summer

Applying to a Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)

Research was once intimidating to me, but that changed when I took a “Research Methods in Sociology” course the first semester of my sophomore year (Fall 2017). It was a very interesting class that introduced me to research and allowed me to learn more of about what that encompasses. I learned that there are two major subgroups of research: qualitative and quantitative. This ended up being one of my favorite classes ever taken at Ohio State.

I have blogged about my eight weeks at University of Iowa through the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Summer Research Opportunities Program. I separated the blog posts into two parts: part I (June 2018) and part II (July 2018). This specific blog post will be dedicated to sharing my experiences of APPLYING to the program, and my experiences with rejections from several programs. I hope to help others in their academic journeys towards graduate school and professional school!

(The following information are my own insights. Feel free to follow the advice laid out, but I do not guarantee acceptances.)

Source: http://www.sjhemleymarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/iStock_000041965580_Full.jpg

 

Research comes with a multitude of rewards: enhanced reading and writing skills, stronger critical thinking, better evaluation of sources, patience, networking, enhanced analysis skills, and more! By participating in a SROP, I prepared myself tremendously for graduate school and my junior and senior years of college. Through the SROP at University of Iowa, I was able to conduct research for eight weeks, attend workshops on topics related to research and graduate school, write a strong personal statement and CV, study for the GRE, and present my findings at a conference.

I am speaking specifically about the Summer Research Opportunities Program through the Big Ten Academic Alliance.

Here are the steps that I took in applying to and being accepted into a SROP:

During my first year of college, I heard about SROP from a current graduate student in public health. He discussed how he participated in two SROPs and enjoyed both of the experiences, as it helped him strengthen his skills and build his knowledge of public health and biology. They helped inform him of his career goals and aspirations. I kept “SROP” in my mind, and wanted to develop more as a student and scholar before I applied for one.

1. Around October of 2017, which was my sophomore year, I attended a grad school event in the Union. (I like preparing myself early, and even though sophomores may not really concern themselves over graduate school, it was useful for me.) This was like a career fair, and events were scattered in different rooms of the Union. During the one session I attended, the presenters talked about SROP and provided some handouts on SROP and graduate school at OSU in general. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, take notes, and ask for handouts, which contain helpful info! In my personal network, almost nobody had completed a SROP. None of my peers had participated in one, but some staff in Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) had. Ask around on your social media networks too. Somebody may know somebody who did partake in a SROP.

2. During winter, I did more research on SROP on the Internet, and asked people questions to see what they knew about it. I asked around at my own college to see if faculty typically have the time to be mentors for SROP at Ohio State. Looking at the SROP website and exploring its pages, including viewing videos and testimonials from past participants and faculty mentors, was incredibly beneficial for me.

** View the Eligibility Requirements before even starting an application. **

3. I began a Google Document to keep track of the SROP requirements and deadlines. Sometimes transcripts and letters of recommendation are due at different times than the actual application. SROP has a Common App-like application to fill out, and then some schools that have a SROP require their own supplemental applications. In this document, I wrote down my username and password for the application.

4. During winter break, I began brainstorming my content for the essays. This entailed free-writing for me, and typing out whatever popped into my mind that I thought could be used for my essays. There is a PERSONAL STATEMENT and a STATEMENT OF RESEARCH INTERESTS. These are different essays, and you should take the opportunity to showcase different sides of yourself in these essays. Try not to repeat information in these essays. You also do not just want to list out your achievements like you are just writing out your resume or CV. You do want these essays to tell a story! It also should not read like a formal paper; it should still feel like it is your voice that is coming across to the reader. It can be hard to explain what to do and what not to do with your essay, but I hope that my advice makes sense, at least a little bit! Also, there is no magic formula for writing a stellar essay.

https://www.papermasters.com/images/personal-statement.jpg This can be helpful for people in crafting personal statements. Keep these tips in mind! (This infographic is targeted to people who want to go to law school, but you get the idea.)

For my 250-word-limit personal statement, I tried to give the readers a glimpse of who I was, and how I was shaped into the scholar and resilient individual I am today. Additionally, I painted a picture of my background, because that is fundamental in my development. I wrote about why I was motivated to seek a research experience. I included how SROP can help me reach my goals. I also mentioned some experiences of mine, like participating in a college prep program from the sixth grade onwards, and earning 55 college credits during high school. This statement was short and sweet. I had a friend proofread this for errors. Never would I submit a piece of writing before a friend or two scan it over.

For my statement of research interests, which was also a 250-word-maximum, I mentioned my upbringing in the inner-city, and how the challenges/issues I witnessed and faced prompted me to study public health, sociology, and gender studies. With my range of academic interests, my studies would help me address multidimensional, or interdisciplinary, issues, especially health disparities, which I am most passionate about. Then I mentioned how a Research Methods class allowed me to get firsthand experience with research, and I wanted to do more research, which was why I intended to participate in a SROP! My last paragraph consisted of me saying that I wanted to immerse myself into research and what I hoped my future research will be.

** I would share my actual essays, but decided not to in order to avoid the potential for plagiarism. Do not plagiarize. Do not steal/appropriate ideas from others’ essays. Your writing has to be your own. **

5. When spring 2018 started, I made time to work on my essays on the weekends. I was unemployed, but still volunteered at least eight hours a week, and spent eight to ten hours a week for student organizations as well. Many hours of brainstorming, writing, and re-writing were spent. The easiest part was filling out the application with my demographic information. It is important to take breaks and revisit your writing the next day. Give yourself time and space to write. Writing in my dorm room was my preference.

** You may need to send official transcripts to the school and/or SROP. This will come out of your own pocket! **

6. I believe in January, early on in the application process, I asked for letters of recommendation from two sociology professors, since I developed relationships with those two people well. Ask professors/instructors well in advance, at least a month before a deadline. Be sure to ask if they can write a strong letter of recommendation. Do they feel like they know you well enough, whether personally and/or academically? Some things to provide these recommenders are your CV or resume, your application essays, information about the program, your LinkedIn profile, your personal blog, etc.

7. Throughout my process, I asked friends if they had time to read my essays. I did not ask the same friend to read different variations of the dozen or so essays I wrote. There were probably four individuals who read a few essays of mine. I did not use OSU’s Writing Center services, which would have probably helped me out and resulted in more acceptances. The SROP application was due February 10th for me, and some schools had later deadlines (but they also required the SROP application in addition to their own). Besides applying just for SROP, I applied for a few other opportunities as back-ups in case I was not admitted into any of the SROPs. For example, I applied for a cultural summer camp in China for fun and for a research position in Columbus over the summer.

8. Early March was when applications wrapped up for me, and I waited for positive responses in my Buckeyemail inbox. I heard a positive response from University of Iowa, and reached out personally to a potential faculty mentor in sociology, which is my specialization, not my major. Sometimes faculty are not conducting research in your major/desired field at the time, but you can still try to work with them in a different field if you have an interest in that as well! I remained determined and advocated for myself and my abilities. In late March, I was offered acceptance into University of Iowa’s SROP, and accepted that offer since they needed a definitive answer from me within that week. It was a shock to me to see a “Yes” from a program, since it is a competitive program and I doubted my chances of getting in.

http://www.firstpointusa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ohio-state-brutus-the-buckeye.jpg                                                                        Despite thinking that you probably won’t be accepted, you still have a chance if you apply! If you do not apply at all, you have a 0% chance. So take that chance! Believe in yourself.

9. After accepting a program’s offer of admission, you have to turn down other programs’ offers, if they come your way. It turned out that I was rejected from the other SROPs. Some emailed to inform me that I was rejected, while a few did not respond to me at all. For my SROP, I was expected to read emails sent to me carefully. There were more steps to take, like filling out forms and providing information to coordinate health insurance, direct deposit of my stipend, and to book my round-trip flight to and from the program. Some forms required my signature, so I printed out papers and signed them, and scanned them back. The program also asked about roommate requests, but I did not have any preferences, and let the program choose for me. I was required to complete research training modules to learn more about research procedures and ethics! Furthermore, I submitted a headshot to share with others; this headshot was later printed out and put on my dorm door when I got to campus. There are many tasks to complete, but it was actually fun for me to do these, and learn a bit about my peers in the program before I would eventually meet them!

** Respond to emails as soon as you can! Even if the email is just to inform you of what is happening, you can reply with “Received! Thank you for the updates!” 

In late May, I was emailed a syllabus for the summer research program. I printed this out because I like having a physical copy of it to refer to, and I put the dates/deadlines into my personal planner. After completing the requirements and maintaining communication with my program, I arrived in Iowa on June 4th. As always, I was courteous and respectful to everyone. Each participant had their own UIowa email to use. We submitted assignments via an online grading system similar to Ohio State’s Carmen. In this blog post, I provided many details for my readers; I hope that it is not too much! Overall, UI SROP was a wonderful experience and very transformative! If you are unsure of going to graduate school or even getting involved with research, but are willing to try it out, I suggest it. Remain open-minded about opportunities.

