Academic Enrichment
In high school, I was an overachiever. I wanted to take as many AP classes as I could, get the highest grade I could, and get the highest ranking I could. Because of my determination, I reached most all of my goals in high school, and made it to one of the top in my class. When I got to college, it did not take me long to realize that almost everyone else here had the same goals as I did in high school. Everyone was a high achiever in high school, just like me. Because I still have a competitive drive in me, I know I can reach my top potential in my college coursework. I came into college wanting to get into the most competitive major here: neuroscience. I was enrolled in chemistry, biology, and a tough upper level behavioral neuroscience course all in my first semester. I knew with these courses I would be the most prepared for medical school. Although I am not planning on going to medical school anymore, the nursing program courses are no joke. The Ohio State University has a top-notch nursing program, and I know that I will always be pushed to my best here with the courses I will have to take. Because of my strong high-school background, I know I am fully prepared to take on any obstacle college can give.
Service Engagement
Ever since the summer before my first semester in college, I have been doing service in Columbus. This past July, I did the program Buckeye Service Connection, and we did three service projects. We worked with The Boys and Girls Club, Keep Columbus Beautiful, and a nursing home, exposing us to many different aspects of service. Throughout the week, we were told to keep a journal of our reflection on the service we completed, and it opened my eyes to all that service really means. When I got to college, I immediately applied for the Service Engagement program here, where we are put into small groups of 8-10 individuals and given a topic (ours is Health and Wellness), and then we are given a year to come up with a service project to fund and execute at the end of the year. Also, I joined Adopt-A-School, where once a week I go to an elementary school and tutor/help out the teacher in the classroom for a few hours, giving me experience with working with children, specifically with a wide range of cognitive disabilities. I believe service is an extremely important aspect of being a citizen in any country, and I am excited to find new ways to serve the Buckeye and Columbus community in my future years here at The Ohio State University.
Global Awareness
Because I came from a small town of only 15,000 residents, Ohio State has been a huge wake-up call in many ways, starting with the fact that the number of solely undergraduate students enrolled here is 3x as large as my hometown. Not only does this give me a range of endless opportunities, but I have become more globally aware in my short time here at OSU. Beginning with just being a student here, I am in classes with a wide range of cultures, being exposed to their perspectives and appreciating their values and cultures as a whole. On a larger scale, the service I have done during my time here so far has exposed me to the environments in which other cultures live, specifically the environments in which inner-city children are learning in. Prior to college, I had never had these opportunities to expose myself to the living situations and daily life of inner-city children or any other culture. I have grown such a large appreciation for the diversity I have found here, and it has inspired me to want to travel the world, so this upcoming spring, I am traveling Europe for three weeks, and I am hoping to become more globally aware and appreciative through these upcoming experiences in Europe and in college in general.