Majoring in Anthropology has given me a great appreciation for the value of diversity. My courses thus far have illustrated a key theory in modern social science research: cultural relativism or the idea that cultures are “different, not deficient”. Cultural relativism states that cultural phenomena should be understood through the lens of their own culture without value judgements rather than through the lens of one’s own culture. This allows us to better understand and empathize with those that are different from us. Cultural relativism also demonstrates that there is more than one way to live life and that we shouldn’t regard ourselves superior to others for cultural differences. I also plan on taking future coursework such as a Regional Survey of Africa class that will allow me to better understand and appreciate the rich diversity of the human experience. My position as as RA has also exposed me to diversity training that have given me further insight to issues of diversity today such as LGBTQ+ experiences or the struggles of being an international student. Hopefully, I will be able to combine my coursework and experiences in my job further in the future to help spread appreciation and understanding between people of different cultures.
I especially want to focus on bridging the gap between international and domestic students on my floor next year.

Beginning in the fall, I will hopefully be able to participate in my first official research opportunity at Ohio State. While I have not had any formal research experience, I have participated in several small creative research projects throughout the past two years. For instance, this past semester I researched the connection between employment status and social capital on OSU’s campus. I was able to learn that work study positions gave students a large amount of social capital by connecting them to individuals who provided them opportunities such as internships. Conversely, students with off campus jobs were consistently unable to connect with opportunities that would increase their social capital. In the future, I hope to take classes in both sociology and anthropology that will improve my research abilities. I specifically want to focus on urban areas and poverty. I would like to research how the prohibition and legalization of different substances creates or takes away economic opportunity for the lower class.

This past semester, I took a 4000 level class for the first time. Though it was challenging, I was ultimately successful in the class and I now feel prepared to take on higher level courses for the next two years. My upper-level and honors courses have helped me develop valuable skills such as working within a team. Trusting others within a group has been one of my weaker academic skills. However, within the honors program, I have found similarly motivated students who are willing to take on equal responsibility and to even assume the leadership role. Learning how to cede leadership to someone else has been a skill that the honors program has helped me with immensely. I look forward to future honors courses such as Research Methods in Sociology Honors, that will allow me to work within groups for even tougher assignments. Improving my ability to work with others is a particular focus of mine. Working with others and trusting others are vital skills for research. I hope to be able to take these skills that I’ve gained from my honors courses and apply them in other aspects of my life. I plan on taking classes that will give me the opportunity to work in group settings doing active learning with the community. My classes have also been very intellectually stimulating. By focusing on higher level courses within the honors program, I have increased both my depth and breadth of knowledge.

This year presented several opportunities to develop my leadership skills. Primarily, I became a Resident Advisor. My position had me overseeing the success and well-being of 60 other students on my floor so it was one of the largest responsibilities in my life. I learned that good leaders must be understanding and patient. Balancing the wants and needs of 60 other individuals taught me that neutrality is an underrated skill. Neutrality is necessary in order to understand why both sides may be upset and how to best come to a solution. I also had to learn how to become a leader within a staff. I had to support my other staff members emotionally and professionally in order to make sure our building was a healthy place for residents to stay. I hope to apply these lessons next year and to expand my leadership role as a returning RA. I’ll be one of 5 returning RAs while there will be 15 brand new RAs. I hope that I can provide leadership and guidance to ensure that they are able to succeed in their roles.

I also tried to serve the Ohio State and Columbus community as best I could this past year. Through my RA job, I was able to spread messages of inclusiveness and diversity. My job allowed me to create programs that served the wellness of my building’s community. Next year, I want to expand my service to the community to reach the greater Columbus area. I have always wanted to volunteer with immigrant families to help them learn English. I have never had the time or experience before, but next year with a slightly lighter course load I should be able to finally fulfill my goal of volunteering with these communities. I also want to try and join an organization on campus that will work on making an impact in the community through fundraising, volunteer work, or simply by spreading a message. I have previously done this with local unions by helping to promote activities celebrating workers (such as international women workers day) and I hope to continue to participate in these opportunities in the future.