Month: April 2017

Get Globally Engaged: OH-IO Education Abroad Scholarship

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to study abroad at same point during my undergraduate career. However, I did not expect to come across the opportunity to apply for the O-H-I-O Education Abroad scholarship, which was established in 2016. “The OH-IO Education Abroad Scholarship supports underrepresented and diverse student access to Ohio State education abroad programs. The inaugural scholarship competition resulted in 11 first and second year students from the Young Scholars Program being selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship to apply toward an Ohio State education abroad program of their choice.” I decided to apply and weeks later, discovered that I was a recipient!

I thank Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion as well as the Office of International Affairs for making this possible for me. I have never been to any other country before so this is truly meaningful and will help enable me to go anywhere I want to! I eventually want to travel to every single continent.
This scholarship will most likely be applied to one of the College of Public Health’s Public Health Perspectives trips! I am aiming to embark on the China trip in May 2018 so I can employ my Mandarin skills and learn about public health in a nation of over 1 billion people!

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Thank you to the photographer, Victor van Buchem, who is Senior Communications Specialist for the Office of International Affairs.

I will keep everyone updated on my travels and am so enthusiastic about my future endeavors!

Links:
Press release – https://oia.osu.edu/news/4639-oh-io-education-abroad-scholarships-awarded.html
https://oia.osu.edu/

Honors & Scholars Essay – My Essay and Tips for Yours!

In fall of 2015, I was preparing my Common App application for Ohio State (I submitted September 30 – so early!), and I wanted to enhance my undergraduate education by being in either an Honors program or a Scholars program. Both have their merits and benefits; it just depends what each individual seeks in their college experience. To me, Honors is a more academic-focused experience. Pros are that you can schedule earlier than the vast majority of students (even before some seniors), take classes that are smaller and cover a greater amount of material on a deeper level, and live in Honors housing. Of course, Honors courses are harder than regular classes, but some welcome this challenge! However, Scholars also offered some appealing traits; there are 17 themes for the Scholars programs, catering to different interests. You also get to live and learn with your Scholars cohort your first year on campus (it’s a requirement!) and in addition to that, you all take a 1-credit hour seminar course that counts for grade and credit! Both programs allow you to be more involved because they have activities and events exclusive to those programs.
I liked Health Sciences Scholars the most, based on what I read about on the Honors & Scholars website. (https://honors-scholars.osu.edu/) However, you are not able to choose your preferences for what Scholars program you are placed into until winter or spring. (Around Christmas time, I found out I was offered to be in Scholars, and then I was told that I can choose my top 3 choices for Scholars programs at a later time.) Then March 31, I was emailed saying I got into my first choice! So yay!

It is not mandatory for those applying to OSU to apply to Honors & Scholars as well; it is a supplementary essay! If you are interested in applying, continue reading:

The prompt I had to answer for applying to Honors & Scholars was: How would your five-year-old self see you today? Considering your past experiences and your future ambitions, who do you feel you are becoming now? In what ways are those two images congruent, or divergent?   (350-500 words)

I have included my entire essay for my readers! (The one I submitted to OSU) It gives you a glimpse of my life and how my childhood experiences have shaped who I am today.

Green Eggs and Ham

    “Let’s read Green Eggs and Ham, Mei Yi,” my mom said as she pulled out a slim hardcover book and patted her hand on the sofa, motioning me to sit beside her. I was five years old, and learning English along with my mom. At this time, she was not a U.S. citizen, so both of us were trying to understand more about American culture. I have fond childhood memories spending rainy afternoons with my mom surrounded by boxes of books and reading to my heart’s content.

During elementary school, I was shy and struggled with learning two languages simultaneously. I would recede into the comforts of my mother’s arms. I would also try to conceal that I was bilingual, because I felt different and wanted to be more like my peers. When students would ask what my Chinese name was and for me to speak in my dialect, I felt like they were pointing out how different I was. When I got older, I began to realize that being different was not a bad thing.

My five-year-old self would be surprised at my intellectual curiosity. I immersed myself into situations outside of my comfort zone, and soon I became accustomed to talking to strangers. In ninth grade, I completed a year-long school project collaborating with a team from the American University of Paris. I even spent a week in college dorms 100 miles from home, which forced me to adjust to unfamiliar settings. Now I am more comfortable with meeting new people and find it easier to strike up conversations.

