2nd Year Service Capstone Project

This year I was planning on doing College Mentor for Kids as my Capstone Project because I really wanted to make an impact on children’s lives. I have tutored in the past, but I wanted to be a mentor not just in the academic setting but outside of the classroom as well. I was really looking forward to this, but unfortunately because of lack of children signing up due to not having access to a computer for virtual sessions, I was not able to do this.

I then decided I still wanted to be a role model and set a good example for those in my Columbus community. I was nervous I would not be able to do this because there was very limited options out there due to the pandemic. However, on the first warm day after the long winter we had this year, I was walking on the Olentangy Trail on campus and I found myself seeing a bunch of liter. I decided that this would be my capstone project. I was going to clean up Columbus. I have spent the last few months going to various parks around the Columbus area with the intent of picking up liter. I have developed my leadership and service engagement by giving back to the community I live in. I noticed that other people would pick up trash they saw on the ground too after seeing my friend and I walking around with trash bags.

It was sad to see how cluttered the parks were when there are trash cans very readily available. I am passionate about taking care of the earth and not littering not only because it looks better when it is clean, but it also protects the natural environments and organisms that live in these environments. This project also allowed me to take a step away from my computer in a world that is mostly virtual now and appreciate nature and the outdoors. This is something I have missed greatly since having classes online. I was amazed to see how much just being outside for a few hours a day reduced my stress and made me happier.

During the second half of Spring semester, I took a class to develop my leadership skills to prepare for a potential role as an RA. For homework one week, we had to read an article that discussed the importance of intent vs. impact. This was a very eye-opening article for me because it explained that it doesn’t matter what our intentions are when we say something, it only matters how what we say affects people. Very often people say, “That’s not how I meant for it to come across.” I’ve learned that in reality it doesn’t matter if that’s how my words were meant to come across, they still did come across in a way that may have affected someone in a good or bad way. Reading this article has caused me to reflect on my delivery of my speech and think about the people I will affect by the things I say. It has also caused me to stop excusing hurtful words people say towards me by justifying that they did not mean for it to hurt me. This article has caused me to become more self-aware and value my self worth more by removing sources of negativity from my life and surrounding myself with positive influences.

1st Year in Review

During my first year at Ohio State, I have grown more as a person than any other year of my life and also been challenged more than any other year, especially academically and professionally. Coming into college, I didn’t really have any solid study skills, so for the first time in my academic career I was very challenged. It was a lot of trial and error, and I have found a few techniques for success, but I am still developing those techniques. I also came into OSU with a pretty set path as to what my career would be, but after being here I realized that was a path I had created based on what I thought others would approve of and didn’t look at the other opportunities out there. This realization of all the many options out there has challenged me because I have realized that my initial path isn’t what I want to do, but I don’t know what I want to do, so I am being challenged with the stresses of that.

However, because of this I have grown as a person and had a lot of character development. My first year at OSU has made me more open minded to change and possibilities yet also remain focused that college is about getting a degree. I also have learned that it’s okay to question yourself and what you are doing, because it makes you more confident in your decisions and yourself. I have learned how to stand up for myself and what I believe in  in a polite yet confident manner whether it is with my friends, family, or professors. Because of my personal growth, I am now unsure of the career path I want to take, so over this summer I want to be proactive in seeking out opportunities of shadowing in fields I think I may be interested in. When I get back to campus in the fall, I will try to search out jobs and organizations related to fields I am want to go into to further help me make this decision.

1st Year Service Engagement

My main service this year was volunteering every week at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati over the past summer. I worked in the PT/OT Unit, and more specifically with the intensive autistic children. I did a lot of behind the scenes things such as filing, setting up for sessions and cleaning up, cleaning toys, and making sure the rooms were clean. However, I also got to observe the sessions as well and this is where I learned the most. The children during the sessions were so energetic and happen, and it was amazing to watch them make connections in their mind such as recognizing the name of a toy or properly using their manners. It amazed me how the physical therapists taught them broader topics, such as manners, by small things like playing with toys which helped remind me that there is never a time when you don’t have anything to learn.

For the spring semester, my group was one of the groups that was selected to actually do their project. My group chose the topic of homelessness where we would have had a service opportunity where HSS member would help put together care packages and make cards for the homeless in the Columbus Area. We also would’ve hosted an awareness event in the oval where we would ask students what they would bring with them if they could only have a backpack full of things hoping to give them some perspective on how little people in our Columbus community have. During the first half of this semester, we began planning the logistics for these two events, but due to COVID-19, we were unable to do them. The virus also made it difficult to find other volunteer opportunities so I didn’t get any service hours in, but I am really looking forward to my service opportunities next year

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

 

My name is Isabella Houchens. I’m a Freshman at Ohio State and I’m majoring in pre-nursing. I like math and science, especially biology. I am unsure if I want to go to nursing school or finance because I also really love number crunching.  I am from Cincinnati, Ohio and I am the oldest of four. I have worked as a soccer referee, nanny, and at an ice cream place. I love working and helping people. The highlights of my summer were going out West with my family and volunteering at children’s hospital. At OSU I am a member of the health sciences scholars and Best Buddies.