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If anyone has any questions, wants advice, or someone to talk with about the process, I can certainly make time to help a fellow Buckeye! I am potentially available to read statements as well. I do also suggest utilizing the wonderful Writing Center here on campus; students can do walk-ins, scheduled appointments, and even have their written work looked over virtually and then receive comments online. Send over your drafts to friends who can provide constructive criticism; they will be able to read the statements and determine if the writing reflects your true voice and your true self.

Good luck to all who will apply to a Summer Research Opportunities Program! 🙂

Resources:
http://www.btaa.org/resources-for/students/srop/introduction
https://gradsch.osu.edu/research/summer-research-opportunities-program

The University of Iowa – Summer Research Opportunities Program – Part II

July 2018

When July came around, I was halfway completed with the Summer Research Opportunities Program at The University of Iowa; four weeks down, with four more to go! This second month, I finished as much research as I could do, and then the last week was spent wrapping up the program: presenting posters at the annual undergraduate summer research symposium and recognizing all the Scholars for our hard work and contributions. This half of the summer felt like it went by much quicker than the first half.

WEEK FIVE
July 1st – That weekend, there was the Jazz Festival downtown, and fireworks were shooting off at night. Plenty of people flooded the streets of downtown Iowa City to enjoy the sizzling, fuzzy heat and hear some music. Some crowds were huddled all over the lawns on campus with their blankets on the grass. I did not go outside at night to watch the fireworks, but I could hear them from the dorm. A few Scholars did go to see the fireworks, even venturing into the neighborhood of Coralville to view the fireworks displays.

Photo credit: http://www.accalendar17.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/iowa-city-jazz-festival-iowa-city-downtown-district-iowa-city-calendar-of-events-logk.jpg

July 2nd –
At the “Grad School Admissions” panel, six graduate students shared their experiences and advice for us. These students were pursuing MFAs and Ph.Ds. in history, higher education & student affairs, and counseling psychology. They spoke on their transition from undergraduate to graduate school; some went straight through with their schooling whereas others had some time off for employment first. Some of these students were people of color, and I really appreciated seeing and hearing from POCs, because these were people like me who went on to graduate school.

Some tidbits of wisdom they mentioned during the panel included befriending your fellow graduate students because it is unfeasible and foolish to not do so, and to email professors and people for letters of recommendation immediately, even though it was summer and school had not started yet. One student said that one recommender should know you well personally, one recommender should vouch for your professional experiences, and one should be a “hard-hitter,” which is someone who is highly respected and esteemed in their field. There should also be a person available at the ready to write a back-up recommendation, in case one of the main three recommenders happens to not submit a letter on time, or at all. The panel was very informational. I made a note to myself to contact my recommenders right when school started in August; I wanted to meet with them in person to talk about our summers and then ask them if they would be willing to write me letters.

July 3rd –
We had a GRE study session in the evening.

July 4th –
SROP had a Holiday Picnic planned for us, but this was canceled, and we all just had the day off. It was eerily quiet downtown on the actual holiday, with barely any cars passing through the streets. A group of us played a few hours of Dungeons & Dragons and then walked downtown to see what was going on. About a dozen of us spent some time in a frozen yogurt shop, and we played a game called Headbands. Those who were over age 21 went to a bar to play billiards. It was a relaxing day.

Our D&D group within SROP used this Starter Set to play our campaign.

July 5th –
Our Research Seminar revolved around “Conferences & Publications,” presented to us by a speaker who was very engaging and captivated everyone’s attention as he spoke about types of papers, journals, and authorship. This Chemistry professor was very passionate and stated that this was not a lecture but a discussion; he wanted us to speak during class. Despite it being the end of the day, he did not show any physical signs of fatigue.

I learned that there are three types of research papers:
1) a letter (for general audiences, and the most brief type of paper at two to three pages, including figures and references)
2) a full-length article
3) a review of many articles (this is more rare)
The speaker said that it is common for professors to publish two to ten times a year, depending on their discipline. He also vouched for the value of attending conferences, networking, and attending society meetings. He mentioned that growing a thick skin would be beneficial because “academia is critical of ideas.” What surprised me was that this professor read academic articles every day, including weekends and holidays to keep up with the literature! In addition, journals have impact factors, which are numerical factors for the prestige of the journals. Higher impact factors are better. He also talked about for-profit journals being predatory, as they charge researchers to publish, without thoroughly reviewing the submitted work. Open-access journals on the other hand provide public access to articles; for example, the NIH mandates that NIH-funded research be posted on PubMed, a year after its publication date, so that the public can read this year-old article.

July 6th –
For our Speaker Series, a professor in the Sociology department whose research is primarily on social stratification and public policy! She discussed her research on implicit bias training in some schools in the Iowa City Community School District; her hope is that educators will recognize their own biases (every human being has bias, whether they know it or not) and ensure that their biases do not lead to disproportionate educational outcomes for different races of students.
Students and teachers filled out surveys as part of the professor’s research. Students were asked if they had mentors at school, and if they felt safe and supported, among other questions.
One result revealed that 19% of Black students enrolled in the school districts for 2016-2017, but 63% were suspended. This is an outrageous statistic, and indicates a disparity in disciplining students. Another finding was that white students had the highest rates of race-matched mentors, meaning they were the students who often had a mentor of the same race. Furthermore, LGBTQ-identifying students disclosed that they did not feel supported or understood by their teachers. Even 25% of all students surveyed reported that teachers do not recognize their hard work.

There are multiple areas to address in these schools, and diverse stakeholders must be involved when making decisions. Besides training teachers and staff (the implicit bias training in schools is contracted to last three years), a handful of schools are trying a restorative justice approach to discipline instead of suspending students. Also pertinent is recruiting and retaining diverse staff and students. Yet another suggestion raised by the researchers was to arrange school calendars so that testing would not occur on/near any religious holidays, not just Christian holidays like Christmas or Easter.

Source: https://www.lwhs.org/page/news-detail?pk=1140689

I support implicit bias training for school educators and staff; having grown up in the inner-city and attending public schools for my entire life, and often being the only Asian-American student in class, I witnessed bias and microaggressions from teachers who had little experience interacting with Asian/Asian-American people. For example, I have had teachers insist on knowing where my parents were born, and teachers who commented how my name did not suit me because it was “too American” for me. This lecture spoke to me, and I hope that teachers nationwide can be more educated and aware of their own biases and lack of knowledge and cultural sensitivity.

WEEK SIX
July 9th –
Sunny gave a professional development presentation on “Professionalism on Social Media.” What we post on the Internet has a permanent presence, even if we delete our photos or statuses. We must be vigilant of what we say or share, because you never know who could screenshot something and send it off to other people. Sunny asked us what social media networks we use, from Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and LinkedIn, to some others. Most of us use a few social media networks! I use a wide array of social networks, and am very connected to the Internet. When I post, I keep in mind that I do have past teachers and older adults as friends or followers of my accounts, so I ask myself if things are appropriate for me to share.

Photo credit: https://ontargetinteractive.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/social-.jpg

July 10th –
Another GRE Study Session consisted of practicing vocabulary words and doing practice problems from our Kaplan books.

July 11th –
The evening session “If I Knew Then What I Know Now“ was a speed meeting with past SROP students who were in graduate school. The scholars were sitting at six tables, and we sat down the entire duration, while a graduate student circled around to each table every 10 minutes, and each of them had a specific topic to discuss with us.
One student, Maya, did SROP at University of Iowa some years ago, where she studied African-American mothers and stress. She talked about “building your cabinet” of people, or basically a support system.
Charles was pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education, and commented on “wearing multiple hats” and juggling various responsibilities. He aims to be a faculty member and administrator for student affairs. When he finished reading for the day, he would then focus on self-care and play basketball as his reward.
Nicole is in the process of achieving her MFA in Painting and Drawing, a three-year program. She talked about “department politics” and power structures.
Danielle was in her Ph.D. program for civil engineering, and was researching flood predictions. She commented on being a “Teaching Assistant (TA) versus Research Assistant (RA) versus Graduate Assistant (GA)”. TAs are popular for science disciplines while GAs are commonly found in the social sciences and liberal arts. She is an RA, and wants to do consulting after her program. She is also involved in graduate student government, so grad students can still be involved outside of the classroom! Danielle mentioned that she is the only woman in her classes, which is still a reality in STEM, but is slowly dissolving.
Lastly a student who I think was named Deron (De’Ron?) discussed “time management” in his MFA for printmaking program. He suggested we try to complete assignments one to two weeks before the given deadline, to allocate more time since procrastination is real. He was attracted to UIowa’s program because of the funding and stipends; also, the school’s printmaking program is third in the nation.
I was impressed by the diversity of graduate students and how they all came from various fields and states; a few went straight from undergraduate to graduate school, and it was interesting to hear all their perspectives.