Today, my five-year-old self would see me as a role model to others and be proud of how I transformed from a timid, hesitant caterpillar into a resilient, powerful butterfly. I am becoming more confident in myself and my abilities. Although I may be nervous about conquering challenges, like public speaking, I still step up and face them head-on. Now, I take control of my future and engage in my community by volunteering at the hospital, tutoring my peers, and being a senior mentor to two freshmen. It is important to set an example for others and I want to share my experiences with them.

My past and present self are congruent because we both love reading and place a high priority on learning. However, these two images are also divergent because I am more responsible and outgoing. I seize the moment and take advantage of all opportunities. I feel like I am turning into a person who doesn’t follow in someone’s footsteps or who hides in the shadows, but who forges my own path. This is part of growing up. Maybe one day I will even be courageous enough to try green eggs and ham.

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This is what my childhood copy of the book looked like. I can still vividly remember where I was sitting with my mom in the living room when she read to me. (I was on her left, and I was closest to the front door.) It was sometime in the evening, with the sun slowly sinking into the horizon. Thanks Mom for my earliest memory.

 

Tips for writing your H&S essay:
–Do not make it a repeat of your resume or the rest of your application. Do not just list out a slew of achievements. Instead, focus on one particular aspect of your life (a slice of the pie) and talk in depth about that.
–Brainstorm. I take pieces of plain white unlined paper and draw bubbles to make a mind-map diagram. I spend at least a half-hour freewriting, jotting down whatever pops into my head.
For this specific essay, you can divide part of the paper into sections. One part can say “Five-year-old self” and “Present day self” and then list all the differences and similarities. Also, I thought about what my dream job was when I was five, and I remember myself saying “Mermaid” to my relatives. I didn’t use this idea in my essay, but it helped me recollect what I was like as a child: very imaginative yet quiet.
–Ask family and friends about what you were like as a child and what they have noticed about your growth (academically, personally, etc.) They can help spark memories you may not know you have about yourself! Pull out the old scrapbooks from your house attic if you want to as well.
–It may not be complete in one sitting. My essay writing took a process of a few months. Just start early and continue working on it a bit at a time. I started in August (August 1, I believe), being the proactive person I am by nature.
–Have three people review it. (Just make sure you have others proof-read it besides yourself.) Actually, this number can be adjusted based on what you feel is right for you. I think I had at least five people look at my essay: my upper-class English teacher, the English teacher’s assistant, two college advisors, and my close friends.
-Use Google Docs or an equivalent. With Google Docs, you can share it with others via email with a few clicks of a button, and they can comment on it while you are simultaneously looking at the document from your own device. Also, Google Docs saves your document automatically so it will not be lost if your power suddenly shuts off.

To future OSU applicants, best of luck with your essays! I hope my essay provides inspiration and my tips are helpful to you!
P.S. I still have not tried green eggs and ham.

P.P.S. (7/28/17): I went to the restaurant Hangover Easy which has a wide selection of creative brunch items, and I finally tried the dish Green Eggs and Ham! It costs less than $8 and is a huge portion!

Celebrating Diversity with MUNDO

A craft I made for a James Cancer Hospital patient. I initially started with a big red blob of paint and it became the state bird of Ohio, a chubby, chirpy red cardinal. People say that if you come across one, it is good luck!

One of my favorite experiences in college so far has been joining the student organization MUNDO (Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities). I first heard of this club during the summer when I was researching OSU clubs online and checked out MUNDO’s website. I was drawn in by the field trips abroad to places like Rome and London. As I attended more meetings (I should have gone more frequently), I realized MUNDO is much more than simply going to new countries and sight-seeing. They do workshops that really make you learn and engage with people of different backgrounds. For example, we had presentations about homelessness, Islamophobia, a brainstorming session about how to address global issues, as well as excursions to the Greek Festival or Amish country. MUNDO also does trips to theaters to see shows like Rent. We also volunteered and made crafts for patients or visit Star House during a few Service Nights. Overall, I learn how to be an active participant in the world around me and contribute to my community!

Getty Art Center in L.A.

Venice Beach! This was the first time I saw the ocean and the view was gorgeous. We arrived right when the sun was beginning to set, and watching it recede into the horizon was gorgeous.

I discussed my L.A. trip with MUNDO  in a previous post (see “What I Did Over Winter Break”). That trip was the first time I went across the country and so far from home. On the trip I did not know anyone, being a new member and a freshman. But I was exposed to new foods and cultures and a different vibe in L.A. This trip sparked my fire for becoming involved with MUNDO on a deeper level, and I want to plan one of their future trips!

