Personal Development

I have developed in many ways over the course of this first semester. I have started looking at different careers and I’ve experienced a lot of diversity. I think my most significant development occurred in my mindset. Throughout my life, I have always approached obstacles with a fixed mindset. I used to avoid challenges, critique myself, and give up easily. There came a point in time where I wouldn’t try to push myself because of fear of failure. Any criticism I would receive I would take to heart and not listen to. I would also try my best to avoid competition that I could potentially lose. For example, when competing for positions on my volleyball team, I got so worried about disappointing myself that I forfeited the position. Coming to college, however, I have tried to adopt a growth mindset and completely eliminate the fixed mindset. I decided to start the year strong and I stayed on top of my work for a good time. Once I started to do poorly, however, I started to slip into a fixed mindset again. In order to combat this, I decided to challenge myself, both in my course load and extra curricular activities. I had a realization in myself that in order to grow, I would have to fail and learn from my setbacks. I am still working towards mastering the growth mindset, and there are times where I slip into the fixed mindset but I try my best to catch it early and change.

Research

One of the most significant, on-going experiences I have been able to have so far is joining a research lab. All throughout high school and college, I’ve been told how important doing meaningful research is, and through this experience, I feel like I can make an impact, even if it is through grunt work. I came across a professor who is researching cardiac arrhythmia, a topic I am very interested in, and I decided to contact him to see if I could join his lab. I wasn’t expecting a response, since freshmen don’t usually get many research opportunities, but he responded and we set up an interview. Not only was I able to get interview experience, but I was able to tour his lab and learn, in detail, what research he is conducting. After my second interview, I was invited to join the lab and attend a lab group meeting. I was very overwhelmed coming in, and when the meeting proceeded to be me with a large number of upperclassmen, graduate students, and PhDs, I began to feel like I did not belong in the group anymore. I have now attended around 3-4 group meetings, where everyone greets me by name and I am challenged to keep up with the research presented. In addition to this, I was assigned my own task of extracting crucial data from different research articles to aid in this lab’s research.

I was very uncomfortable at first, not knowing anyone and feeling very inferior in the amount of knowledge I have, but the lab welcomed me in and made it feel like home. I was able to exhibit resiliency through not giving up at the first lab meeting, and inquisitiveness through reaching out to do research. In the future, I hope to give myself a chance before I assume that something is too much for me.

Engineering Expo

Every year, Ohio State’s Engineers’ Council and Engineering Career Services partner to host an event, called the Engineering Expo, where students of all engineering disciplines are able to network with potential employers for co-ops and/or internships. The students have the opportunity to approach any employer of their interest (ex. Honda, Battelle, John Deere, etc.) and tell them what experience they can bring to the table. I decided to attend this event to get an idea of what best to mention to a potential employer and to practice my “elevator speech”. I didn’t really know what to expect walking into the expo, but once I actually walked in, I was a lot more overwhelmed than I thought I would be. I was cluttered in a room with 300 other students and employers, all of which looked like they had more experience and more to offer than I did. I approached the first employer of interest incorrectly. I went into the conversation trying to see what they had to offer me, when in reality I should have discussed what I had to offer them. I was very uncomfortable and ready to walk out of there, but I quickly decided that my first approach would be considered a trial, and was determined to make my second one better. I introduced myself to the second employer and described myself and my interests and what I had to offer, which led to a much longer and more fruitful conversation than the previous one. I improved my speech with each employer I approached and prepared myself for any more to come.
I believe that this event was very important for me to grow professionally. Up to this point, I have had no experience talking to employers, and though I am very personable, I am often not professional enough for the situation. The experience allowed me to gain experience in speaking to professionals about what I can bring to the table. At first, I was very uncomfortable and shy during the experience, but those emotions turned to confidence and determination as the day went on. I am now very confident in how I convey myself in a professional manner. In the future, I will be able to promote myself to future employers and prepare myself ahead of time to do so.

About Me

I am Celine Dagher. I am clumsy, stubborn, and bossy. I am a nerd that loves to have fun but knows how to get stuff done. I love to learn and love to teach even more. I believe that nothing would exist without the STEM fields. Without science, there would be no understanding of the body or the composition of the objects around us. Without technology and engineering, society would be unable to advance and improve itself. Without mathematics, there would be no way to do your taxes or properly cook a cupcake. Without STEM, the world would cease to exist. Ever since I was a child, my inquisitive mind drove me to ask questions about the composition of my pencil rather than asking what I should draw with it. My family raised me with a stress on the STEM fields, encouraging me to see the good and the grain in everything.  I wanted to be a STEM Scholar because I wanted a community of people who were as passionate about learning, improving, and developing as I am. By becoming a STEM Scholar, I am able to learn from others and gain insight that I would be unable to gain anywhere else.

As a result of my love for all STEM subjects, I have chosen Biomedical Engineering as my major. Coming into this major, I have acquired experience through my four years at high school. I participated in Science Olympiad all four years, competing in anatomy and chemistry competitions. I started and organized an initiative between my school and an inner city school to prepare middle school children for high school. I started a club that knit hats for the patients of St. Jude’s and organized hospital visits to see the children. My junior year, I began working at the Dermatopathology Lab of Central States. While I was there, I was trained to use Telcor (a healthcare system) and EMA (Electronic Medical Assistant) to enter patient medical records. This past summer, I inputted enough patient information to allow a branch of the company to go completely paperless. I plan to acquire more skills, specifically engineering skills, this coming semester through my Engineering 1181.02 class and undergraduate research. I plan to further my knowledge through my classes, classmates and fellow scholars, and my love to learn. I will develop into an even bigger nerd, but I will love every minute of it. I am Celine Dagher. I am clumsy, but it makes people laugh. I am stubborn, but I know what I want and won’t stop until I get it. I am bossy, but it’s only because I am confident in myself.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]