July 12th –
This Research Seminar was on Poster Construction Do’s and Don’ts. Scholars were given a guide for designing our research posters, which we would present at a conference just less than two weeks away. We also received several handouts showing different posters; we went through almost all of them and critiqued each poster. All posters should be concise, with minimal wording and carefully curated diagrams or photos.

Elements of a poster should include, but are not limited to:
– Abstract – Why was this research necessary? What happened? What were the results? What are the implications for this research? This should be a short paragraph or two and should be easily understandable by anyone who reads this abstract.
– Introduction – What is the issue being addressed? What is the gap in the literature?
– Hypothesis – What do I predict will be the outcome(s) from the research?
– Methods – What methods did we use for the research? Was it qualitative or quantitative? This should be very specific and delineate how this research was conducted.
– Results – What were the results? Diagrams would be helpful here in visually representing the results.
– Conclusion – This section is a summary of what the results suggest and what future directions can be taken.

This is a sample research poster from my very own university! White space is necessary for a poster. There should be a balance between white space and the amount of text and images on a poster. It should overall look neat and have an organized structure.

There should be some models/diagrams/photos on the poster so that it is not entirely composed of text. People need to see visuals! Visuals can help draw people in and also aid people’s understanding of complex concepts. Some other elements could include Discussion and Literature Review. References are also another popular section. For my poster, I add in an Acknowledgements section, because I always want to give thanks to people who have helped me with my research. Furthermore, I have to thank Professor Welburn and Sean for allowing me to help them with their project and giving me guidance.

When presenting a poster, there are also some guidelines. Students should practice presenting the data in front of peers, before they present at a conference. Do their peers understand the information and can logically follow the points made on the poster? Students should prepare a two-minute version and five-minute version of their poster speech. They also should not simply read off the poster, but briefly explain the research and then give specifics if people ask. Another piece of advice was to be enthusiastic and lively about the research and the work accomplished. If people come up to you and see that you are energetic and excited, they would feel like you really care about the topic.

This lecture’s presenter also showed us sample letters of recommendation that he wrote for students he has worked with. He even handed out a copy of a student’s personal statement for a Ph.D. program. It was very insightful to read these papers and get the perspectives of a recommender.

July 13th –
A Biochemistry professor spoke to us on the molecular mechanisms of epigenetics. She introduced herself and her educational background. She spent four years in undergrad, four years for her PhD, six years doing postdoctoral work, and five years ago, she established her own lab. Then she gave us a mini lecture on her work. She explained how she studies how epigenetic factors influence gene expression and how the environment (stress, nutrition, exercise, etc. impact a person’s epigenome).

Source: https://harvardmagazine.com/2017/05/is-epigenetics-inherited Learning about epigenetics reminded me of public health, and how environmental exposures and other facets of people’s lives impact their health, even the health of generations of offspring.

Although I took introductory biology and chemistry courses, I never had instruction on epigenetics, so this material was new to me. A fact I learned from the lecture was that there is evidence that genes from a famine in Denmark are affecting people today. The professor said that epigenetic marks are reversible and have substantial therapeutic potential. Her lab works to understand more about chromatin biology and human disease, and help develop therapeutics, which are used for people suffering from disease, pain, or injuries. The professor noted that when seeking funding for research projects, the funders need to be motivated and excited about your topic or your research. I will keep this advice in mind, not just for when I am applying for funding for my research, but for scholarships; I have to make readers excited for me and want to help me achieve my goals.

WEEKEND –
Scholars who had missed a session for various reasons were required to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity again. This was no issue for me; I appreciated the opportunity to get to help out at the warehouse area. We helped restock furniture, move furniture around, assemble some furniture and appliances (lamps and lighting fixtures in particular), measure door frames, sort recyclables, and unload a few truckloads of even more furniture. It was my first time going inside a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and seeing the array of items that people donated and would be eventually reused. We even built a bunk bed. Furniture sold here is marked at affordable prices. For furnishing my own homes/apartments in the future, I now can add a Habitat for Humanity ReStore to the list of places to visit.

This is just one small area of the large warehouse of the Habitat for Humanity – Iowa Valley.

WEEK SEVEN
July 16th –
Natalie conducted our session on self-assessments; it was called “Know Thyself.” This was important because we have to know who we are to write our personal statements and to express ourselves in interviews. She started with asking us if we can define ourselves in one sentence. Statements from scholars like “I am 21 years old,” “I am studying [insert subject/field],” were shot down. Natalie inquired, “What if education and everything else was taken away from you? Who are you then?” What were we besides students?
“You can exist without your achievements.” This statement spoke volumes to me. I am more than my almost-perfect (3.966) GPA, my leadership activities, and my honors and awards. We must not define ourselves by a test score or other numbers or accolades. I define myself by values like “trustworthy,” “caring,” “kind,” and “inquisitive.”

Natalie gave us each a worksheet and a paper with a long list of values, from A-Z order. Using values from the list, we first listed five values that are the MOST important to us, then five values that were important to us, and finally five values that were the least important to us. Furthermore, Natalie wanted us to jot down why these values were important to us and how do we use these values or employ them in action.

My most important values are, in no particular order:
– Adventure
My life craves excitement and discovery. I want to travel the world and to different nook and crannies in America. I love adventure and learning about the world around me. So far, I have done some traveling, and that has kept me eager for more adventures.
– Happiness
I strive to be happy, and this has been a great area of struggle for me, with so many challenges I have encountered in life. Happiness is a universal feeling, but oftentimes I do not find myself in a happy state. To try to achieve this value, I spend time with loved ones, and they contribute positively to my mood. I also can make myself content when I am not with other people; blogging is a source of pride and happiness for me. Helping other people generally makes me happy.
– Friendships
What is life without friends? I have made many new friends in college and they have enriched my life. They have supported me and helped me get through school, and I have just had fun with them as we explored Columbus and hung around school. I make sure to see my friends at least once a week, and I often have a class with at least one of them!
– Family
My family have always been a part of my life, and they are there for me when I need them. My family has helped get me to where I am today. I make time to see my family a few times a semester. I return home for one to two weeks for winter break. Sometimes I am busy traveling to new places and forgo visiting Cleveland. Still, I call my mother once a week, mostly on the weekends, so I can hear her comforting voice.
– Knowledge
Education is one of my lifelines, one of my necessities just like blood. I call myself a lifelong lover of learning; I will always be reading books and online articles to better myself and increase my knowledge of various topics. Many subjects catch my interest. I have a major and two minors because I want to be more well-rounded and educated. While traveling, I try to visit a few museums so I can deepen my understanding of art, history, and different cultures.

For my one-liner, which I did not share out loud with the class but silently wanted to, I wrote down,
“I am someone who found her strength from her struggles.”

Photo Source: https://graceoutreachcenter.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/what-defines-you.jpg                                                                                       What defines you? Can you describe yourself succinctly in one sentence?

July 17th –
We had our usual GRE Study Session, which we all attend after we eat dinner at Burge Hall.

July 18th –
This day, I had a draft of my research poster ready and talked through the layout and content with my mentor, Professor Welburn. I sent her a PDF of my poster and she printed it; I would pick it up later in the office of the Sociology department.

For our session, we had Research Roundtable presentations. We printed out copies of our research abstracts to share with the Scholars at our table, and one faculty mentor/member from University of Iowa was present at each of the four tables around the room to hear us present our abstract and our research projects, and provide us with feedback. This was preparation for the conference next week, and it was also one of the most stressful sessions for me, since I do not like presenting in front of others. Nevertheless, I appreciated getting the chance to hear what my peers were doing and how some of them are really strong presenters and seem to not show any anxiety in front of audiences. Each table would select the scholar from that table who presented the most well, and to eventually stand in front of the entire room to present once more, and be judged. The four scholars presented and the four faculty members decided who was the best presenter. The scholar with the best oral presentation of their research that night was a fellow Buckeye, who I did not meet or know until we both began SROP together in the summer.

July 19th –
Our scheduled session was cancelled, so Scholars had this day to work more on research.

