Sophomore Year in Review

Sophomore year was a challenge for me, but it helped me grow as a student and as a person. I took some of my most challenging classes this year including Organic and Analytical Chemistry. These classes really forced me to learn how to study strategically and effectively. I also had to re-evaluate my priorities. I spent a lot of time studying and hanging out with very close friends. This year I had the choice to sink or swim, and I chose to swim despite the hard work it required.

Vision Statement

I have two remaining years of my undergraduate career here at Ohio State. I plan on finishing my requirements for my Chemistry B.S. and my two minors, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Since I have most of the Chemistry requirements done except for Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and some electives, I will be taking most of my minor classes in the next two years. I am excited to learn more about the fields that I am truly interested in. Another goal of mine for the next couple years is to figure out what I am doing after graduation. I need to choose between pursuing a doctorate, masters, or career. I also need to learn more about the GRE test.

Analytical Chemistry Research and Development Project Artifact

Below you will find a link to my final lab report for my Analytical Chemistry class of Sophomore year. It is a compilation of all of the work I did in the lab portion of the class throughout the entire semester. The overarching theme of the lab was analyzing drinking water for heavy metals, specifically lead. In order to do this, I used Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, and finally Micro-Fluidic Paper Devices that I developed with my lab group. We ended up developing functional microPADs that have the ability to test for lead in drinking water at a threshold concentration. While we worked in groups, we had to write our reports individually. I really loved doing this project because I hope to enter a career in environmental chemistry in the future. Take a look at my report for more information!

Lab Report

Abstract

Welcome to my ePortfolio! Here you will find information about me and my journey through my undergraduate career. In the Career tab, you can find information about what I’m planning on doing after I finish school. In the Artifacts tab, you can find some of my works that I have done for classes or extracurriculars. In the G.O.A.L.S section, there is information about my what I would like to achieve both here at Ohio State and in life. The Year in Review tab contains information about each semester. Finally, the About Me tab holds information about me! Enjoy!

Model United Nations Artifact

I competed in Model United Nations starting my sophomore year of high school. During the fall conference of my junior year, my partner and I wrote resolution papers about stopping nuclear proliferation and making clean drinking water available to everyone. It was truly eye opening to brainstorm solutions to these worldwide problems with so many people from so many schools. After many disagreements and collaborations, we finally produced the resolution papers containing our solutions to these problems. I was the member of my group that put all of the ideas together and actually wrote the papers. Our papers ended up winning us the Superior Delegation award, which is the best award a partnership delegation can win. The attached photo is from the Model UN conference at which we won the award.

Bio Sci Zoo Trip

I recently went on a trip to the Columbus Zoo with the Biological Sciences Scholars program. It was very interesting because I had never been to the Columbus Zoo before. Walking around and seeing all of the animals was fun, but the behind the scenes tour was the best part. We were given a tour of the manatee facilities, and I learned a lot. I saw the water filtration tanks, the non-public manatee tank, the crane used to remove manatees from the water, and the kitchen used to prepare food for the manatees and fish. The highlight of this behind the scenes visit was definitely getting the opportunity to feed the manatees. Since they are being rehabilitated, they need to eat in a way that closely mimics how they eat in the wild. To feed them, we put heads of lettuce in a tube that sinks to the bottom of the tank, so it’s as if the manatees are eating sea grass off of the sea floor. Overall, I had a great time at the zoo with the manatees and my fellow scholars!

About Me

I am a first year student in The Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and in the Biological Sciences Scholars Program. I plan on majoring in chemistry and minoring in forensics to become a crime lab analyst in the future. I recently graduated from Rocky River High School with an honors diploma. I was very involved in many sports and clubs in high school, and I was a Co-President of both the Environmental Club and the Model United Nations team. I thoroughly intend to stay as involved throughout college. My work experience includes a year and a half of being a cosmetic lab technician at Lusso Cosmetics. I was able to actually work in the lab and produce/develop makeup. When I am not in class or at work, I enjoy playing volleyball, reading, and throwing pottery on a wheel. OSU is my new home, and I can’t wait to embark on my academic and extracurricular journies here!

Semester in Review

I am almost done with the first semester of my freshman year of college. The only obstacle between me and winter break is finals, and I am not as nervous as predicted. At the beginning of the semester, I did very poorly on my first math midterm. I was extremely disappointed in myself; I knew I had to do something different to prepare for the next midterm. I tried some different study methods and kept up with the class and my score on the second midterm definitely reflected my hard work. Now that I know what I need to do to prepare myself for exams, I am confident in my ability to do well on finals. I thoroughly plan onĀ  applying this newfound studying knowledge to every class I take in the future and sharing it with my friends if they are struggling in a class. This semester has helped me grow not only academically, but also socially. Volunteering through the Biological Sciences Scholars Program has helped me become more socially aware. Overall, my first semester of college has been an amazing experience!