In order to give back to the community that has given me the opportunity to attend college, I joined the American Red Cross Club of Ohio State. This club is known for managing and hosting the numerous blood drives that take place around campus throughout the year. The blood drives were the main reason I joined because blood transfusions are some of the most vital life-saving medical practices at work today; a pint of blood can be divided into three separate units which can help sustain three patients. I was attracted to the blood drives because this form of human charity can save lives more directly than most other acts of selflessness; you can live without money, but cannot live without blood. This club is the main driver behind Ohio State’s “Blood Battle,” a competition with the University of Michigan that is held every November leading up to OSU-UM football game to see which student body can donate more units of blood. Ohio State currently has a 3-year winning streak. Since joining this organization, I have realized the importance of donating blood and the impact that it has on millions of people across the country, both during times of crisis and for very ill patients that need regular blood transfusions. The need is basically constant as these ill patients with blood disorders will always need more blood and there is no economical way, as of yet, to artificially produce human blood.

Outside of the classroom, I am a part of two different clubs, both of which deal with world events and what should be done about them. The first is called CCWA: the Collegiate Council of World Affairs. This club runs a nationally-recognized model United Nations program that meets with other schools from around the country as well as around the state of Ohio. In addition to travelling to this meets, CCWA will host multiple small in-school meets to sharpen all the members’ debate skills. I have actively participated in these meets, sometimes forming coalitions of members into passing legislation that would impact the diplomatic scenario that would be presented to us for the duration of the meet.

The second club is called the Alexander Hamilton Society, which world events from a more militaristic view as opposed to CCWA’s diplomatic view. The events surrounding that club include club debates on foreign policy, which I actively participate in, and large debates, with highly respected experts coming in to professionally debate foreign policy issues in front of a crowd of dozens, or even hundreds, of people. It is through this club that I am able to network with higher members of the club and get me into contact with some of the experts.

I believe the two majors I have selected for my undergraduate studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, leave me particularly qualified to follow my career path. I chose these majors because these areas of study interested me the most since middle school. After I graduate, I yearn to pursue a career in the federal government, preferably in the defense or intelligence communities. After discussing my choices with a Washington insider, Mr. Kevin Freeman, he confided in me that I could turn Washington D.C. into a “playground” of sorts in terms of finding a division of the federal government that would seek my skill set.

This combination of majors doubly effective when seeking employment after college in a career field. With my liberal arts experience, I have a rich foundation of background information in regards to the history, geography, politics, etc. on almost any region or nation on Earth. On top of that, I am gaining skills to use software programs such as ESRI, the largest GIS program at work today (in terms of market share), and R, a statistical analysis program that is used extensively by Google, Facebook, and Bank of America, to name a few. While I have yet to delve into the most intense course loads, I am happy to report that I currently maintain a 3.85 GPA and go to great lengths to hold on to such academic success for the next two years.

While I have not engaged in research in the traditional sense, at least as of yet, I have gone above and beyond the material needed to succeed while pursuing my double major. For one particular class that I am currently taking, a data literacy course offered through the Political Science department, I am responsible for finding any peculiar patterns between two indicators of global advancement using datasets hosted by the World Bank. In addition to using statistical analysis to identify patterns, I have explored reading materials not covered in lecture for the courses I am enrolled and conversing with a professor over on leading theories on topics such as global migration, government-controlled central planning, or the trajectories of the future powers of nations. I intend to pursue research opportunities for my political science and geography majors during my final year of undergraduate studies.

The two things that have most greatly impacted my sense of worldliness has been through the courses that I have completed for my Geography major and the diverse group of floormates I have been situated with during my freshman and sophomore years. When most people think of Geography, they think of learning the names of countries, landmarks, and natural features. While this is partially true, the classes that I have taken primarily focus on how the global landscape has an impact on the humans that live there. I have studied global migration patterns, the reasons for emigration and immigration, and the geopolitical balances of power. Through these classes, I have a deep sense of the world around me and my place in it.

I live in the International Affairs Scholars housing in Smith-Steeb Hall. In both years that I have lived here, there have been a diverse group of students who I am proud to call my floormates and friends. These include people from several different countries outside the US as well as people with all different political backgrounds. While learning things in a classroom through lectures, books, and documentaries is enriching, the one-on-one conversations I have had with some of these students has had a greater impact on my sense of the world than most of the lectures of classes that I have attended. Through these floormates, I have more nuanced views on hot button issues and current events as my beliefs have been both challenged and strengthened.