July 20th –
Our last Speaker Series session was presented by a professor in Astronomy and Physics. That night, we had a SROP Talent Show, where scholars had a space to show off their talents and skills. One scholar did a dance and later that night, a SROP-themed parody of an R&B song. Another scholar played his own musical piece on his flute; throughout SROP, when we walked down the hallways of our dorm floor, we would hear his whimsical flute-playing. Another scholar sang a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie,” and one scholar presented a slideshow of her artwork and she even completed a painting during SROP, and passed this around to the audience. I also volunteered for the talent show; when I submitted my name that I was participating, I only had in mind that I would perform a poem. After I elected to be a part of the show, I hurriedly began to brainstorm my poem. It was finished in two days, and then the few days before the show, I was revising the poem, only allowing two SROP scholars to read it and provide me with feedback. The talent show overall was very fun, and just like how multifaceted and unique each of us scholars are, our talents are different as well.

The Arts Building West building holds the Art Library. It is a tranquil place to study. The small pond sometimes will have ducks splashing around in it.

A link to my poem is found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lOQTGLslC5KJqb4pMxXsraARf24LRaubsaPxletvm3w/edit?usp=sharing

WEEKEND –
On July 21st, Scholars took a GRE Post-test, from 10 am to 2 pm, to compare our scores from the beginning of summer. I was relieved to earn higher scores for both the quantitative and verbal sections. However, the test we took was the same as the diagnostic test, except I did have some unfamiliar sets of questions because I knew how to answer a few previous sets. I scored in the 80th or so percentiles for this test, an improvement from last time when I scored in the 44th and 70th-something percentiles. When taking practice tests, I did not write essays, but in hindsight, perhaps I should have spent the time to do so. We printed off our results for the SROP staff’s records.

WEEK EIGHT
July 23rd –
Graduate assistant Sunny presented a session on self-care and support. For this interactive session, Sunny strongly encouraged us to discuss with him about our perceptions of self-care and what questions we had about the topic. We defined what self-care means for us. One scholar said for her, it meant “treating yourself.” Others said that for their self-care, they needed “music,” “solitude,” “stopping and thinking,” and “hanging with friends.” We then did self-assessments, which I believe were related to stress.

During the session, I took some notes related to self-care:
“Start a compliments file.” Sunny practices this activity, and I actually did this back in middle school when I would screenshot compliments that people gave me online. If someone posts something especially sweet and meaningful to me online, I still screenshot it and keep it on my phone in my Photos album.
“Mini-meditation.” I do not currently practice meditation, but it can be something simple and not even time-intensive. It could be something I do right before bed, or when I wake up.
“Unplug for an hour.” My world revolves around using technology and staying connected to my networks through my phone or laptop. I am almost always looking at a screen, if I am not sleeping or doing my personal hygiene routines. I even scroll on my phone as I eat though, so my everyday life activities seem to be consumed by my use of technology. However, by playing games with my friends, I am engrossed in the games and end up not using my phone. Unplugging can be a challenge, especially when I love social media and want to see/know what other people are up to. Unplugging is important and I hope to remember to engage in activities that do not involve me using technology.
“Notice your breathing.” By noticing my breathing, and focusing on only that, I can calm myself down.
“Walk around outside.” This is important and should be done daily. I am sure I can commit to this action and get my daily dose of fresh air.

Near the end of the session, we created our own Distress Tolerance Boxes, which are boxes containing items for self-care and stress-relief. Sunny brought some mini boxes that resembled rectangular take-out containers. He also had some rocks engraved with words like “Friendship” and “Love” and some Chinese finger trap toys. There was also some candy to stash in the boxes. We could decorate our boxes with construction paper and markers. While I liked the concept of the box, I knew I would not be able to bring a box with me in my luggage or in my backpack. I then came up with the idea to make the box into a care package to give to individuals suffering from homelessness; there were some we encountered in Iowa City, and I felt like presenting them with a small box containing goodies and toiletries would be very helpful for them and make their days.

Photo source: https://68.media.tumblr.com/acdc653d145b2cdc879b98933da1d78a/tumblr_nvexc6eF2W1uhd96jo1_500.png                                           A personal care robot from the Disney film Big Hero 6 wants to make sure his owner is taking care of himself. Likewise, he wants others to monitor their wellness, from physical to mental.


July 24th –
Instead of GRE tutoring and preparation, all the Scholars were in one room and we learned about some handy and helpful websites to aid us for graduate and/or professional school.
These websites are:
beyondtheprofessoriate.com – career advice for PhDs, by PhDs – this requires money to join

myidp.sciencecareers.org – my Individual Development Plan –  an account must be created to access materials –
The site provides the following:

  • Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values
  • A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests
  • A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on track
  • Articles and resources to guide you through the process

Imagine PhD – https://www.imaginephd.com/ – FREE career exploration and planning for the humanities and social sciences. An account must be created to access assessments and other resources

versatilephd.com – Helping graduate students and PhDs envision, prepare for, and excel in non-academic careers since 1999
They have a PhD career finder, discussion boards, job listing boards, local meet-ups and more.

Slack – https://slack.com/ – a chat app used by graduate students to collaborate and to chat, and is also utilized by teams/groups of people in workforce and business
This is FREE for small groups of people, for unlimited time. The other two plans cost money, monthly.

The GRE instructors we had for the summer informed us to go to conferences, to look at success stories, and to not let the competitiveness of a program deter us from applying! They also told us about academic Twitter; we could have a separate Twitter account for academic and professional purposes, to network with other people in our fields and disciplines and to share our achievements, aside from our personal and private accounts.

July 25th –
We had a SROP Closing Luncheon, where Scholars and their faculty mentors and some graduate students had lunch together and mingled. Ms. Diana gave a speech and thanked everyone for being in the program. At the end of the lunch, I presented my poem!

After this luncheon, the summer undergraduate research conference (SURC) began; it was from 1 to 5 pm, and students were placed into one of two sessions, so they were not presenting for a full four hours, but only two hours. Still, I was extremely anxious and did not want to present. I often have a concern that my research is not good enough, that I did not get enough research done and could have done mucmore, and other worries. I had several people stop by my poster. One sociology student who was at University of Iowa came up to me to discuss my research. I even printed out 20 business cards to hand out to people.

I appreciate the poster having a glossy finish. It should be resistant to water and other damages. It is also text-heavy, which can deter people from approaching the poster. I just like providing ample information for people.

July 26th –
This was a free day for many scholars, besides our awards ceremony that evening. Some scholars were busy printing their posters somewhere around campus. With two friends and my SROP roommate, we went to the medical side of University of Iowa’s campus and got food from food trucks. I tried some delicious gyros. Then we went to the mall to purchase a gift for Ms. Sproles: a Bath & Body Works candle, soap, and lotion, all wrapped up in pretty paper. I also went to some stores downtown for the last time. I really liked the White Rabbit boutique and the Blick Arts Materials, which was where I purchased my tube to hold my research poster. I also quickly toured the Natural History museum on campus; I had been meaning on going to the museum for all of summer, but on my very last day, I finally was able to venture in and look at the history of Iowa and the many taxidermied animals in its various exhibits.

At the beginning of summer, I saw a mere outline of this mural. On my last full day in Iowa City, I finally got to see the finished product.

In the evening, we had a Closing Session and Awards Ceremony. Earlier in the week, we all turned in completed sheets of “SROP Superlatives,” where we nominated scholars for various awards such as “Best Motivator,” “Best Trio,” “Most Likely to Achieve World Peace,” “The World Traveler,” and other fun awards. There were about a dozen superlatives in total. The SROP staff also gave out certificates of completion to everyone, and then gave additional awards to the scholars who did exceptionally well in the program. I received “Best Motivator,” and tied with another scholar for “Most Studious.” I also received the highest votes for “People’s Choice Award for Talent Show.” Outside of the visual arts building where the ceremony was held, a bunch of scholars took group photos, and we walked next door to the arts building to view an art showcase, with art from high school students who were also here in Iowa for some time during the summer. At night, a small handful of us went to a rooftop restaurant to see what Iowa City looked like from up above. While I was feeling sad that SROP was ending, I was still trying to make the most of my limited time and enjoy every moment with my friends.

I will miss my peers so much.

July 27th –
This was Departure Day, a very bittersweet day, and the last time I would likely see all the Scholars in one place. In the early morning, three scholars from Puerto Rico began their journey home. The remainder of us were able to eat breakfast at Burge and gather in the lobby to check out of Burge Hall, where we waited to be picked up by Ms. Sproles, Natalie, and Sunny to be taken to the airport in Cedar Rapids.

We exchanged many hugs, said goodbyes/see you laters, and shed some tears. While we waited in the airport terminals, some of us played card games, while others listened to music. I was about to board my plane before I turned to see my closest friends from SROP yell out “Bye” and wave at me.

The Cedar Rapids airport is fairly small. The staff are all pleasant from the encounters I have had.

