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WOW Spotlight: Ella Mattes

December 12, 2025

WOW Spotlight: Ella Mattes

ella on a visit

Meet Ella! Ella is in her first year at OSU studying molecular genetics with a minor in psychology. Ella has been volunteering with WOW since Autumn 2025! She fell in love with genetics very early on through her biology class in high school. Her love for this subject was encouraged by a wonderful teacher who supported her love for science and molecular genetics! She aspires to be a genetic counselor after graduation and molecular genetics will be wonderful in preparing her for this career aspiration. Ella knew that this major was the right fit for her because of how much she loves to learn about genetics and enjoys the challenge of creating a deep understanding of very complicated topics.

Ella Head shot
What’s your favorite Ohio State memory or experience?
My favorite Ohio State memory is singing Carmen Ohio in The Shoe after my first OSU football game against Texas. I was someone who was very nervous to leave for college, but singing Carmen Ohio after our first game brought a sense of community that made me realize that I had chosen the perfect school for me.
 
What is your favorite part of WOW? 
My favorite part of WOW is getting to see kids have fun with the experiments that we bring. I love watching the kids that we work with to grow a love for STEM through our visits.