During this past year, I have continued my education outside of the classroom via obtaining a research position in a lab that I am fascinated in as well as getting a pharmacy technician position at a Kroger near campus. I have strengthened many friendships, while learning more about what I want to pursue in life and about how to obtain those goals. I have performed better in school than previously and I have discovered more about what it takes to succeed here at Ohio State. I gained a new community through working as an Office Assistant in Blackburn House, and that staff gave me new perspectives and taught me a lot about working as a team and about customer service and what it takes to work with people. This year gave me some amazing moments, as well as some hard ones, but as always, I’m so glad to have experienced what I did, and I’m so thankful to Ohio State for giving me all my opportunities.
Vision Statement and Statement of Action
In these past two years here, I have learned so much about myself, about how to help my friends, and about how to trust myself to gain opportunities. I plan to graduate one semester early due to the fact that I am taking summer courses, so in the next three semesters, I expect the following. I hope to raise my GPA, while maintaining the friendships and relationships I’ve established in my two years so far here. I will determine whether my future directly after undergraduate school will involve either going into the pharmaceutical industry or into graduate school. Regardless, I will take the GRE as well as continue to learn about my research and about the pharmaceutical industry. I will hopefully get involved in a few student organizations, as well as continue to broaden my social horizons.
Letter of Interest for Research Position
This spring, I applied to and obtained a research position in the Department of Psychology here at Ohio State. Dr. Coutellier asked me to submit to her a letter of interest which represented why I felt that I would fit well in her lab and what I thought I would get out of it. I have attached this letter, because I believe that writing this letter allowed me to introspect about what I love about neuroscience and how that will continue into my future career. I think that the way that I will have grown from this experience is, most importantly, the fact that I will have gained experience doing research. That experience will be invaluable in my future, due to the fact that it’s most accurately my career path.
Resume
Linked is the most current form of my resume.
Semester in Review
College is quite something. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in one period of time in one place, and yet I’m also constantly stressed and constantly tired. It’s outrageously oxymoronic.
I’m evolving because of it, though. When I came here, I was so afraid. I wasn’t sure of the people I was going to be living with or if I was cut out to perform in my major. Now that I’m here, though, I realize that my floor is a support system for me when or if I need it, not a scary group of strangers. I’m more mature now than I was as well– in high school I was always incredibly unmotivated to do any homework or study for any tests, but now I understand what I need to do to succeed. I’m more mature in regards to my academic achievements and in my emotional capability (namely handling stress– oh boy have I had to handle a lot of stress).
I think that regardless of what university I had attended or where I had decided to live, I would have been filled with stress and forced to realize the things that I did. Ohio State, though, (and second floor of Barrett) made my life so much easier as far as things go.
Year in Review
On a Sunday afternoon, the Biological Sciences flag football team won their first game. They played well and were incredibly excited for the opportunity to play against another Scholars team. This was an event where I learned about teamwork and about making the best of any situation (they actually only won because the other team cheated– that team was ahead by two points). Even though they were behind, the BioSci team was still excited to be on the field, working together to achieve one goal. My peers taught me about optimism and about teamwork that day.
G.O.A.L.S.
As a Scholars student, the G.O.A.L.S. are a crucial part of my education. They represent the things that I hope to learn and achieve from the Honors and Scholars program.
At some point within my college career, I plan to participate in study abroad. By being immersed in a new culture, I will increase my appreciation for diversity within cultures and the world, which will contribute to the Global Awareness portion of the G.O.A.L.S. and will make me a better student and person.
I also plan to participate in undergraduate research in the College of Pharmacy here at OSU. I’ve contacted several professors within my college to ask them to discuss the research that they’ve already done. I’m hoping that the next time there’s an opening in their lab, they will think of me to fill the position. This undergraduate research will foster my sense of inquiry and understanding of a new topic that I’m interested in. It will help me work towards the Original Inquiry, as well.
My Academic Enrichment will be strongly influenced by the research that I’m planning for, but I also think that I’ll have many opportunities within these four years to pursue new and deeper portions of my major and hopefully my minor as well. There are countless academic clubs here at Ohio State that will help me achieve this further understanding of the topics I love, and, most likely next year, I will join one or several of these clubs. Within the next couple of years, I will have accomplished this Academic Enrichment that the G.O.A.L.S. encourage.
I believe that, in my later years of my undergraduate degree, I will volunteer as an upperclassman mentor for incoming freshmen. This will both act towards my Leadership Development and give me a chance to achieve my goal of making a difference within Ohio State. Even if that difference is just for one incoming student, I believe that it’s a worthwhile cause. I think that this opportunity for Leadership Development will help me in the professional world too– one of the most important things about my career is that I work as my own boss. I care greatly that there isn’t someone telling me what I need to do, and I believe that the Leadership Development I will gain from the G.O.A.L.S. will increase my ability to achieve that independence in my career.
Finally, the Service Engagement I will participate in is in the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio. They are a phenomenal community pharmacy in Columbus working to provide affordable health care and medication to those less fortunate. This organization will show me about helping others within the community and will fulfill the Service Engagement portion of my Honors and Scholars G.O.A.L.S.
Career
In progress
Artifacts
This essay represents me. It’s simply my common app essay that I wrote as I was applying to colleges, and yet it’s one of the papers that I’m the proudest of. I believe it shows my personality via my writing style, which is very conversational and, in my opinion, representative of how casual yet full of depth I am. This essay describes several key aspects of who I am: I am independent, I love science and want to dedicate my life to it, and I am a test tube baby.
The funny thing about this essay, though, is that it doesn’t quite represent me anymore. Yes, all of the things mentioned above still apply, but I believe I have grown. I think that I’m more than this essay paints me as, now. I am multifaceted. I am unable to be defined by 627 words, and I love that about myself.
About Me
I am a pharmaceutical sciences major with a minor in neuroscience. My eventual goals are to become a psychopharmacologist and do research on the production and development of new medications to treat mental illnesses. Specifically, I am incredibly interested in the way that the chemicals of the brain interact to create our personalities and the way that slight changes in those chemicals create problems within a person’s mind and body. I plan to perform undergraduate research with some professors within the College of Pharmacy at Ohio State University and later attend graduate school.