Reflection

My summer was fruitful and full of learning, new experiences, and challenges. I am thankful for the myriad of opportunities to learn about a variety of fields, from biochemistry to physics to public policy, and to speak with some graduate students and faculty members. I also am grateful to have gotten to know some academically competitive, talented, and kind scholars from across America and Puerto Rico. Because of my eight-week experience, I am better prepared for my graduate studies, and have a strong CV and personal statement for my application to my program. I understand much more of what being in graduate school is like, what the process is for finding funding, and what it is like to be in academia. I really enjoyed getting to hear multiple perspectives each day of the program.

Also important, this was my first intensive experience conducting research, and contributing to a faculty member’s work. I engaged in qualitative research coding and analysis, which helped reinforce my desire to pursue qualitative methods. Although my research project was not explicitly public health, it related to public health because it involved studying experiences of a marginalized and vulnerable group: first-generation college students, with living, working, and attending school at The University of Iowa. I was able to read 15 interview transcripts and learned a considerable deal of these students’ backgrounds and some of their challenges, like substandard housing conditions (doors not locking, mold, and general uncleanliness), and 60% of them working two jobs to help make ends meet. These interviews were eye-opening and contributed to my understanding of how the quality and affordability of housing are especially influential in students’ health and wellbeing, and even their academic outcomes.

Besides the academic and professional growth, I also experienced personal growth, as I developed relationships with people. My interactions with friends and staff helped me become better aware of different cultures and backgrounds. My worldview has tremendously expanded because of my friends from California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Iowa. Even my fellow Ohio State scholar was someone who I had never interacted with before SROP, and I learned so much about him; he is in a different public health specialization than me, and he is also pre-med, so I was able to learn about the perspectives of a pre-med student and support him as he took his MCAT halfway through SROP. I highly suggest for undergraduates to get involved in research, including immersive and transformative experiences such as a Summer Research Opportunities Program.

Resources
Link to University of Iowa’s Summer Research Opportunities Program: https://www.grad.uiowa.edu/ogi/srop

Please see an upcoming post on “Applying to SROP” for details on the months-long application process and how I prepared for SROP! Hopefully the post will aid in people getting accepted to a program. More resources will be listed in the post.

YSP Summer Bridge Experience 2017 – Peer Leadership

This summer, I was like a duck to baby ducklings entering the giant pond that is college! Before this summer, I did not know how much impact I could have in the lives of incoming freshmen. However, as a Summer Bridge Experience Peer Leader for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion – Young Scholars Program (a program which I have been in since 2010), I took in a group of 10 scholars under my wing (three males, seven females). Each of the 12 Peer Leaders had around this number of freshmen to mentor and guide. Our groups are called our families. Since I just completed SBE the previous summer, I still had fresh knowledge of the experience that would enable me to effectively mentor the incoming scholars.

Analogy of me guiding young ones and preparing them for college life! In actuality, my Scholars were born the same year as me or the year after. http://www.acuteaday.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/duck-mother-with-ducklings.jpg

From July 30th through August 18th, 2017, I played a vital role in helping the 118 Young Scholars of OSU’s Class of 2021 participate and thrive in this three-week summer bridge program. This program is mandatory but will be transformational. It can be intimidating since students are in a huge place and they don’t know their way around. After the three-week summer bridge program, they WILL be able to navigate campus without much problem. The overview of the Summer Bridge Experience includes college success seminars (college success, professional development, and scholarship services). In these seminars, students discuss diversity, campus climate and social integration. Furthermore, they work through figuring out their career goals and how to prepare for them. They learn to interpret their financial aid and about financial wellness. Their academic core classes include an English, math or statistics, and an elective of either chemistry, physics, economics, or psychology. These classes will help prepare them for the challenge of a four-year college institution. Lastly, there’s time allotted to do rec sports and wellness workshops!

The 12 Peer Leaders serving during Bridge were all rising sophomores, while one was a rising junior. After applying and interviewing for the role, we were chosen because the YSP staff believed that each of us had something unique to contribute to Bridge. We have knowledge about OSU and college life, and want to help younger cohorts be successful in college. For the first week of Bridge, we physically lead them to their classes and other locations. Then they can get to their classes themselves for the most part. We’re still available to guide, if needed. But there’s so much more than that. We help with any issues they’re having; they may be feeling homesick, or overwhelmed because they slowly realize that they will indeed be college students, and that high-school level attitudes and work ethics do not cut it here at OSU. The Peer Leaders are a resource for these students. We offer advice and also listen to them and work with them to make sure they can make the most of their first year of college. The months leading up to Summer Bridge, my excitement for them increased!

TRAINING

Wednesday, 7/26 – We checked into Siebert Hall where we’ll stay for a few days. Training is at Hale Hall, across the street. We received our Peer Leader Training Manuals! We reviewed the Young Scholars Program (YSP) policies and procedures. We discussed pre-college student success services as well as the undergraduate student success services such as the success coaches, academic success partners, and freshman seminars. We did an activity where we were divided into two groups and one group drew what a good Peer Leader looked and acted like, and the other group drew what a bad one would resemble. Finally, we reviewed Chapter One of Students Helping Students: Peer Educators on the College Campus.

Thursday, 7/27 –
We did Conflict Resolution role-plays; scenarios are based off of true incidents that have occurred in YSP. I paired up with my outgoing friend Anthony and he played the role of a student whose grandmother just died and he wanted to go home and never return to OSU. I was the Peer Leader and my peers and supervisors informed me that I acted well!! I went close to Anthony and asked if he was alright. I talked with him through his decision to leave college. Although the death was a sad loss since his grandma was close to him, I reminded the student that he should go to college for his grandma and make her proud. I also asked if he’d be comfortable talking with the Bridge coordinators about this, so we could come up with solutions and not have him miss out on college and his YSP scholarship. This fictional scenario felt real when I stepped into my role.

We learned about Leadership Dichotomies: Practical Leadership Approaches, presented by Kris Y. Coleman, J.D., MBA and Program Director of The Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Post-Baccalaureate Preparation Program (which is also called Tri-P). Different situations require different leadership approaches, and authenticity is the crucial element in leadership. Ms. Coleman claims that there are 12 different dichotomous tools to use:
1. Control and/or Empower
2. Respect and/or Fear
3. Advocate and/or Enable
4. Astute and/or Obtuse
5. Decisive and/or Collaborative
6. Introvert and/or Extrovert
7. Morality and/or Integrity
8. Judge and/or Ascertain
9. Condescend and/or Relate
10. Platitude and/or Praise
11. Body language and/or Verbal language
12. Sympathy and/or Empathy

I feel that my leadership style involves being introverted, empowering, and respectful. I won’t be the first to speak in the room, but I am still a warm, motivating presence to others. I’m there for others and never have an attitude. I listen while not being judging, but trying to step into the person’s shoes to fully assess the situation along with them.

Friday, 7/28
We discussed Chapter Four of Students Helping Students, which is focused on Interpersonal Communication Skills and creating the helping interaction. It’s easy to give advice to others; however, that’s directed interaction and it’s talking to the other individual, whereas in interpersonal communication, interaction is collaborative and you’d be talking with the person. After practicing icebreakers, we went to RPAC (rec center) to learn how to give tours to our own students! Then we designed and created door decorations for the students in our families! I printed and cut out Harry Potter house crest signs for my group! Other Peer Leaders had Pac Mans, cameras, keys, puzzle pieces, Lego pieces, and more.

The Harry Potter house crest door decorations I created for the Scholars in my family

 

Another PL, Zach, made himself Pac Man and his Scholars the ghosts he was chasing


Saturday, 7/29, we had the day off to rest and prepare for the gigantic class. The Peer Leaders moved to Lawrence Tower. I was assigned to Group 1 (out of a possible four groups) for the workshops in the morning. I would just need to take attendance of the students there. Additionally, the PLs were divided evenly into taking attendance at the Chemistry, Economics, Physics, and Psychology classes; in other words, three PLs per class. I was placed into Economics. I have never taken economics during high school or college, so this will be interesting. I may actually pay attention in the class as well, to further my knowledge and see if I can help the students too!

