Game of Thrones Event

I helped create my first scholars event during the spring semester with my friend Kevin Piczer. This event was so much fun — everyone was going to watch the episode of Game of Thrones but by making it an an event, we were able to create a community of fans within Biological Science Scholars. The event demonstrated all the good that can come from teamwork and good communication: although we decided to create the event at a very short notice, Kevin and I were able to work together to gather support for the event, find somewhere where we can all watch it, and work through the technicalities to make sure all of the equipment worked properly.

In the future, I hope to plan events in a similar, organized manner. Events such as these allow everyone to be themselves and grow closer as a community while enjoying a common interest. It’s brilliant! The picture is the projector in the room displaying an episode. Although it’s dark and you can’t see the audience amazed expression at this point of the episode!

Statement of Action

To continue deepening my understanding of the sciences, and ultimately enter medical school, through advancements in extracurriculars, courses, research, and volunteer work. Outside of school, I hope to lower educational disparity for minorities in college through volunteer work within the community with groups like Ohio Hispanic Coalition and through collaborations in clubs and with fraternities.

 

Abstract

Hello and welcome to my eportfolio! My name is Nojan Bajestani and I’m an upcoming third year bio major here at osu. On this site you can find information about me, many of my past, notable experiences in “artifacts”, my career goals, and other posts that reflect my time here at Ohio State. I also briefly discuss past high school experience!

One of my goals as a freshman was to help decrease educational disparity among minorities in colleges and spend time improving the community around me. I’m happy to say that during the summer of 2019 I will continue volunteering at the Ohio Hispanic Coalition. I’ve been with this organization for two years now, and I absolutely love it —  it’s somewhere I get the opportunity to help kids love to learn, build confidence, manage maintain a healthy lifestyle, and get the most out of their day!

Similarly, this summer I’ll be working as a student research assistant in Core Lab here at Ohio State. Core Lab is a radiology lab focused on understanding the efficacy of pembrolizumab as a medication to patients with high level diseases. I try to stay involved my fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon through involvements in the New Members committee, co-heading book club, and through organized events. Likewise, in my club, HIM, I try to work within the service committee to create projects within the community and help bring in speakers. I also try to stay active in my scholars program and be proactive within its community.

Sophomore Year in Review

My sophomore year was an unbelievable learning experience. The rigor of my courses during sophomore year allowed me to improve time management skills — especially when it came down to balancing a social life and scholastic goals. Most importantly, I learned how valuable it is to start preparing early.

At the beginning of the semester, I wanted to step into a lab, learn more about the research process, and gain a greater appreciation for working in a group of like-minded, dedicated individuals. Early on in the year I joined Core Lab, which is a radiology lab in Wexner. I learned the basic physics involved in body imaging, the applications different scanning mechanisms, and how to pick apart the different parts of the imaging. My research experience improved my fundamental teamwork skills, gave me a deeper appreciation of the field of research, and taught me skills I hope to apply in my future.

Similarly, this semester I had the opportunity to start working again as a volunteer at Riverside Methodist Hospital. My duties generally involve discharging patients, acting as a greeter, and making sure the hospital is stocked with supplies. I also began shadowing different professions in the medical field this semester, giving me insight into both the administrative side and the clinical side of medicine.

Probably my biggest goal this semester was improving my grades. Starting preparation early and consistently putting in hours of practice was key to my success. Furthermore, I learned that I can’t approach every class the same way and that I need to bend my thinking and learning to the way that suits the professor’s teaching style. So goes the saying — smart work is better than hard work. Soon, I began to enjoy preparing for my classes; I didn’t see it as a chore but more as if I was working towards my goal. I’ll miss all that time I spent at the library.

This year has been incredible and I have learned about myself as a learner and how to get to where I want to be. I am very much looking forward to my future  at The Ohio State University. Thank you for visiting my page!

Biological Scholars Event: Lifecare Meals on Wheels

On October 31, 2017, I had the pleasure of volunteering with the Biological Science Scholars at Lifecare Alliance through their “Meals on Wheels” services. During the event, I was tasked with assisting the dining center in setting up tables for their halloween party and packaging silverware for the service. The event was of particular interest to me because it allowed me to get involved within my scholars community through a very meaningful way, community service. Overall, it was absolute joy working for the Lifecare Alliance, and not to mention, I had the opportunity to meet many new people within my scholars group and have grown much closer to the scholars community as a result.

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio

Welcome to my eportfolio! My name is Nojan Bajestani, and I’m currently a freshman at Ohio State. I’m a Biology major on the pre-med track and hope to minor in spanish and epidemiology. Thank you for checking out my page and have a great day!

Semester in Review

My first semester at Ohio State has been nothing short of extraordinary. Originally, the college lifestyle took me by surprise, and I didn’t know how to deal with this overwhelming transition — I began to live by myself for the first time and had to adjust to a significantly more independent lifestyle. Similarly, I had to learn to manage time effectively. I would often ask myself, what do I do with all of this time? Should I prepare for chemistry first or begin finishing math homework? This transition was difficult, yet within this difficulty was a chance to grow. By reaching out to peers for advice, I began to adjust much easier and eventually became in-tune with the college lifestyle. I reached out to peers within my club Humanism in Medicine, where I found upper class men with similar aspirations offering support and advice on how to succeed. Mentorship is so highly valued at Ohio State, and no matter what challenges I faced, I knew I was never alone. Soon, I learned how to study in a way that fits my type of learning, to manage my time effectively, and ultimately, to be a more sociable and outgoing person.

