Sophomore Year in Review

Global Awareness: In continuing my Spanish studies at OSU, I grew my appreciation for other cultures across the Spanish speaking world through my classes. In particular, the class I am currently in, Introduction to Literature and Culture, has exposed me to a variety of historical and cultural nuances across Latin America. To continue learning about the Spanish language and the lives of Spanish speakers, I decided to change my minor into a Spanish major. I also am in the process of planning my education abroad in Valparaíso, Chile for the spring semester of 2020. This exciting adventure will likely be the pinnacle of my college career and undoubtedly will grow my global awareness. I look forward to going to live in another country for six months to immerse myself in the language and culture of Chile.

Original Inquiry: The experiences that I have had so far that have helped me understand the creative process surrounding music. In my a cappella group, we frequently perform at gigs around campus and in the Columbus community. We rehearse twice a week for these performances, and each rehearsal we work to create the best, most cohesive and exciting sound we can. Our choice in music reflects our creativity and culture as Ohio State students. I plan to continue toward working on my creative goals by arranging music for our group. My dream is that all of the songs we sing would be arranged by members of our own ensemble.

Academic Enrichment: My double majors in Spanish and Chemistry allow me to dive in to the opposite ends of academic endeavors: the humanities and the sciences. This enriches my academic experience by diversifying my course load. I decided to major in Spanish simply because I love it; I love learning the language, the culture, and being able to converse with different people. I chose my Chemistry major because I adore being able to problem solve, analyze, and consider the nature of the elements that make up the world. In between my major areas of study, my GE courses have allowed me to test the waters of other academic realms. For example, I am currently taking a class in the Religious Studies department on Religion and Law. Surprisingly to me, this is my favorite class I have taken in college so far. Not only is the professor engaging, but the class also exposed me to thinking about religion and its implications in the government in a way that I have never been exposed to before. My GE selections demonstrate my commitment to excellence in that it shows that I am pursuing diverse areas of study that will culminate in a more well rounded version of myself.

Leadership Development: Currently, I am involved in an a cappella ensemble, Scarlet Fever. My involvement in this group contributes to my development as a leader because at this point I have been in the group for four semesters and have seen it grow over the course of that time. Now, I am able to offer ideas to the group and assist in pushing ourselves to a higher level of musical excellence. This relates to my personal goal of achieving a leadership position in the group for next year and in my goal of writing my own arrangements for our group to sing.

Service Engagement: The service oriented activities that I participate in revolve around the church I am involved with on campus: H2O Church. There, I am on the worship team and volunteer in children’s ministries. I sing on the worship team with the band, typically one or two weeks each month. Once a month, I volunteer in the preschool Sunday school with children ages 3-4. I plan to continue to be part of these activities throughout my undergraduate career to serve the Church and our campus.

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