Reflection on the Goals:
As my sophomore year comes to an end (and as the deadline for my Honors Contract approaches), I’m taking a moment to reflect on the GOALS of the Honors College:
G: Global Awareness
So far, I have primarily developed global awareness through my coursework. Most notably, for my history GE requirement, I took Religion and Law, a Comparative Perspective. This class is by far my favorite class that I’ve taken so far, and it definitely expanded my worldview in religion and law outside of an American and Christian perspective. I learned a lot about different religions such as Judaism and Islam, and how they interact with America’s government, as well as those of France, Italy, England, and Israel. I learned to examine the world through other cultural and historical backgrounds than my own. This class also inspired me to add a Religous Studies minor, which I am very excited about.
O: Original Inquiry
I have had several experiences at OSU that have helped me to understand the research process. In my second honors general chemistry class, we did a semester-long research process involving perovskite compounds and their potential as solar cells. I learned about the general process of a research project, including doing preliminary work, using primary literature as a guide, and designing a project within the given constraints of an introductory course. This year, I continued to further my learning about research by taking a course about biochemistry research in which various OSU professors spoke to us about their research. This semester, I took a complementary course that allowed me to choose a professor and plan a semester-long research project. I am currently working in the Kohler group researching the behavior of nitrogenous DNA bases in non-aqueous solvents and deep eutectic solvents. I am also currently in the process of securing a summer research position at LSU.
While research is not something that I intend to do long-term, the knowledge I have gained about inquiry and research has been invaluable to my honors experience.
A: Academic Enrichment
I have been committed to academic enrichment during my undergraduate career, and this is evinced by my Honors Contract. I have taken Honors sequenced courses in general chemistry, introductory biology, and organic chemistry. In the GE, I have also chosen courses that reflect my interests and push myself academically. For example, the literature course I plan to take is about adolescent literature with a focus on education, which is a career path that I am considering after graduation. I have also overlapped the GE with several courses in my religious studies minor to allow myself to pursue my interests in religious studies in concordance with my GE requirements. I have chosen classes that are academically rigorous and that reflect the excellence I pursue in my life.
L: Leadership Development
My leadership development at OSU has come primarily through my extracurricular involvement in student organizations. I have been involved in the jump rope club here at OSU, and I have been on the executive board since spring of my freshman year. I served as the competition chair, planning out competitive groups and events as well as workout plans to prepare, and I am the incumbent president for next autumn. I look forward to being able to lead the club, along with my other friends on the executive board, and developing my own leadership skills while I seek to improve the club and the sport of jump rope itself.
S: Service Engagement
My service engagement during my undergraduate career has mainly been through my involvement with the jump rope club. We frequently do performances and volunteer events for groups on campus and in the local Columbus community. One regular activity is our partnership with College Mentors for Kids, which is a program that partners children from inner-city elementary schools and gives them free after-school activities and a college “buddy”. We as the jump rope team work occasionally to put on an afternoon of activities for the kids, which includes making jump ropes and learning basic skills and games. This is a really cool opportunity that I enjoy because I can directly see the impact we’re having on the kids through the Mentors for Kids program.