WEEK ONE OF SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Sunday, 7/30 – Move In Day!
The 12 of us, along with the YSP staff, gathered around 8 am to set up the environment for the Scholars. Debbie and I chose to be stationed outside to direct traffic and the Young Scholars the right way to get their belongings unloaded, then the car parked in a lot across the street. She was on one corner and I was down on another. Young Scholars were told to display an orange sheet of paper with the YSP logo on it on the car’s dashboard, so that’s what we were trying to look for when eyeing the sea of vehicles that continuously whizzed by us. While move-in wasn’t scheduled until 9 am, we had some early birds by the time we were down in Lawrence’s lobby preparing. Later, another PL Anthony came to help Debbie and I, since Lawrence Tower has several apartments around it and some people were confused which building it was. What made the time go by was Debbie dancing as she was standing on the sidewalk and pointing the directions to go. She got happy honks from drivers. I cannot dance, so I swung my arms around. The other PLs helped unload belongings into red carts, wheel them into the Scholars’ rooms, unload the things, and bring the carts down. It was a strenuous three or four hours but nearly all the Scholars made it within the time frame! At one point, around 11 am, many flooded in, and we had a line of cars/vans in a procession waiting to be unloaded. The line stretched for a block and more! What made it more challenging was that we had another Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI) summer program which had participants coming in at the same time that the Young Scholars were!! A pedestrian walking past even asked what was happening. It made me fatigued; I am thankful a supervisor came to give us water! (Also my brother is one of the Young Scholars in Summer Bridge this year, and I could recognize our dad’s SUV from far away!)

Students checked in and received their room key, and YSP provided them with three meal passes (totaling $30) and all-day parking passes. They had time before our Summer Bridge Student Welcome & Family Orientation Event at 1 pm over in Hitchcock Hall. We disbursed student folders, which had their schedules, information, and paperwork to be completed. We also collected BuckID cards when the families were done with lunch. The session involved a warm welcome from all the YSP staff: the Director, Assistant Director, Program Manager, and the two Program Coordinators. A few PLs spoke and gave words of wisdom and raised morale. All the PLs also were lined up in the front of the room for a couple minutes so students could realize who we were! I did not know what any of my students looked like, so I was excited.

Peer Leaders in matching polos and khakis.

Afterwards, we had free time and at 5:30 pm, the 12 PLs gathered the 118 students in the lobby of Lawrence and one by one, each PL would call our group members’ names to bring them outside. I took my group/family to a shady area by the NROTC building. I introduced myself, then had my 10 students introduce themselves, and then we all created a family GroupMe. We did an icebreaker (“I’m a Buckeye and you’re a Buckeye too if …”) and then did a Family Chat, which I was instructed to do by the YSP staff. The topic was social media and its impact on college students’ lives. We did not have a discussion, but I asked questions such as what social media accounts the students had, what do they post, are they private, and do they use their real name? I understood that this was a long day for them and many had to get up early at 6 or so in the morning, so we ended quickly. I answered questions and said that the rest of the day was free to do whatever.

Monday, July 31st – First Day of Summer Bridge Classes

The day goes like this:

  • ODI Workshops – 4 different groups of scholars, randomly divided
  • Academic Core – 4 classes (Chemistry, Psychology, Physics, Economics)
  • Mathematics or Data Analysis (Statistics) – Math 1050, 1075, 1075, 1148, 1148, 1150 and 1151 (7 math classes) and 1 statistics
    • The math classes have a supply of iPads (YSP has used the same ones since I was in eighth grade)
  • Lunch
  • English and Research Methods – 4 English classes and one Research Methods
  • Afternoon Workshops (if applicable)
  • Dinner/Free Time
  • Evening Activity (if applicable)

The first day was very eventful. We had a student with the stomach flu, and several were lost. Scholars needed to have schedules on them at all times, and should be using the Ohio State app or Google Maps or Maps app for iPhones. Their PLs should not be reminding them which class to go to next. (The first week in general could be described as conditions being hectic, hot and hungry.)
In the afternoon, the students had a Campus Police safety presentation. While the students learned about this, the PLs and YSP staff assembled to debrief on the day and discuss what went well and what didn’t. In the evening, we had a welcome event at the RPAC, where a wellness director talked to us. The Wellness Center provided ice cream of all kinds (Drumsticks, Oreo sandwiches, popsicles). They also had a sign-up station for Zumba, yoga, crate stacking/rock climbing, or personal training. All students had to choose at least one session to attend. There was a space in the RPAC for coloring pages, playing cards, and giant Jenga. I had another Peer Family meeting with them to discuss basic rules (be down in Lawrence lobby by 7:25 am to be led to their classes, no open foods in the dorms to prevent ants, have your school supplies and backpack, communicate in the group chat, etc.)

Tuesday, August 1st –
PLs led students to their classes. In the evening we had an introduction session from RPAC and students went on tours of the facility. There were always some who wanted to leave and do homework, but they were required to stay for the duration of the program. Therefore, we suggested that the students hang out in the Nike Lounge in the basement of the RPAC. There’s a pool table, couches and game consoles.

Wednesday, August 2nd –
Full day of workshops and classes again. Every day during the first week of Bridge, the PLs gathered with the YSP staff to do a debrief meeting, and troubleshoot any issues. We could bring up anything we noticed among the students and work to find solutions.  Groups 1 and 2 had a wellness presentation in the RPAC (topics covered most likely were condom club, nutrition and financial wellness) Back in Lawrence at night, we invited anyone interested to play the game Mafia. There’s a conference room on the 11th floor with enough tables and chairs to have at least 20 people.

Thursday, August 3rd –
After classes, students had a presentation from OSU Libraries about employment opportunities. Then I held a family meeting to discuss their feelings towards bridge and about school involvement, including informing them about the Involvement Fair! I reminded them to respond to my group chat messages and like them to indicate that they read the messages. Furthermore, I suggested that they budget their money and begin packing. Then we headed towards Lawrence Tower to catch a bus to the Adventure Recreation Center (ARC). All Scholars had to come; those who signed up for Crate Stacking and Rock Wall Climbing would participate and the others had to be in the building. There’s cardio equipment, basketball courts, and turf fields for running or playing soccer. I played soccer with a few of my Scholars as well as other people, including my younger brother! This was my first soccer game, so I was not the best by far. At night, I played the Mafia game with other Peer Leaders and Scholars. This was a way to get to know each other better and wind down. We also all packed a moderate amount in preparation for the next day, which is move in. To end the day, I informed my group about upcoming weekend events such as Gallery Hop and Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday.

A soccer field at the ARC

Friday, August 4th – Move Into Permanent Housing
Today was an exciting day because we all were able to move into our permanent dorms for the academic year. There were no ODI workshops, to allow for everyone to receive more sleep, so just academic class, math, and English. Throughout the morning/early afternoon, PLs had one-on-one debrief sessions with the Program Manager LaNorris or Program Coordinator Marissa. We could disclose how we personally felt about Bridge. I actually believed that I was a weak PL since I do not speak often and do not assert myself. However, Mr. LaNorris told me that my thought was not accurate; I was strong and competent after all. Afterwards, I met with my freshman year Success Coach Alvian, who is also a YSP Program Coordinator (and graduated with a B.S. in Public Health in 2015!) The Peer Leaders, after taking attendance for their English classes, began packing. We used a notebook to keep a numbered list of which Scholars would be moving out first. At 3 pm, two of my Scholars in my family were already in the lobby because they speed-walked and wrote their names on the list. I was flabbergasted at how quickly they arrived to Lawrence Tower and how eager they were to get out of it! They were the first ones to leave. Young Scholars Program staff came with ginormous SUVs to take the Scholars. The process went by smoothly and efficiently; the PLs were able to be transported in the SUVs around 7 pm. I could not believe that one week had already passed, and was thankful that we had ironed out the rough edges during the week. During the weekend, most of my Scholars had went back home to pick up more items. I would have liked to spend some time with them, but they were busy. Instead, I went on my first Gallery Hop with two close friends/fellow PLs. Furthermore, Mr. Lanorris stated that it is important for me to relax and do self-care.

WEEK TWO OF SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Beginning this week, the students can get to their classes independently (ideally). The PLs do not escort them. To my chagrin, there were still several students late to their classes daily, some were repeat offenders from the previous week. Some said they overslept but a PL retorted that that is not a valid excuse.

A screenshot of what the Ohio State app looks like – All students should get this!

Monday, August 7th –
The majority of the time after I take attendance for my classes, I leave the class. However, I enjoy sitting in on the Economics class because the teacher is so engaging. I learn from his class too because he provides a plethora of examples. He told the class the secret to becoming rich: “Buy low, and sell high.” Later, my family and I came to a consensus to have our Family Meeting after English. I reserved a room in Thompson Library for the 11 of us, and they all were mostly on time. Our meeting lasted about 45 minutes, the longest meeting we had! This was a good thing. We learned about each others’ birthdays and then did a few icebreakers. (One of my favorites was reading out loud a random fun fact and then telling the student “Name five [objects, people, etc.] in 10 seconds.” Our conversation included their weekend plans and their thoughts on their dorm assignments. We discussed what jobs they were looking for and most said Office Assistant or library jobs, or Hale Hall. Also, I wrote out questions on slips of paper and the students randomly chose a slip to read off of and answer out loud. The meeting had lots of laughs and joking around. Finally, we reached the assigned Family Chat Topic, which was about study habits. I asked how they all studied and received a mix of answers (memorization, flash cards, study groups, depending on the subject). Most of them also claim to be procrastinators. I am the total opposite, with a Type-A get-it-done mentality. I shared some study tips. Additionally, we talked about which subjects they were most concerned about and would likely request tutoring for. I made a list of these classes to try to look up resources. The evening activity was indoor volleyball and dodge-ball; Scholars could go anywhere in the RPAC as long as they did not leave until 8 pm. I saw many of them playing ping-pong, using an exercise bike, or doing homework, or simply sitting around on their phone.

