Year in Review

During the past two years that I have spent at the Ohio State University, I have felt that I have grown tremendously as a person. As a member of the Honors program, the G.O.A.L.S. have provided a broad way of understanding how this growth developed. By developing my understanding of global awareness, original inquiry, academic enrichment, leadership development, and service engagement, my academic career so far at Ohio State has transformed me into a better student, better citizen and a more well-rounded individual.

By embracing the opportunity to engage with the community at Ohio State, I have had the opportunity to interact with a variety of students from different backgrounds. Through these experiences, I have enjoyed learning more about the world both from different regions of the United States and from other countries in the world. Additionally, as part of the Second-Year Transformation Experience Program, I will participating in an Education Abroad program through the Office of International Affairs, traveling to Paris as part of the Global May program. As part of this program, I will travel to Paris to study the history of the city, as part of a General Education requirement of the Bachelor’s of Science program in biochemistry. Through this program, I hope to gain a better understanding of French culture and of European history as a whole. This experience will help me further actualize the ideal of global awareness set out in the G.O.A.L.S. of the Honors program.

In additional to global awareness, the G.O.A.L.S. encourage students to meaningfully engage in original inquiry during their time at the Ohio State University. Last year, I accepted a research assistant position in the Department of Psychology in Dr. Way’s Social Neurochemistry lab. In this role, I have assisted with data collection for research programs studying the relationship between immune function and motivation and the effects of acetaminophen on risk-tasking behavior. This position has provided me with excellent experience in how the science of psychology is conducted. In addition to data collection, I was able to participate in some of the statistical analysis of the data. In addition to my experience in this role, I had the opportunity to take part of a semester-long research project on the photovoltaic properties of lead halide perovskite crystals as part of an Honors general chemistry course. This provided me with insight into the analytical techniques used in chemistry. As I progress in my undergraduate career, I hope to further my education in the process of research. I have accepted a position in a student research program at Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center for this summer, which is an excellent opportunity to see research in the clinical setting.

Academic enrichment has been a very important part of my experience at the Ohio State University. In large part,  this enrichment has been built into the Honors programs through the requirements of classes needed to maintain standing in the Honors program. I have taken or am currently taking 5 Honors courses at Ohio State and have benefited from the small class sizes and increased rigor that these courses have afforded. Through the Honors general chemistry and organic chemistry course sequences, I have developed a deeper understanding of the science of chemistry that will be foundational as I continue my studies in the field of biochemistry. As any science, chemistry is cumulative, so I believe that these courses will be important to my future in this field. Given the way that my major is designed, I have not had the opportunity to take many General Education courses so far at Ohio State, but, as indicated on my Honors contract, I plan to take full advantage of the rigorous courses offered by the Honors program to expand the beneath my my education provided to me by Ohio State.

My experiences at Ohio State have also helped me develop my skills as a leader. By participating in an on-campus student organization called Universal Health Aid: Columbus, I have had the opportunity to act as a leader. Additionally, as part of a program called Wonders of Our World, I have had the oppournity to do STEM outreach in local Columbus City Schools. By teaching the students things that I know about science, I hope to foster the appreciation for science that I have always had as a child. Leadership has never been something that has come naturally to me, but my experiences at Ohio State have fostered this ability in me, and I am excited to be able to pursue these experiences further.

At Ohio State, I have delved into service work, which is a point of pride for me. I have volunteered extensively in STEM outreach as part of Wonders of Our World. Additionally, this past year, I have volunteered as an HIV/STI test counselor through the Student Wellness Center. In this role, I have handled the administrative side of STI testing, as well as providing counselling and education about sexual behaviors that potentially put clients at risk for sexually transmitted infections. I have also participated in Semester of Service this semester through which I was matched to the SMART lab on campus. In this role, I meet with students one-on-one to teach biofeedback and mindfulness techqniues that are designed to help the students manage the stress that they encounter as students at this university. Additionally, I have participated in two Buck-I-Serv trips, in which I traveled to New Mexico to work with Habitat for Humanity and Atlanta to present with a team to children that are detained in a juvenile detention facility. These experiences have been very transformative in my in understanding the privileges that I have and the difference that I can use this privilege to enact. As I continue at Ohio State, I am excited to continue pursing service opportunities.

During my time at the Ohio State University, I have used the G.O.A.L.S. as a broad framework through which to guide the decisions that I have made during my time here. I feel that I have made substantial strides in improving myself in every area set out in the mandate provided to my by the Honors program. I look forward to pursuing the opportunities provided to me during my time as an undergraduate student, and I hope to be able to continue this development.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

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: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
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: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

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.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]