G.O.A.L.S.

G – Global Awareness

I intend to declare a Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSST) minor, in order to better appreciate and understand diversity in our world. Diversity is something that I am very passionate about, and very interested in learning more about. In that same vein, I have taken at least two WGSS courses already that have broadened my worldview, WGSST 2230 (Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Pop Culture) and WGSST 2282 (Intro to Queer Studies). Sometime in my college career I would also like to study abroad, in order to experience foreign cultures and gain a better appreciation for them.

O – Original Inquiry

In my intro to psychology course that I took my freshman year, I was involved in OSU’s REP program, where students take part in studies being done by the university or through the university. This experience gave me an insight into psychological research specifically. Also during my freshman year, I worked with a group of my peers to create and implement 2 service projects in the Columbus area through my Scholars program, Mount Leadership Society. This experience taught me a lot about organizing events, as well as collaborating with outside agencies.

A – Academic Enrichment

As someone who knows that they want to work in the field of diversity and inclusion when they get older, I have made sure to enroll myself in classes that feed into this topic and help me to challenge my previous views of the world around me. I intend to grow as a person while in college, not just intellectually through the learning environment, but also spiritually, by becoming a better person, one who is more open-minded and driven to help others.

L – Leadership Development

I am fortunate enough to be enrolled in the Mount Leadership Society Scholars program at OSU. As the name suggests, one of the main roles of this scholars group is to nurture leadership skills in its members. Within Mount, I hold two separate leadership roles. I am a chair of the Leadership and Social Change Committee, which strives to educate our fellow Mount Scholars on important social issues, nurturing a knowledge and passion for diversity and intersectionality. We do this via monthly newsletters, as well as by organizing and hosting events with guest speakers on important topics. Just this year, we’ve held events focusing on the policy history of LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States as well as the disparities that indigenous communities face, and we have many more planned. My second leadership role in Mount is as a lead for the LGBTQ+ identity cohort, which creates a fun and safe community for LGBTQ+ identifying Mount scholars.

S – Service Engagement

Through Mount Scholars, I have been able to take part in varying service projects and organizations in the Columbus area. My freshman year, I was able to take part in one service project a month with my fellow scholars, as well as creating 2 service projects in the spring in collaboration with local agencies. Now, in my sophomore year, I am participating in my year of service, by volunteering weekly at an agency of my choosing. The agency that I have chosen to work with is the NNEMAP food pantry, serving the Columbus community by fighting poverty and hunger.