Semester in Review

I transitioned schools mid high school and struggled to find my place in a new environment, so at first I was afraid of my first semester at Ohio State. However, this semester the transition was seamless and the Biological Science Scholars Program made that possible. Through scholars, I found a group of my best friends and people that I could always go count on to push me and help me. I did not expect the living community to be as beneficial as it has become. Through scholars events like service at a soup kitchen and moonlight canoeing I have grown to feel apart of my campus and Columbus community. I learned how to best succeed in my classes as they were much different than mine we in high school. I also learned how to manage my schedule to account for my homework, eating, sleeping, and working out in an efficient way as I started my independent life. I will use the networks I have built and lessons that I learned over the next four years.

G.O.A.L.S.

For the global awareness portion, I plan on going to Israel this summer to learn about another country and the cultures in it. I plan on spending ten days touring the country and learning the history. I plan to then obtain an internship and live in an apartment for the summer.

For the original inquiry component, I plan on participating in research over the next three and a half years at Ohio State. As a neuroscience major, I would love to get hands on experiences in labs. I plan on going to graduate school after college and so being in a lab will be crucial to secure myself a spot.

For the academic enrichment component, I plan on taking the most challenging courses available to me and put forth effort in each course.  I want to spend time learning all of the information and not just memorizing the facts given to be.

For leadership development, I plan to join different groups on campus where I can gain leadership experience. I am a member of Ohio State’s AIPAC group where I practice leadership by creating relationships and explaining the importance of the US-Israel relationship to peers.

For the service engagement component, I plan on getting involved with service clubs on campus. In high school,  I was part of a service group where we went to a different service sight in Columbus every month. I plan to use this exposure to find different volunteer and internship opportunities.

Career

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This semester I have explored new options about my career goals. I came into undergrad being a neuroscience major not knowing exactly what I wanted to accomplish with the major. I have realized throughout the semester that I do not see myself pursuing a career in medicine. I have also come to the realization that I want to work with people and not in a lab every day. I have learned information from classes and labs that will later help me in a job. Being in chemistry lab has taught me how to write clear lab reports and examine hypotheses using scientific method. I will use the skills I have learned, and professors I have met to help tailor my career goals.

Artifacts

For one of my scholars events, I chose to go moonlight canoeing on the Olentangy River. This event was meant to be a team building activity run by the outdoor recreation center on campus. We canoed across downtown Columbus as the sunset and the full moon came out. I’ve lived in Columbus for my entire life, and I have never appreciated the beauty of downtown like I did that night. I was able to look at the city that I will call my home for the next four years from a lens that few are able to see it from. This activity was also a challenge out of my comfort zone, I had never canoed in the dark and I was apprehensive at first. However, I worked together with my friend in my boat and we successfully used teamwork to canoe ourselves across the river.

This is a picture of me with my campers from the summer of 2017. I worked at a camp in Massachusetts called Camp Ramah in New England. I lived in a bunk for seven weeks with fourteen seven year old girls who were experiencing being away from home for the first time. This experience taught me leadership skills that I now use in everyday life. I spent each day teaching swim lessons to children of all ages where I learned how to plan engaging activities, teach about safety, and tailor to each child’s individual needs. I had the opportunity to teach campers with metal and physical disabilities where I was able to form deep relationships with these campers and teach them vital safety skills while allowing them to enjoy their time at camp. I also was in charge of making sure each child was healthy, both mentally and emotionally each day, I learned lessons in empathy and skills in listening actively in order to be engaged in each camper’s day.

About Me

My name is Hannah Blumenfeld and I am a freshman at The Ohio State University. I am a neuroscience major and a part of the Biological Sciences Scholars program.  I am from a Bexley which is a small town 15 minutes from campus. In high school, I was very interested in math and sciences classes, specifically classes that dealt with life sciences.  I was very involved with community service groups where I volunteered at many different organizations in the Columbus area. I was also involved in my high school’s swim team for four years, where I was captain my senior year.