Global Awareness:  I would like to spend a semester, or at least a month in May, studying abroad. At this point in my education, I have not decided where I would like to go, so I am simply keeping the idea in the back of my mind.  To that extent, my actions as a student have been influenced to some degree by this decision.  For example, I am taking coursework in Spanish to leave open the possibility of traveling to South America in what I believe would be a truly humbling experience.  I’ve been lucky enough to travel relatively often in my past, which encourages me on my decision to spend time abroad, because I think that nothing else can provide such an experience.

Original Inquiry:  At this point in my undergraduate career, I have no experience in original inquiry, but I look forward to changing that when the opportunity arises.  Opportunities for independent work are slim as a first-year student, especially one without prior background in the field.  The subject of internships comes up often, and it is a competitive process that will begin for me my sophomore year, after I have had the time to develop the basic computer skills that most internships demand from their young students.

Academic Enrichment:  This is the aspect of the G.O.A.L.S. program that ought to come most easily throughout my years at the university.  My major asks for a significant number of hours to be put in, all of high quality coursework that will challenge me until my last semester as a student.  Planning my schedule now guarantees that I commit to this challenge in the future.  Besides required courses, I have planned to take GEs that will broaden me as a person as well as others that will allow me to delve into subjects that interest me already.

Leadership Development: I plan to develop and show my leadership skills through team activities in the classes I take.  Some classes I will take have partner or even group aspects to them, which I believe will challenge me in a good way.  I think my leadership skills are strong already, but I am looking out for more opportunities to strengthen them, whether through classes, clubs, or just collaboration.  This is a skill I would like to place emphasis on building, because I believe a successful future for myself rests on my abilities of leadership.

Service Engagement:  This is the part of the G.O.A.L.S program that still evades me, because I want to find a method of service that I truly believe in.  I’ve gone to a few meetings of a variety of service groups, but I haven’t achieved a significant connection with any of them.  I’m still looking for other groups that will seem more meaningful to me.  I acknowledge this as a definite point of weakness, and is something I am working on improving.