Tuesday, August 8th –
Another normal day of classes, followed by OSU Libraries Employment Opportunities Job Fair, held specifically for the Young Scholars Program. Many students were not interested in working for a library, so we suggested networking for 15 minutes before leaving. After dinner there was a Zumba fitness class, and everyone had to be at the RPAC regardless of whether they signed up for the class or not. I spoke with a student who I didn’t know much about, so I was glad to be deepening a connection and actually learning details about her. She’s a Cleveland Young Scholar, like me, but we had never had a conversation until now. Meanwhile, there were students who checked the clock constantly for it to be 8 pm to be dismissed from the evening activity, and as soon as the time changed to exactly that, they immediately exited the RPAC.

University Libraries employs many students for Federal Work-Study in various positions! Several Young Scholars were called back for interviews within a day of applying.

Wednesday, August 9th –
In the evening, I held another family meeting, in the same room I reserved before at Thompson. We had an hour reserved. I began with asking what the Scholars remembered about me. In general, they guessed the city I hailed from (Cleveland). One of them knew my exact birthday, while others knew the month. Nobody remembered my major, so I repeated it to them. Next we did a short icebreaker of Two Truths and a Lie, which is commonly used but doesn’t take a lot of time to complete. The other icebreakers I had in mind would require us to be outside and loud. My family had trouble figuring out which was my lie! Next, we quickly went over who wanted help with resumes! Then we went into our Family Chat Topic, which was about the highs and lows of my college experience. To begin, I brought back the question I asked when I first met the group: “What are you looking forward to in college?” Some responses were: being away from home; getting the whole college experience; making friends; graduating; and football games. I shared mine when I entered Bridge: being independent and in a new environment and just growing as a person in general. Following this was the worries we had. Mine were academically adjusting to the rigors of a reputable university and staying in school. Some of their worries were the overwhelming class sizes, writing papers, and managing their time. Making note of these concerns, I moved onwards to briefly describing my High and Low points of my first year, going from how I did during bridge and then how I progressed. The meeting ended with me assuring the students that there’s going to be ups and downs expected but they can survive, and I quoted “Stars cannot shine without darkness.” My family erupted in laughs and support. At night, the PLs gathered for an exclusive potluck. We celebrated making it halfway through bridge!

Thursday, August 10th –
In the morning I was able to sleep in (Group 1 had no workshop and Economics had office hours), and then I just had to take attendance for math and Research Methods. The afternoon workshop was held by the Office of International Affairs, addressing the entire cohort, in Hale Hall. It was great information, from several speakers, including students who had previously studied abroad. At 6 pm, there was a personal training presentation at the RPAC, with my best friend and I being the PLs assigned to take attendance for it. A certified personal trainer described the various facets of training (full body workouts, exercise equipment types, cardio, strength training, and resources that rec sports offered). Today was a more relaxed today and I felt like we had no major issues. However, I did have one of my Scholars arrive to the study abroad presentation half an hour late. Tardiness is not tolerated, and it bothered me because we were halfway through with bridge and it made no sense to be that late. At the end of the day, in GroupMe I messaged some more reminders! I also helped two Scholars in my family with their resumes!

Friday, August 11th –
This was a good day. In the morning, the entire YSP cohort went to Hale Hall for a presentation from various ODI speakers about tutoring and work-study opportunities. Many Scholars were interested in working at one of the desks/offices in the building because it was not strenuous work and would give them time to study. Furthermore, the hours are flexible and include availability on the weekends! A few of the people in my family indicated that they’d apply for a position. Later on in the day, my family and I were supposed to have a peer family meeting, but we agreed to postpone our meeting until the following week. At 9 pm, some PLs and Scholars joined up for more Mafia! I was actually narrator for one round and I struggled with coming up with scenarios of how the individuals were killed. Also there was cheating in the game, which we had never encountered while playing before.

Saturday, August 12th –
From 11 am to 1 pm, ODI had a special event on Saturday which involved bringing in YSP alumni to serve on a panel and meet the incoming freshmen! The YSP Alumni Association had representatives come from as far as Los Angeles to talk about their experiences as well as offer words of wisdom. There was time for question and answers. Then we had a catered lunch. Finally, we had a YSP cohort photo immediately after the panel on the steps of the Public Affairs building. This was a great time because the Scholars all wore the same shirt which made them feel united. The PLs coordinated with red polo shirts, so we felt included as well. Additionally, my own family wanted to take a group photo (all the girls were present while all the males returned home).

YSP – 2017 Cohort
(OSU Class of 2021)

The Peer Leaders for Bridge 2017! The dream team!

The females in my family! A lovely group of girls.

WEEK THREE OF SUMMER BRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Monday, August 14th –
I had a family meeting in Hagerty Hall by the café area, and we did an icebreaker before I discussed mental health resources and physical health resources. The Student Wellness Center, Counseling & Consultation Services, and Rec Sports were mentioned. Additionally, I disclosed my own struggles with mental health and self-care.

Tuesday, August 15th –
My family meeting was after English and we had a shorter session, with less information provided. The family chat topic of the day was Accountability Among Peers. The family requested that we not do an icebreaker. I asked if it bothered my family that I did not smile much. They said “No”, and they said they respected me and liked me. What’s important is that I remain true to my authentic self. I asked what accountability meant and examples of how to employ that characteristic. Then I provided advice of how to be accountable in various areas, whether that be work or school or with roommates or friends.
Battleship was an optional evening activity and had a maximum of 75 participants. In the game, there were six teams, one team per canoe. Each team could have four people, and they were provided with two buckets. They had no oars, so had to use their hands to move the boat. Their goal was to be the last canoe floating by trying to dump water onto other people’s canoes so they’d sink. There were three rounds, and we had a good turn out of people! There were several who watched the battle, and I enjoyed spectating too. Two of my Scholars were on a winning team!

Battleship was a great activity. Two of my Scholars participated and three came to watch.

Wednesday, August 16th –
The 8 am sessions were facilitated by the PLs according to their groups: 1, 2, 3 or 4. The PLs all made Kahoot games for their groups. They asked questions to test what the Scholars knew. “How much are Swipes worth?” “What service on campus can provide safe rides for you during 7 pm through 3 am?” We also included questions about all the PLs to help them get to know us better. This was the last week of Bridge, and we had a good handful who did not which PL was which. We had some people who did not know what about our majors. There are 12 PLs, so I can understand that to an extent. It was overall a great session, with the students gaining knowledge or reinforcing concepts they had learned previously. My group had 25 questions, and we stopped in between questions to explain ideas in detail!
This day, we also had more sick students having to go to the Minute Clinic or emergency rooms. It has been quite an eventful Bridge. It has made me more attentive to how people show their symptoms. It can be very subtle, like a flushed face or sunken-in eyes. Although I have to adjust my personal plans to accompany the Scholars, I am helping people, so I cannot be remorseful for it.
Later, during Research Methods, I walked around to assist students with creating their research posters, which they’ll present on Friday. The afternoon workshop was about wellness center coaching in the PAES Smart Lab on the 4th floor, but nobody arrived, so we dismissed the Scholars after 20 minutes of waiting.
At 7 pm, another PL and I brought our families together to walk over to Mad Mex, a restaurant on South campus, to eat Mexican-style food for dinner! This was my first and only family dinner, and the last time we would meet to have a conversation. Our family chat topic was Balancing Home Life and College Life. I genuinely enjoyed the dinner! I learned that most of the Scholars were inducted into YSP a year ago (in 2016) or in junior year. Meanwhile I was inducted in the 6th grade, and we are colloquially called “the Originals.” Nonetheless, I beamed when my Scholars asked me questions about what I liked in terms of movies and sports.

Our family photo! @Gateway, outside Mad Mex

Thursday, August 17th –
The ODI workshop entailed the YSP cohort meeting their ASPs (Academic Success Partners!) These people are generally junior or senior year undergraduates who are employed to mentor a group of Scholars throughout their freshman year. They meet weekly or biweekly for at least an hour. The evening activity was the ODI Early Arrival Programs Mixer, with about 300 students from the Young Scholars Program, Morrill Scholars Program, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, and Bell National Resource Center. The PLs helped the Scholars mingle. There was Italian shaved ice and a DJ playing music and announcing giveaways. The Scholars could enter raffles to win festival tickets and even Kendrick Lamar concert tickets! The Scholars met new people and had a great time dancing and socializing.

