2018-19 School Year Reflection

This year without question was far more difficult than last. There were various things that differed, while some stayed the same. I had my first semester ever taking 18 credit hours, which I plan on never doing again. I struggled for the first time in a class, Organic Chemistry 2510, but still managed to pull through and pass, which is something I am proud of myself for. I also invested a lot of time in my job at Oxley’s, and managed to get promoted two times in one school year, which I deem a wonderful accomplishment. Fall semester was undoubtedly the most taxing semester I’ve had on campus, most likely because I was trying to balance too many things at once, and this was reflected in my GPA. Second semester I decided I would take far fewer credit hours, and it played to my advantage. I was a much happier individual, my grades improved, etc. Another new thing this year was that I secured a position doing undergraduate research in a Molecular Genetics lab beginning May 2019, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. This is also the first time I will be living somewhere other than the dorms, because I found a place to sublease with a few of my friends; again something I am wildly excited to do. Overall, I think I have grown exponentially since last year, far more than I did over the course of last academic year, and that is reflected through the decisions I have made, and the progress I had seen in myself from fall semester to spring semester.

Statement of Action

For my remaining time on campus, I plan to continue taking courses to get my undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics, and complete a Spanish minor. I have one class left to take to complete my minor, and a few more classes to take to get my degree. With the amount of credits I came in with my first year, I have the ability to graduate a semester early, which I am planning to do. I plan to continue working at Oxley’s By the Numbers cafe of which I recently became a Student Manager. I also plan to continue the undergraduate research I am beginning over the summer, and hope to get published in the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. Finally, I do hope I can continue being a captain of one of the Ohio State Women’s Club Volleyball teams for the rest of the time I am enrolled at Ohio State, and believe I’ll be able to maintain that with my schedule. Something I want to do that I haven’t gotten around to yet is to join some sort of Genetics Club or a type of science club, because I do feel that I am lacking in that sense of involvement on campus.

STEP Proposal

STEP PROPOSAL REAL

 

This year I decided to participate in the Second Year Transformational Experience Program, otherwise known as STEP, in order to receive a $2000 scholarship to participate in something transformational that will help me achieve my goals. Over the course of summer 2019, I plan on participating in undergraduate research in a Molecular Genetics lab in Columbus, Ohio from May 10th to August 8th, and then hopefully continue researching into autumn semester. With the funds granted by STEP, I will be able to achieve my goals of beginning undergraduate research, in order to familiarize myself with the workspace of a laboratory. Working in a genetics laboratory has been a goal of mine for a few years now, considering it is my major. This experience is also important personally so that I can decide if working in a laboratory is something I want to do long term, since those are my career plans for the future as of now. A hands-on experience in a laboratory is crucial to my experience as a STEM major at a university with so many resources and programs to be involved in. I plan on working in the lab throughout the summer, to begin my own research project that I will be able to continue over the course of my college career. I plan on subleasing an apartment over the summer where it will be easy for me to commute to my research lab, my job, my summer classes, etc. The money provided by STEP will greatly assist in my achievement of beginning undergraduate research by allowing me to pay for rent among other things over the summer that I ordinarily would not have been able to pay for.

Abstract

In this e-portfolio, there are many different posts which include things about me such as what I am interested in, things I have recently done/accomplished, goals, etc. This is a portfolio that is periodically updated and includes pictures and files to look at.

Semester Review

This semester, I have learned a lot at school. I have grown a lot and learned to manage my times significantly better than I did in high school. Back home, it wasn’t really necessary for me to study in school, so balancing my extra curriculars and athletics wasn’t difficult. It’s a completely different story here, and initially it was very difficult for me to do these things while maintaining high grades. At this point in the semester I am very pleased with the fact that my grades have gone up. I also joined a club sports team which I am thrilled to still be a part of. It introduced me to a lot of people much older than me that I can learn from and receive helpful advice about the next few years. As a person, I have evolved quite a bit. At home, I struggled keeping my anxiety in line at times, but here at school I can manage my stress a lot more easily. Overall the semester has been successful, and I cannot wait to see what is to come.

Columbus Zoo Trip Artifact

On September 24th, a large group of us went to the Columbus Zoo to observe the animals. We has the chance to go behind the scenes in the manatee exhibit and even got to feed manatees. It was incredibly interesting and impressive to see all that goes on behind closed doors in one exhibit at the zoo. The amount of lettuce that the zoo must purchase just to sustain the manatees for a day is almost 300 heads. Seeing the equipment used to transport the manatees was also extremely interesting to see. Overall, the day was very educational, including looking at the other animal exhibits, and I am looking forward to attending more Scholars events.

G.O.A.L.S.

 

Global Awareness: For this part of the GOALS, I am planning on hopefully becoming involved in the club Global Brigades, which would give me the opportunity to go to another country and help others, as well as expose me to different cultures of the world, thus enhancing my global awareness.

Original Inquiry: I plan on looking into research internships this summer in my hometown of Chicago. I have not unfortunately had any experience in research or anything pertaining to it, but if I do find something to do in the summer, this will assist me in my future plans for attending medical school.

Academic Enrichment: I plan to double major, which will help me stand out with a Spanish and Biology major. This will assist in my future goals of getting into a good medical school, and hopefully assist in getting a job as an ER surgeon someday. I also plan on taking classes which not only pertain to my major, but also my interests. Currently, I am in a Prehistoric and Medieval art history class, which I find to be greatly interesting. I could have chosen other classes to get my GE’s out of the way, however this is something that I have always found fascinating, and will most likely take more history courses in the future.

Leadership Development: I plan to get heavily involved with a few science related clubs here at OSU, and hopefully assume leadership positions within these clubs, in order to develop my leadership skills. At home, I teach volleyball lessons to younger students, which puts me in a position of leadership

Service Engagement: I volunteer at a food pantry in my hometown, as well as the nursing home near my old high school. I plan on using the scholars events which are given out monthly, to find a place to consistently volunteer, because this will look good on resumes.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

In high school, I was captain of the volleyball team. My volleyball team went to super sectionals, and placed fifth in the state. This experience was enriching  because it showed me how important it is to be a good leader, and showed me that cohesiveness and teamwork are important for success in life. Our team has a lot of individuals and faced tough competition, and in the end fell just a bit short, as we do in many things in life. In the end ultimately, we were all proud of how hard we worked together, and I was proud as a captain to see what we all could accomplish. I hope in the future someday this will help me if I am in a position of leadership in my career.