our home, our school and the community we live in,” Mazzone explained. In its first year, the club organized a school-wide canned food drive to stock the on-campus food pantry.
Mazzone is also a student employee and works as a tutor in the math learning center.
“Get involved,” he advised other students. “The amount that you get out of college is the amount you put in. If you put enough into it and get involved in what’s right for you, it’ll pay dividends.”