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I continued my involvement with MUNDO and exploration of the country in Spring 2017:
The Multicultural Leadership MLK Experience on Saturday, January 14, allowed me to learn more about what comprises leadership through exploration of African-American history and the Civil Rights movement at both the Muhammad Ali Center in Kentucky and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. This trip only costs $8 and was worth every penny! (Lunch included)

I was drawn in by these murals illustrating Ali’s six major pillars to life: confidence, spirituality, respect, conviction, dedication, and giving.

Around 10 am, the group of 25 students (undergraduate and graduate) and staff members took a self-guided tour of the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum about Muhammad Ali, the boxer and activist. I learned that his real name is Cassius Clay Jr. and he participated in his first match at age 18. He did not drink soda, and he trained vigorously. He lived and breathed boxing. He had a signature shuffle, which I saw in videos that were displayed on screens throughout the museum. There were also several art galleries dedicated to Ali, and a number of art pieces intrigued me. Not only did the museum include parts of Ali’s life, but it also incorporated information about inventors who were people of color and/or women and did not receive widespread recognition (if any) for their contributions to society. It opened my eyes even more to how I had not heard about this individuals, and how some people fail to see people-of-color as human or as valuable contributors to society.

At noon, we departed for Cincinnati for the National Underground Railroad Museum/Freedom Center, which was equally captivating and interesting. We had a docent walk us through the museum, exploring slavery and walking through rooms with the walls painted to make it look like we had stepped back in time to the 1800s. The kind, wise docent told us stories with much emotion. We learned about how people fought to end slavery. For example, one brave man was one of the few in his community to have a printing press, which he used to help spread the message against slavery. Opponents dumped his machine into the Ohio River a couple times. When he kept retrieving his machine and remained determined to print about and advocate for this movement, locals in the community shot him to death. Another heartbreaking story was when a woman slave murdered her children (including slashing the throat of her toddler) because she was caught escaping with them and did not want them to ever be slaves and live through that experience.

Each pebble in the column stands for a life lost to slavery. According to my docent at the Freedom Center, if the Middle Passage was spread apart like the Red Sea, bones of the deceased would completely cover the path from Africa to the Americas. That is how many people died along the journey as well as when they arrived by force.

At the Freedom Center, I also learned facts about modern-day racism towards African-Americans. When Obama was president, the amount of hate groups actually increased 830%, according to our docent. That number astonished me because I had no idea that there was so much hate after he became our president. I did not expect that number to be that high. I believe that most of the reason for the sudden skyrocketing in hate group formation is due to the fact that they are judging Obama by his appearance without taking the time to get to know who he truly is. I have encountered hate and disrespect for my skin color and differences. (Mini anecdote: When Obama was inaugurated in 2008, I remember watching on a TV in my elementary school gymnasium. I was in the fourth-grade, and although I did not know about his platform at all at the time, my class did a mock-vote and I still voted for him.)

In summary, this day-trip exposed me to new facts about the sad history Africans had to endure and how we are feeling aftereffects still. Racism exists, even more so in subtle ways built into institutions. They, along with other people of color, feel inferior. What I can do after this experience is to continue to document my travels and spread more awareness about these issues. I can talk to my friends and classmates about how I feel and what I think can be done to prevent similar instances from occurring ever again. Despite that I cannot change history, I have responsibility to affect how the future turns out. What’s a little intimidating is that I am at a ripe age and now is the time for me to take action.

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At our last meeting for the 2016-2017 school year (4/17/17) This is the aftermath of celebrating the Mexican Easter tradition of using cascarones (eggs filled with confetti) and smashing or crumbling the eggs over the heads of friends/family to wish them good luck.

As the spring semester continued, I decided to step up and take on a leadership position in MUNDO! On their executive board, I have the honor of being the Social Media and Marketing Correspondent for the 2017-2018 year. This role entails keeping social media pages for MUNDO (Facebook, Twitter) updated, regularly emailing members so they stay informed, and designing graphics to promote our group and gain new members! I want to thank everyone in MUNDO, from the members to the advisors, for making me a better person inside and out.

A Year In Review: Year 1

Since coming to OSU, have you seen any personal growth into who you are now? What were your expectations and preconceived notions about college and HSS? Were those initial expectations met? What are your goals for your 2nd Year in HSS and at OSU?

