G.O.A.L.S.

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: I sent an email out to Kim Rolf, a former Health Science Scholars student, to ask her a few questions.  She is starting grad school to get her Doctorate in Physical Therapy which is the track that I wish to take after I graduate from undergrad.  I asked her various questions about the process of applying for grad school, how she made herself a good applicant.   She was very candid with me and informed be that it was a difficult process, but that if it’s truly what I want to do, it’ll all be worth it.  I also asked her about how she handled things like academic adversity in her undergrad experience.  As it turns out, she and I struggled in the same courses.  It was reassuring to know that someone like me could struggle where I did and make it to where I want to be.  This interview was a welcome insight into what’s to come for me in the coming years and where I need to make adjustments to make myself stronger.
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:

First Year 2017-2018

This year I volunteered for a total of 22 hours, 11 hours in the fall and 11 hours in the spring.  In the fall I participated in HSS Service Day by volunteering at the Garden of Hope.  I enjoyed my time there so much that when the opportunity arose to return later in the semester I went back and volunteered again.  I also continued with a volunteering experience that I had started in high school by volunteering at the Steps for Sarcoma 5k hosted by the James.  In the spring I volunteered on the Martin Luther Kind Jr. Day of Service.  My group travelled to COSI to set up kits for their live video surgery program.  I also participated in Delta Upsilon’s first charity dodgeball tournament.  I feel that my service experiences this year were diverse and allowed me to experience a wide variety of volunteering.

Second Year 2018-2019

This year my service experience centered around my Second Year Capstone Service Project.  This project required us to complete at least 40 hours of service with an organization and then present what we did at the Second Year Service Symposium.  I completed this project in July before the school year started, that way I would be able to focus on my school work, especially with my major change.  I think I did a very unique project that was well suited to me and my future goals as a music education major.  I worked with my high school’s marching band as a percussion assistant and visual assistant.  That basically means that I worked with the percussion section mostly, but also worked with the band as a whole on perfecting the visual aspect of their show.  With the percussion section I would tune drums, change drums heads, and occasionally run rehearsals if needed.  With the whole band, I would be down on the field while the directing staff were in their tower above the field.  I completed somewhere around 60 hours on volunteer work.  They liked having me there working so they kept me on for their entire fall season as a paid position!  I’ll be going back to work with them again in June.

Year in Review

First Year: 2017-2018

This past year was filled with ups and downs.  I struggled initially with putting myself out there, but I was able to find people to connect with and that smoothed my transition to Ohio State.  The fall semester was a good way to ease my way into college academically.  None of my courses were overly difficult and I made the dean’s list!  The spring was when I think I truly made the most of my time at Ohio State.  I became more involved with the Athletic Band, which allowed me to travel to Boston and Minneapolis within 10 days over Spring Break with the Women’s Hockey team.  It also allowed me to travel to Cleveland to play at Opening Day for the Indians!  However, all this travel came with repercussions.  My course load in the spring was significantly harder than my load in the fall.  I did miss some class which was hard to make up but I did my best.  This heavier course load forced me to work harder than I had in classes before, but this taught me valuable tools that I can use in the future.  I also know how to schedule so that I’m not giving myself more than I can handle.  Overall, this year was a very positive experience.  I think the relationships and skills I formed will be invaluable going forward.

Second Year: 2018-2019

This year was a large adjustment for me.  I made the decision a few weeks before school started to change my major to Music Education.  This was a massive shift in course for me as many of the courses I had taken in the past became redundant.  That being said, a year into this plan I could not be happier.  I feel purpose behind my schoolwork and I feel passion for what I’m doing.  I completed my Capstone Service Project with the Dublin Scioto Marching Band in July, and they have since hired me as a part time staff member!  This year I had the privilege of serving as a TA in the Health Science Scholars first year seminar course.  This experience allowed me to build relationships with both my program advisor and the first year students.  This year I have also continued my involvement with the Ohio State Athletic Band, where I was named a section leader in the spring semester.  With them, I had the opportunity to play at both the Men’s Big Ten Basketball tournament and the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament!  This year has really helped me grow as a student, a leader, and a person.  I cannot wait to see where the future takes me now!

 

About Me

My name is Nick Berkebile and I am a sophomore from Dublin, OH majoring in Instrumental Music Education.  I graduated from Dublin Scioto High School where I was very involved extracurricularly.  I played quads in the marching band for four years and ran track in the spring.  I also was a member of our chapter of National Honor Society and was the treasurer of our LGBTQ Activism club.  I grew up around Ohio State my whole life because my mom worked at the James Cancer Hospital.  I applied to many other universities but Ohio State felt the most like home to me.  I became interested in Music Education because, throughout my years of participating in music, it was one place that always brought me joy.   I wanted to be able to help young musicians like me reach their goals and better themselves both as people and as musicians.  With that goal in mind, I decided that Secondary Education was the path for me.  This past summer I volunteered and began working for the Dublin Scioto Marching Band. After coming to Ohio State as a Pre-Physical Therapy major, I could not be more happy with my decision to switch.  Music Education is a much better fit for me.

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 is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]