Author: coyne.135

I had the amazing opportunity to participate in undergrad research beginning my sophomore year of college. The research project I was involved in was called the 5,000 Baby Project which worked to democratize healthcare by requiring equal access to early identification of infant neurodevelopment disorders.

In this lab, I get to work beside PTs and OTs in different clinics throughout Nationwide Children’s Hospital. My responsibilities include recruiting parents to participate in the study, providing informed consent, and taking 4 minute videos of spontaneous infant movements. With these videos, we hope to develop a new technology that will detect developmental disabilities sooner and improve the child’s quality of life earlier. Since starting this research, I have learned how to collect data, interact with parents professionally, and successfully conduct research.

All in all, the 5,000 Baby Project has taught me some valuable life lessons and I hope to continue my research for a long time to come in order to make a difference in people with disabilities lives and promote early intervention for families of all socioeconomic status’.

I choose my volunteering experience with the Miracle League as a specific event to signify one of my artifacts. Ever since I was a child, I have participated in disability related services, therefore, it is an extremely relevant part of my childhood and even into my adulthood. Miracle League is a baseball league that helps children with disabilities play the sport.

While Miracle League has been a great opportunity for volunteering, it is much more than just a service. Through this organization, I have made friends and learned the importance of teamwork, positivity, and selflessness. My collaboration skills have increased, because in order to be a successful volunteer, you must work with the child instead of against him/her. One of the kids may miss the bat, but instead of ridiculing him/her, you work with them to show them the right way to swing. Moving forward, positivity is significant during Miracle League, because it is important to show the child that when they do miss a ball, it’s okay to fail sometimes. As volunteers, we explain to them that they still have a chance to hit the ball next time and to focus on improvement rather than the failure. Not only that, but the volunteers must learn to be there for the players, not for themselves. For example, if a kid would rather throw a ball back and forth with you instead of actually participating in the game, then that’s exactly what we’ll do. People may claim that Miracle League is such a simple service and doesn’t help the participants that much, however, this organization does indeed make a difference in the lives of the children and teaches them collaboration, determination and positivity.

My artifact comes from a volunteer activity that furthered my outlook and understanding on childhood hunger and poverty. This service project was in correlation with the Family Mentor Foundation which is an organization that attempts to meet the unmet needs of children in schools throughout Columbus. The Family Mentor Foundation’s Buddy Box program provides food for 1,500 kids by filling the lunchbox with nutritious and nonperishable food items that make it effortless to prepare and eat meals when not at school. As a result of COVID-19, my fellow volunteers and I were unable to construct the lunch meals in person, however that didn’t stop us from providing some hope in these children’s lives. Instead, we decided to design and create uplifting, appropriate, and colorful cards to put in the lunch boxes as a way to bring some positive light.

In America, 1 in 6 children are unaware of when they will be able to feed themselves next and 5 out of 6 kids rely on free food given from school cafeterias. As a result of these harrowing implications, many students repeat a grade in elementary school, face developmental impairments, and are more likely to experience social and behavioral adversities. Growing up in a predominantly upper class suburb right outside of Columbus, I was often unexposed to the cruel reality of other kids living in conditions more arduous than mine. My lack of wisdom regarding poverty made me take advantage and fail to appreciate my privilege. However, once I became aware of the significance of childhood hunger, I made it my mission to use my privilege and newfound knowledge to take action against it. For this reason, I started my own club in high school, named Kneading for the Needy, where many students from all age groups came together to bake desserts for Columbus inner city schools. I also took initiative in Mount Leadership Scholars Society to participate in poverty based service projects, which is why I joined the Buddy Box volunteer event (pictured above).

All in all, childhood hunger is a true actuality and can be lessened with the generous help of others. The Family Mentor Foundation is just one organization that aids in combatting poverty. There are similar establishments all over the world that realize the severity of this problem and attempt to provide in any way they can. In the future, I hope to continue learning about food deprivation and start my own group that fights for these children.