Year in Review

I have evolved so much as a person and as a student this past year. I have met so many wonderful people that have been there at my side through all of the ups and downs. Classes were rough, but once I got used to it, I was able to better manage my time. I’ve learned so much this past year, and had many unforgettable experiences that have helped me grow and achieve things I never thought I would.

I learned how to go about getting my degree, and plotted a road map to get there. I made memories doing service for others that will last me a lifetime, and I have met incredible people that will undoubtedly help push me forward towards getting the career that I want. Despite the end of this year taking an unfortunate and unexpected turn, I look forward to coming back next and growing as an individual and student even more. I know I have many more experiences, both good and bad, ahead of me, and I plan on approaching all of them head on.

G.O.A.L.S.

There are many things that I would like to accomplish with my time remaining at Ohio State. I would like to learn core skills that help me later in my career, and I would like to obtain connections that help me find a job after school, through internships or other sources. I would also like to travel abroad and engage in meaningful service projects, both abroad and at home. I also would like to obtains new lasting and meaningful friendships during my time here at OSU.

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 guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

Even though I haven’t had much opportunity to do so yet, I would love to travel and see the world. I want to use whatever skills I may have to better people all over the globe. I own a compass, and it is a reminder of my passion for travelling. As an engineer, it is important to focus on making sure your projects help people. My compass is a reminder that I need to follow my True North. It is a reminder that my purpose, my goal, should always be to strive to help as may people as I possibly can.

About Me

About Me 1:

My name is Ethan Burns, and I am a first year mechanical engineering major. I really enjoy running, and I also play the violin when I can find the time. I enjoy hiking and visiting national parks, and plan to travel a lot more later in life. I am a part of the Buckeye Space Launch Initiative, Running Club, as well as the Mountaineering Club. I love going to the football games and hanging out with friends. I also enjoy participating in service activities, whether it’s through Humanitarian Engineering or through the other clubs I am a part of. I look forward to exploring my major further, and would love to work in the space industry one day.

About Me 2:

The top five VIA character traits that showed up in my results were kindness, perspective, prudence, spirituality, and love. Out of 24 different traits, it’s hard for me to rank them personally. I feel that some traits should have been ranked higher, and others ranked lower, but overall, I feel that they were mostly accurate. I believe that by helping others, we help ourselves in the process. If you help someone, you help everyone. No matter how big or small the favor is, you are making a difference. Perspective means to give advice to others. I have been very fortunate to have a relatively easy life, however not everyone is so lucky. For whatever reason, people come to me for advice and help, whether they are close friends or someone I met recently. They trust in me, and I do my best to not let them down. Not everything always goes well, but I always do my best to help them with whatever they need. Prudence means to be careful about the choices you make. At first, I felt like this should be lower on the list of traits, however, after thinking about it further, it makes sense. I have a pretty good understanding of how events unfold. Every action made has many reactions, and I’ve been pretty good about being able to tell what action will yield what response. I’m nearly always very careful with my decisions. I rarely take unnecessary risks, although recently I have learned that sometimes there’s no time for caution. Spirituality means to see a greater purpose in ones life. I believe that everyone has a part to play, because everyone is interconnected in one way or another. Every action taken will affect everything else, in large or small ways. Even though we can’t always see it, we are affecting the rest of the world through our choices. So each of us has some purpose to play, even though we can’t always see it. Love means to value close relations with others. For this trait, I am unsure. I believe I possess this trait, although I do not know if it is something I value more than things like honesty, fairness, judgement, or perseverance. But nonetheless, I can see how it is valued in my life. I have always had a very close relationship with my friends and family. Anyone that is a close friend, I consider family. Although I don’t agree with the placement of all of these traits, they are all still important in my life and in shaping who I am.