Reflecting on the near-completion of my first-year at OSU, I am amazed at how far I came and the experiences I gained. I have witnessed personal growth in my ability to take on more tasks and a heavier workload than in high school. Taking on Chinese for my foreign language requirement was something I hated in the first few months on campus but I came to enjoy how rewarding it is to make all this progress. Plus, I really liked the five Chinese TAs I saw (one for each day of the week) who made the in-class work enjoyable. Also, I found employment and another family at Sloopy’s Diner in the Ohio Union. Working in the Dessert Shop whipping up milkshakes (which did not bring boys to the yard), cookie a la modes, fudge brownies and other delectable delicacies entailed some physical labor and endurance. Standing for 5 hour shifts was something I quickly became accustomed to, and I improved customer service skills. Teamwork does make the dream work! Another way I grew is that I am more self-aware. I handle stress better and know when and who to turn to when I need additional assistance. I realize that I need time to recharge. Do not feel shameful or guilty for spending that half-hour or hour catching up on Netflix or painting your nails – taking breaks works for me, and should work for others too. Also important is my increased openness to new ideas, even ones that challenge my thoughts and beliefs (the 2016 election was a difficult time for the whole world, and I learned to be vocal about my rights and not remain silent, but that it was ok to engage in debate.) I lived with a complete stranger this year (I grew up sleeping with my mom and brother in the same room my entire life). My environment changed so much but I love my current surroundings. If I could pick a single facet that makes OSU so great, I would have to choose the people.

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The 2017-2018 cohort of Health Sciences Scholars first years! We are residing in Park-Stradley Hall because our community lives and learns together. I am in the second row 7th from the right, wearing a red sweater underneath my shirt.

I was placed into my first choice Scholars program, Health Sciences Scholars (HSS), so I was enthusiastic about that because it most closely aligned with my career and personal interests of healthcare. I looked forward to learning how to be a skilled professional and approach public health from a biopsychosocial standpoint. HSS had a beginning-of-the-year bash with Minute-to-Win-It-like games that they called the Olympics. It was fun and broke some ice. At the start of the year, we also volunteered together as a giant group and that helped me feel more comfortable with my cohort of about a hundred students. Some first and second year Scholars volunteered a morning at the Garden of Hope, a James Cancer Hospital initiative for cancer patients to help manage their cancer and general health. The patients get to grow vegetables. I enjoyed learning about the plants and seeing cows!

Actually, HSS exceeded my expectations because we had a seminar course autumn semester where we learned about topics like multiculturalism, how to give a presentation on a disease, and health literacy. We were divided into groups to present on our chosen diseases, so this reinforced my collaboration and research skills.

Our program coordinator, Gail, really made an effort to ensure that we participated and benefitted from HSS. She put on multiple student panels for our class as well as brought in professionals such as doctors and occupational therapists (who are also OSU faculty) for the event Dining with the Department. I also really liked the HSS events; they helped my college experience because sometimes there were craft nights or stress-relief days with puppies. HSS is just one of the several different communities I am in at OSU, and we are all connected by our desire to improve the world and people’s health, whether it’s hands-on clinical interaction or community outreach. I learned much more about this field of work. In HSS, we were provided with information about resources like research opportunities, student organizations, and volunteering options. The various assignments we did for class helped strengthen my writing; I explored secondary solutions/back-up-plans if public health does not turn out well for me, and by taking personality assessments, it was not a surprise that my strong suits are helping and caring! I am a great fit for my future career.

My goals for my second year of HSS is to do exceptionally well with the Second Year Major Service Project (which requires at least 40 hours of volunteering under a certain theme) and learn from that while setting an example for younger HSS cohorts. In spring of 2018, I present my project at the HSS Symposium they have each year at Hale Hall.

I had a list of my expectations for college (a google doc with goals I wanted to achieve my first year into second year). These achievements included: getting accepted into my major, joining at least one club, committing to a volunteering opportunity, become Young Scholar Ambassador, and getting a 4.0. I fulfilled all of these! Coming into college with a framework or road map is useful. I explored the OSU website for hours and also checked out College Confidential as well as OSU’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels when I had spare time. Sure, you may deviate from your proposed plans but at least you’re not going to be walking into OSU blind with no direction. (Then again, having no idea what you want to do before you arrive on campus is not necessarily bad! Welcome Week and the Involvement Fair gives you so much free stuff and they help you determine what you want to be apart of.)
I have ups and downs in college (unexpected late scholarship payments that caused me to resign from work-study for the semester, and relationship issues), but that’s all part of life. I learned how to be more flexible, more adult-like.

