Photo taken by Jo McCulty, OSU Communications

I am a rising senior from Cleveland, Ohio, majoring in Public Health with a Sociology specialization. I am minoring in Asian American Studies!

My love for scarlet and gray and everything OSU-related began before I was even a teenager. I was inducted into the Office of Diversity and Inclusion – Young Scholars Program during the sixth grade. This program has helped guide me in my journey to college and was extremely influential in getting me to where I am today. YSP provides me with academic, social, and financial support. I continue to give back to the program through being an Ambassador (Autumn 2016 – Autumn 2018) and a Summer Bridge Experience Peer Leader (Summer 2017). One of my passions is helping others achieve higher education, especially first-generation college students and/or minorities! YSP is my second family.

A leadership role I was involved in is Co-President for Global Health Initiative, a student organization that raises awareness about global health issues and the vast field of public health while empowering members with knowledge and skills to advocate for others and make a difference. We have international volunteering, local volunteering, educational outreach with youth, and events (which include lobbying at Capitol Hill each spring, and major campus events such as Research Mix & Mingle and Pre-Professional 101). We connect students to faculty who conduct research (RM&M) and to upperclassmen or graduate students in their majors/careers (Pre-Prof 101) to help them gain more perspectives and develop professionally! During my freshman year, I was general body member and during my second year, I was event planning co-chair.

Another organization I have been involved with since freshman year is MUNDO, which stands for Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities! We learn about different cultures and perspectives, serve around the community and around the world, and lead our peers in being open-minded to diversity. We cover a wide range of topics related to social justice and human rights. I have participated in their Los Angeles experience for winter break 2016, their New York City experience for winter break 2017, and planned and participated in their Spring Break Experience for 2018. For freshman year, I was an active member, and evolved to being Social Media & Marketing Correspondent and an Action Team Member for sophomore year. For my junior year, I hope to be on action teams for one or both of the academic breaks.

Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, spending time with friends, and listening to music. Writing in my e-portfolio is another hobby that I enjoy greatly! In the future, I plan on attending graduate school (getting a combined 3+2 BSPH/MPH in Health Behavior and Health Promotion). While I am not certain what careers I want to pursue, I want to continue exploring my options to narrow down my ideas. Currently I am highly interested in mental health, minority health, community health work, maternal and child health, and more. I am always open to making new connections so do not hesitate to send me an email! Furthermore, I am willing to offer advice to other students! (dang.157@osu.edu)