During winter break of my second year, I helped with a Christmas toy drive at my local church. The service opportunity included adopting a family to provide with gifts and necessities during the holidays. This is a service event I do every year, and I think it reaches a lot of people and children in my local community. I helped provide Christmas gifts for multiple families through my church. Helping my local community is extremely important to me because we have a lot of families who cannot afford to give their children basic necessities. It is nice to make a difference for those in my community, even if it is as small as a Christmas gift.
My Favorite Class
My favorite class in my two years at Ohio State has been The Foundations of Bioethics with Dr. Dana Howard. This course has changed my outlook on the medical field exponentially, and has inspired me to add a Bioethics minor to my course load. Dr Howard was the best professor I have ever had, she made me think so critically about subjects that seemed second nature. This course taught me about many ethical principles and theories and how they apply to the medical field. I was so fascinated by the philosophical thinking in these theories that the class completely encapsulated my attention every day of lecture. I will carry the content in this course throughout my entire career by ethically evaluating each action I make as a (hopeful) physician. I continued my journey in Bioethics with another course about research in Bioethics in the spring semester, which was also fascinating. I plan on continuing my journey with Bioethics even further by taking enough classes to include the subject as my minor.
Second Year Reflection
My second year at Ohio State was drastically different from my first. I was able to do a lot more during my second year than my first due to Covid restrictions mostly being lifted. Through my second year, I worked as a General Chemistry TA, joined a child psychology research project, and joined the Bio Sci leadership board! I have loved getting more involved both in and out of the classroom during my second year. I also got into the ASPIRE program through Wexner Medical Center which I will participate in through the second summer. I have grown so much professionally and personally throughout my second year. I have gained many new experiences and regularly put myself out of my comfort zone. I continued my academic development from the previous year, with the goal of the MCAT not too far away now. I look forward to continuing this development over the summer through my medical research with ASPIRE.
Vision Statement and Statement of Action
For the rest of my time at Ohio State, I want to focus on having more experiences outside of the classroom. I spent the first two years of college solely focusing on academics, and I want to experience more than class lectures. I hope to become more involved in Biological Sciences Scholars and other clubs on campus. I also hope to get a job as a PCA at Wexner Hospital in order to gain patient care experience before medical school. My plan for becoming more involved outside of the classroom is participation on the Bio Sci leader board, joining another club, finding a regular service opportunity, joining another job, and any other opportunity that represents itself!
Group Project!
This biology poster was the final product of a semester long group project. This project was extremely important to my college development because it was my first big group project. This project was for a Bio 1114 class taken in my third semester. This project taught me how to work in a team in college, and work with different types of people. This is extremely important for my hopeful future in medicine because collaboration is a really big part of medicine. I grew in terms of working in a group as well as public speaking. I am not a great public speaker, but having to present this poster forced me to practice public speaking. Overall, this project taught me about way more than just Bio 1114 content.
Abstract
Hello! Welcome to my E-Portfolio for Biological Sciences Scholars. This portfolio is meant to document my time here at Ohio State and how each year has developed me on a personal, professional, and academic level. Hope you enjoy!
Service During my first year
Although volunteering opportunities were limited due to Covid, I had the opportunity to do a virtual volunteering opportunity through Wesley Glenn. I FaceTimed with residents from Wesley Glenn in order to give them some light and fun interaction they were lacking due to Covid. I loved getting to know the residents even if it was virtual, and it made me feel great knowing I was trying to brighten up their days during such a lonely time.
First College Job!
For my second year at Ohio State, I worked as a General Chemistry Lab Teaching Assistant. I chose this job because I missed out on lab experiences during my first year due to Covid, but I still wanted to develop great lab technique. I also chose this job because I love teaching. I love teaching my peers because I learn from them just as they learn from me. This job was a great experience and I learned so much. 
Semester 2
My first spring semester at Ohio State was short but eventful! I had the opportunity to do in-person volunteering for the first time and experience some of my first college events.
The main focus of this semester was improving my grade point average by changing study habits and trying to find a better system of working that fits my personal goals. Fortunately, I was able to do just that. I improved my grade point average, both regular and science GPA. I found a new love for chemistry after I started to focus on learning the content rather than simply preparing for tests. Also, my Spanish class inspired me to look into a double-major or a minor in Spanish. I believe this will help in my future healthcare goals as I could help more people through speaking more than one language.
Out of the classroom, I finally experienced a semi-normal college life. I got to make new friends, go to in-person classes, and volunteer in person for the first time during college. I am looking forward to continuing this endeavor throughout my next semesters!
Go Bucks!!
Semester 1
Throughout my first semester at Ohio State, I have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge in my classes, but more importantly, I have learned about myself. Although a lot of opportunities and events were not available to first-years this semester due to Covid, I have tried to make the best out of my situation. My first semester has included a few notable developments:
Social Development: I have made a few friendships in my first semester, which I was worried about due to the lack of social events. I have been able to form relationships with my peers through study sessions, eating, and more eating. Although it is hard to meet people outside of my close circle, Biological Scholars has helped me be close to people of similar interest and drive. I have also learned how important it is to put others’ health above my own. During this semester of Covid, I have made sure to be smart about where I go so I can keep the people around me safe. I put aside most social interactions and possibilities to protect my friends and family from the virus, which has proven to be a very educational experience.
Academic Development: I have learned more in my classes in my first semester at OSU than I have during the entirety of high school. I have grown to love learning and am gaining an even bigger desire to study the field of biology. Although the system of online learning is still being developed and a bit unfair at times, I have loved my classes and definitely feel as if I am growing in the academic field. This semester I took Stats 2480, Spanish, and GenChem, as well as two survey classes. My favorite class was Spanish, I had an amazing instructor and I love learning about other cultures, as well as speaking Spanish. My stats class was extremely difficult, but it was a learning experience in terms of study habits and asynchronous classes.
Personal Development: During this semester, I have developed as a person in every aspect. In just four months, I have learned so much about myself. I have developed different study habits, found different passions and goals, and made realizations about my future. In the past, I have always seen my future as pre-med and have not looked into other career options. Throughout this semester, I have talked with advisors, attended informational meetings, and researched other possible career options. This semester has been an eye-opener in terms of my future plans and the paths I need to take.