Mirrors Sophomore Class Honorary 2017-2018 Privileged to be among the 46 members chosen out of 106 applicants! There was an application process and interviewing round. I am happy to spend the next year (and beyond) with brilliant-minded individuals dedicated to the pillars of Service, Learning, and Leadership!

My goals for OSU in general are to dig deeper into my activities because during my first year I only touched the tip of the iceberg, and I want to get to the core of it. I know I will be a volunteer at the James Cancer Hospital, an executive-board member for a club called MUNDO, and member of Mirrors Sophomore Class Honorary. Furthermore, I will be conducting a project with STEP support and funding. I hope to be an HIV test counselor as well. Additionally, I hope I will continue to manage my academics, which are a constant challenge that I embrace with open arms.

Now that it is mid-April, I am prepping for my finals, which I anticipate will hit me harder than Holly Holms knocked out Ronda Rousey in 2015, but I know I can bounce back from that! 😉

Until next year,
Melinda Dang

Upperclassman Interview with a Pre-Med Public-Health Senior

Academic Enrichment: Please interview an upperclassmen who is pursuing a similar major/career path. Take about 15-20 minutes in asking them specific questions regarding the intended career path and how they are preparing themselves.

One upperclassman I spoke with is also a Health Sciences Scholar named Tyler. I first met him when he gave a presentation on LGBTQ health in my residence hall, and his style of presenting kept me engaged and made me hooked on his every word! He was animated and descriptive, and most importantly, I could tell he had a passion for educating his peers. On October 25, 2016, I conducted an informational interview with Tyler because I was interested in finding out more about him. He’s a senior who will graduate with a Bachelor’s of Public Health – Environmental Health specialization and then proceed on his journey to medical school! Tyler is a Resident Advisor for Park-Stradley (from second through fourth year), and is an Ohio Department of Health Certified HIV/STI Test Counselor.(Even though my BSPH specialization is Sociology and I plan on achieving an MPH, not an MD or DO degree, I found our conversation enlightening.)

Coming into OSU as a freshman, Tyler was sure he’d major in Anthropology because he loved the multidisciplinary aspect of using knowledge from fields like science and history. However, he soon realized he wanted to focus on living people’s health issues. During orientation, he spoke with an advisor for the College of Public Health, a guy named Guy. In our college, the advisors and students are all supportive, and he did not see any competitiveness like he witnessed in other OSU departments. Furthermore, because of the small, tight-knit atmosphere of the college, it was easier to build connections with other students and faculty and staff. I definitely agree with him on that aspect! The advisors, especially Guy, really try to establish a personal relationship with you. Also, our advisors have been here for years; they have wisdom from seeing hundreds of students and know the personalities of the public health professors.

Having an undergraduate degree in Public Health is valuable and applicable to the field of medicine. Many pre-med students go the traditional route of majoring in Bio or Chemistry but not many colleges offer public health, so there’s unique experiences and knowledge we BSPH majors offer; we learn the importance of using preventive medicine, and we learn about biostatistics and epidemiology, which others may not even touch during their studies. According to Tyler, his academics made him more attractive to medical schools because public health gives you a humanistic approach to healthcare.

Tyler gave me a brief overview of the MCAT process, which is an astounding, grueling 8 hours at a desktop computer! He spent a whole semester studying for it, and his public health background prepared him to ace the psychology/sociology section! I admire his physical and mental stamina, and he provided me a piece of advice that’s going to stick with me during school. He only took the MCAT once and that was enough for him; if a school wasn’t going to accept him just because of the score, he wouldn’t want to go to the school anyways because he had much more to offer.

We discussed his favorite and least favorite classes, as well as his internship/extracurricular experiences. He made me excited for Intro to Global Public Health; “you learn for the sake of learning, not to get a grade.” That class has you conducting a TED-talk-like presentation to your peers about a health topic of your choice! Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, he is an RA and HIV test counselor, both of which require interpersonal and problem-solving skills, among other characteristics. I think those roles help prepare him for working with diverse populations of people and helping them navigate their healthcare/self-care. Tyler is for-sure well-rounded who knows what he wants and has made great advances during undergraduate to prepare for medical school.