Even early on in high school, I knew I had a very distinct way of learning. Personally, I had to teach myself material and have an in-depth knowledge of the principles behind the concepts, which took a considerable amount of time. As you can imagine, my way of learning didn’t match with the rigorous collegiate academics, and I had to adjust. Progressively, through trial and error and advice from peers, I found the way I learn best: to learn the basic concepts independently, discuss the material with an expert such as the professor of the course or a teacher’s assistant, and then practice it repeatedly. Through this method, not only do I learn the material quicker, but I make it more meaningful and it stays with me for longer periods of time.

Time management, as it turned out, wasn’t a pick-and-choose sort of game but rather a list of priorities, each of which I had to make time for. I had to prioritize events based on my habits. For example, I knew I would remember the material clearer for calculus before 7 pm and for psychology during the afternoon. Through trial and error, I eventually became an expert at managing my schedule, and I now even have more time than I had before. I recently resumed my position as a volunteer at the Ohio Hispanic Coalition, and I plan to re-start volunteering for Riverside Methodist in the winter.

I never imagined such tremendous personal growth within a matter months. I feel college’s strenuous academics have made me hardier, more resilient, and focused. At the same time, having the chance to be in such an amiable, engaging community has helped me become more social. Meeting people from all around the world has made me a much better communicator. Not to mention, I have new-found love and appreciation for mentorship. In the future, I want to put myself in a role within the college community where I can assist freshman on how to deal with the prominent challenges of adjusting to college life.

 

 

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness

Global awareness has such profound significance in daily life and diversity of culture is one of the most prominent aspects that encourages societal advancement. Personally, I believe the goals of global awareness are in alignment with my personal goals of being a physician. As a physician, I want to connect with people and alleviate their pain, and having a good cross-cultural understanding can help an individual become more aware and impactful within their community. Ohio State offers countless opportunities to gain global awareness on campus and abroad — multiple clubs and organizations promote diversity of thought and nationality on campus such as Spanish Club,  and abroad such as Global Brigades. Likewise, there are many language and culture courses being offered that encourage the understanding of diversity. One of my most cherished experiences that instilled a deep appreciation for diversity in me was when I volunteered at The Ohio Hispanic Coalition over the summer. I helped teach immigrant hispanic children how to read, entertained them, and got to talk with them about their lives. Having an understanding of the spanish culture and language, as many of the teachers and administrators did, allowed them to connect with the kids at a more deeper level, motivated them to learn, and even lifted their spirits. Ever since then I’ve had a deep appreciation for diversity, and I believe the understanding and being able to connect with with people from different cultures or even mindsets is remarkable. In the future, I hope to continue my involvement with the Ohio Hispanic Coalition, become proficient in Spanish, join the Global Brigades, and have a more thorough understanding of how to global awareness.

 

Original Inquiry.

Research is responsible for some of the most prominent achievements in modern society and is a field I hope to become heavily involved in. Original inquiry catalyzes  learning and gives honors and scholars students advantageous exposure to relevant fields of study through hands-on research experience and in-class projects. In the past, I conducted a research project of my own studying the spread of disease in air travel, and hope to improve the project with knowledge I gain through original inquiry. Similarly, the idea of doing research and learning about it forces an individual to constantly improve themselves — original inquiry gives students a chance to be a part of something truly meaningful with so many opportunities for contribution to society and self-improvement. That chance seems priceless. In the future, I hope to become much more involved in research and gain a more in-depth understanding of the research method through involvement.

 

Academic Enrichment

Academic Enrichment is the opportunity for an individual to both shape their education based on their life goals and become more well-informed within their desired area of study. Besides the in-class experiences, students can pursue academic excellence through research and out-of-class career preparation and information sessions such as attending seminars given by professionals in fields of interest or taking practice classes for standardized tests. I hope to increase my involvement in research, gain more knowledge about my field of interest through discussions with professionals, and increase my understanding of my field of interest through professional school preparation.

 

Leadership Development

One of the most valued traits for an individual within any program is their capacity to perform leadership roles within their communities. This entails being brave and going against popular notions in favor for a more beneficial outcome, being mindful of the wants and feelings of peers, and aiming everyone towards a common goal. Personally, leadership development is tremendously valuable to me and was something I was heavily involved in during high school; I acted as class treasurer and handled my class’ expenses and planned a successful prom; I was as vice president of both Medical Club and Biology Olympiad Club, where I organized talks to give members more insight into medicine, helped teach members biology, and planned dissections and other group events; as Head of Management of my friend’s startup hedge fund, Arlington Mutual, I helped gather investors, advised the Chairman and CEO on investments; and as treasurer of Key Club, I handled the club’s finances and organized them into ledgers and planned community events along with the other officers. In the future, I hope to continue involvement in leadership roles by taking more prominent roles in clubs, and I hope to run for student government.

Service Engagement

Service Engagement encourages students to not only be more mindful of problems locally and abroad but also to be an active participant in solving these issues. By connecting students to services relevant to their fields of interest, the honors and scholars program facilitates service and creates opportunities for students to both contribute to meaningful causes and be more knowledgeable of the world. In the high school, I volunteered at Riverside Methodist Hospital, organized and participated in community events through Key Club, The Ohio Hispanic Coalition, The Upper Arlington Optimist League, and through Partners in Health Club. Similarly, I think dedicating oneself to the community is incredibly fulfilling, and I hope to continue my involvement with the Humanism in Medicine Club as well as join more service clubs throughout my college career such as Circle K.