For my second year major service project as part of my Health Science Scholars program, I volunteered in the field of HIV prevention. I was able to use my volunteer hours from summer 2017 for this project. Attached is the PowerPoint slide I used; to save on paper, we used electronic posters. Freshman Scholars walked around the MLK Lounge of Hale Hall and talked to us if they were interested in learning more.

HIV-Prevention-Melinda-Dang-Health-Sciences-Scholars-2018-1lqrdu5.pptx

In addition to this service project, I had to attend events each semester to meet Health Science Scholars program requirements.

Autumn 2017:

• At the September month meeting, Gail welcomed us back to campus and we ate pizza while socializing. She provided us with an overview of how the year would go.
• 9/18 – HSS provided free headshots for the first 100 people. I was one of them, and a headshot is crucial for LinkedIn and other social media!
• 11/02 – Bring your own bowl Mashed Potato Bar
• 11/30 – Student Leadership Advocates presents Stress & Time Management

Spring 2018:

• 1/25 – Personal Statements
• 1/25 – Bring Your Own Bowl – Soup
• 2/27 – Presenting a Scientific Research Poster
• 3/20 – Research Mix & Mingle, hosted by Global Health Initiative (I planned and executed this event!)
• 3/28 – Mock Interviews
• 4/10 – Bring Your Own Bowl – Breakfast Cereal
• 4/19 – Health Science Scholars Second-Year Symposium

  Overall, I have enjoyed my time as a part of Health Science Scholars. I have met amazing, passionate peers and developed myself academically, personally, and professionally from these two years. Regardless of a student’s major, if they are interested in various facets of health, they should consider HSS! Being in Scholars in general is not a tremendous time commitment. This school year, we had so much flexibility and options for what meetings and events to attend. We had much more responsibility and confidence. Since I am now a rising junior (and entering the upperclass stage of my undergraduate career), I am more likely to attend events that will contribute to bettering myself! The events that I enjoyed especially were the “Presenting a Scientific Research Poster” and “Personal Statements” because of how much information I gained. This summer, I will be utilizing the skills and tips from the research poster session when I present research at a symposium at the University of Iowa. I am one of the 25 students they are hosting for their 2018 Summer Research Opportunities Program and at the end of the eight weeks, I will present a poster! There will be hundreds of students total from different research programs, and I am excited to apply what I learned to this real-life scenario! Thank you Health Science Scholars for the opportunities you have provided!