This interview confirmed my desires to pursue public health and helped give me more of an idea about what my major courses, professors and advisors would be like. I also love how with public health, the career opportunities are endless and applicable to many real-world situations. He implanted into my head the idea of becoming an HIV counselor so I can get to help my peers with situations they may not be comfortable in. Sexual health is important and it’s often not conveyed properly or comprehensively in school education, so having peer counselors may make it easier for students to ask questions and partake in better actions to stay happy and STI-free!
Thanks Tyler for sharing your experiences with me!!!

Volunteer Service Exploration 2016-2017

SERVICE – Summarize your time spent volunteering for 20 hours over the past year. Next, describe your most memorable service experience. What makes this experience the most memorable? What was your role? What did you gain as a result of this experience? Please include the what, where, who and for how long at each place you volunteered. This should be 2-3 paragraphs.

Gaining volunteer experience in various types of projects throughout my first year at OSU gave me insight into what I want to be involved with in the future. As part of the first-year Health Sciences Scholars program requirements, I was faced with a task of completing at least 20 service hours from 2016-2017, which was not overwhelming to me at all! We had complete freedom to choose what we wanted to do to meet this requirement.

Fall semester –
I spent 3 hours on August 27th, 2016 volunteering at the Garden of Hope, a community garden for cancer survivors and cancer patients off campus, sponsored by the James Cancer Hospital. I went with many other Health Sciences Scholars and had a good time harvesting plants! Also, I helped the Honors & Scholars house make cards for soldiers for 1 hour on 9/1/2016. I helped MUNDO make room decorations/crafts for James patients and Nationwide patients for a total of 2 hours (9/12/16 and 11/21/2016, respectively), which took place in the Ohio Union. I assisted at various American Red Cross blood drives around campus for a total of 2 hours as well (9/19/2016 and 9/21/2016). I checked in donors and escorted them to the blood vans, and helped prepare them for their donations. One blood drive was at the College of Public Health while one was in my dorm. Additionally, I spent 3 hours on 11/6/2016 passing out water to runners/walkers at a local race with other members of the student organization Buckeyes for Public Health. This occurred at an Upper Arlington high school and the event was called “Derriere Dash”. Furthermore, I spent 4 hours spread across 12/1/2016 and 12/2/2016 calling current high school seniors in my Young Scholars Program to talk to them about OSU and how to prepare, what to expect, how to pack for summer bridge, etc. During winter break, I volunteered 3 hours on 12/20/16 at a Los Angeles food bank with 30 MUNDO members. We sorted through hundreds of pounds of food and discarded ones that expired while organizing the still edible produce to be later distributed.

Spring semester –
From January 3-5, 2017, I served about 15 hours at a nonprofit federally qualified health center (FQHC) in downtown Cleveland called Care Alliance Health Center to gain knowledge and skills related to public health. The several different tasks I took part in were mostly administrative. I made 90 bags filled with socks and gloves to be given to homeless people around Cleveland; they’re called “sock kits”. Also, I input data into a computer database; the data was about demographics, risk behaviors, and test results of patients who came into the center to take free, confidential HIV testing. I also helped prepare mailing envelopes to 50 of the center’s donors to thank them for their contributions.
On January 26, I spent 1.5 hours making lunch bags of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches with two Greek organizations at Hale Hall. I do not remember where these sandwiches went but it was for a good cause! Furthermore, on April 7, I resumed my role as Young Scholar Ambassador as I assisted for 1.5 hours in welcoming the next cohort of incoming Young Scholars to OSU! They’re incoming freshmen who visited campus for Go Buckeye Day, going to info sessions, touring residence halls and public buildings, and also signing their letter of commitment stating they will attend OSU and meet requirements to maintain their scholarship! One of the scholars is also my younger brother, so it was an extra special event for the both of us. I talked to these students and helped direct them to the charter buses that would take them back home.

My service during the school year was diverse (36 total hours) and allowed me to explore and learn about some amazing activities/resources/organizations in Columbus, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. I enjoyed every minute of it! My most memorable volunteer experience was with Care Alliance because it relates the most to my major in public health and my goal of helping out underserved populations, especially homeless and impoverished people who would not be able to access healthcare services otherwise. Furthermore, I spent the most time volunteering/interning here so I was able to do more duties and with Care Alliance, I see more opportunity for me to grow and learn. Most of my experience so far with Care Alliance was behind-the-scenes paperwork or data entry, but in the summer I can potentially do hands-on fieldwork with their mobile HIV testing clinics and summer health fairs. Because I personally knew an executive at this organization, I was able to take part in this activity! In conclusion, I believe my service provided benefit to others and I look forward to doing more! Slowly but surely I can make my mark on the world.