Friday, August 18th – Culmination of Summer Bridge Experience 2017
At 8 am, we had the YSP Closing Session and Evaluation. I was excited to give out the superlatives to my Scholars. All the PLs colored in a trophy sheet template for their families. After a speech from Ms. Chila, the Assistant Director, we had Scholars complete an evaluation of Bridge, with questions about their courses and about their PLs. The PLs left the room to avoid biasing the survey results. We then passed out our superlatives and it was heartwarming to me because we saw how not only the Scholars had grown, but how we ourselves had prospered.

Superlatives I created for my family, with a specific and special motivational quote for each Scholar

We still had academic core, math, and English classes. Furthermore, the Research Methods class had poster presentations occurring from 2:45 to 4 pm. This allowed the class enough time to print their posters, which were suggested to be 36″ by 48″ (3 feet by 4 feet). ODI provided them with printing money. There were printing issues, which happened last year as well. Some students could not print their posters, so had to resort to normal size 8 by 11 inch sheets to pin up onto the boards. At Hale Hall, faculty from around campus were invited to come see the posters and engage with the Scholars. The 17 of them were the guest judged. YSP encourages all Scholars to get involved in undergraduate research at some point! This poster forum can serve as a catalyst for students to be more inquisitive and creative. I was impressed at how the posters were all detailed and well-designed.

Research Methods Poster Presentation Winners 2017 – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place (left to right) Their topics were child abuse, prostitution, and renewable energy, in that order. The one on the right is my brother!

 

23 presentations in progress

The evening activity was the ODI Early Arrival Program Basketball/Dodgeball Tournament, at the ARC. Here, YSP, MSP, LSAMP, and BNRC were mixed together on teams so that it wasn’t entire ODI programs competing against each other. We do not want rivalry, but cooperation and coexisting. This was the final ODI event and marked the official end of Bridge 2017!

REFLECTION

Summer Bridge Experience allowed me to strengthen my leadership, empathy, communication, and problem-solving skills.  I refined my speaking skills through my staff debrief meetings as well as through my Family Chats. I had to remain open-minded when understanding conflict. Also, Bridge tested my patience. With the issues of tardiness, absences, lost schedules/school supplies/IDs, and disrespectful attitudes we encountered, we had to remain calm and positive. At times, I had to drop what I was doing and immediately rush into action for the students. I helped search for missing lanyards and whatnot. I skipped or delayed meals to take students to get medical care. This reflects my mission of putting the Scholars first. My job/priority was taking care of the students, especially the ones in my own group/family, but making myself available and extending my help to others as well.

I built relationships with multiple students, especially in my family. I gave my insight and fostered a nurturing, supportive environment where students could ask questions and learn about campus/community resources. I encouraged them to have a healthy self esteem and to aspire for greatness by setting high but achievable goals for themselves. A college education is valuable, and especially when most/all of it is paid for by YSP, it is important that they complete college. Although it would be nice if some Scholars looked up to me, if I could just instill in the Scholars a sense of purpose, I will be satisfied.

I was not provided a stipend at all for being a PL, but my early move-in and meals were covered. I would suggest this opportunity to be a Peer Leader to other Young Scholars who want to give back to the program while serving and leading. The experience was worthwhile.

“Until you cross the bridge of your insecurities, you can’t begin to explore your possibilities.” – Tim Fargo

KEY:Abbreviations and Acronyms

ODI – Office of Diversity & Inclusion
YSP – Young Scholars Program
PL – Peer Leader
ASP – Academic Success Partner
Bridge – Summer Bridge Experience
BNRC – Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male
MSP – Morrill Scholars Program
LSAMP – Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation
Hale Hall – the hub and headquarters of ODI; official name of the location is Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center

Build bridges for student success. I am pictured with fellow PL Anthony (in red polo). In between are two Scholars. One of them was in my Family.

NEOMED Work

This summer, I had an interesting employment opportunity. I was employed by Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and while I was listed as working primarily at the NEOMED-CSU Partnership Building at Cleveland State University, in reality, I was able to spend time as a supervisor not just at CSU’s campus but also spent a week at a library and a few days at a rural college. This was truly a unique summer job and this is solely because of my great relationship with a NEOMED Health Profession Program Pipeline Coordinator named Ms. Johnson! I’ve known her for about 4 years now, and she’s all over northeast Ohio running programs and going to different high schools. During the summer, she’s also busy with different programs. She’s a wonder woman and one of the hugest role models in my life.
Here’s how my summer went:

June 12-30, I supervised at the CHAMPS (Careers in Health and Medical Professions) program at Cleveland State University. This three-week summer camp provides high school students with skills and knowledge about health/medicine through hands-on activities like labs and field trips. I LOVED being with CHAMPS!

Mad about microbio

The link to my comprehensive blog post on CHAMPS is here:
https://u.osu.edu/dang157hseportfolio/2017/06/21/champs-careers-in-health-and-medical-professions/

July 3-7, I participated in and helped execute a NEOMED-sponsored Academic Boot Camp at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Cleveland near University Circle and my high school. This camp involved financial literacy (taught by a credit strategist), ACT tutoring, math and science teaching, as well as leadership training. I learned a lot during this short week. High school and college students could attend this event. We had majority high school students, mostly rising juniors and seniors, and about five rising college freshmen. I was the only college sophomore present.

The financial literacy instructor Mrs. Murphy-Williams was phenomenal and extremely effective in getting her messages across to us! I could actually listen to her talk about finances for hours. She just has a voice and charisma that draws your attention. From her, I learned that everyone has a brand. It’s how people perceive them or remember them by. I believe my brand is that I am sweet, determined and hardworking. Many people, especially those close to me, have described me using these traits.
My elevator speech (a quick way to introduce myself) would most likely resemble this:

Hello, my name is Melinda. I am a rising sophomore at The Ohio State University studying Public Health with a Sociology specialization and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
I am an ambitious go-getter who always wants to help others. I tend to be competitive but my drive is so strong and I never procrastinate. I’m a person who can be relied on to get the job done.
I am passionate about equity and access to high quality, affordable healthcare and education for all. My goals are to reduce racism/discrimination and health disparities, and prevent poverty. I want to improve lives for people worldwide. My future goals also include obtaining my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Health Behavior and Health Promotion in five years.

Mrs. Murphy provided us with so much valuable information – a sheet with 50 of the most common interview questions and booklets relating to credit history/scores and background checks. We also had sheets about budgeting.
Furthermore, this pro directed us to collect all coins we had, even the disrespected pennies in society – they add up over time!

Image result for financial literacy clip art

Edutopia clip art relating to financial literacy – Save and make more money than what you spend.

Her plethora of tips are listed below:

* Don’t share personal info. Don’t put out your birthday for others to know and use against you to steal your identity!
*A credit card is part of your brand.
*Everyone you meet is secretly interviewing you. First impressions matter so much!

* Avoid payday loans if you can.
* Don’t spend money faster than you make it.
* Credit is not about how much you have, it’s about WHO you have credit with.
* Have a beneficiary card or Upon Death card with your bank so that your account money can go to your loved ones (younger sibling or parents or children) and not the state.
* Never co-sign or be on your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner’s plan for anything. Money and love should be separate. Good advice!
* Be careful with your debit card. Leave it at home if you do not have a purpose for using it. Carrying it around makes you more inclined to buy.
* Don’t keep all your personal information in one place, like your purse. If that’s stolen, then you lose everything.
* Make sure your voicemail message, email address and signature, and social media accounts are appropriate and represent you well. Employers and schools check your presence online!
* Do things for other people so that they can do things for you one day.
* Do things that matter, and know what you want.
* Every 12 months, check your free three credit reports using www.annualcreditreport.com
Other tips she had were to bring a can opener to your college dorm and to have a side-hustle (selling $1 water bottles at games).

Another component of the camp was leadership training; people from Effective Leadership Academy (https://effectivela.org/), which has impacted over 15,000 students.

Image result for effective leadership academy

It’s headquartered in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. This week, ELA had three college interns and one staff person come to the camp. I was skeptical of the effectiveness of ELA because I initially assumed it would involve cheesy ice-breakers and would not offer me any important skills. However, I did gain some soft skills and the activities were not a torture. Through the activities, I explored my values and my views about myself and the world. The interactive sessions involved games and worksheets. Some topics covered were self-empowerment, growth mindset, embracing change, reflecting on values, and interpersonal and communication skills.
I learned about ego and a communication rule: 7% of the words I say matters compared to 38% tone of voice, and 55% nonverbal body language. This means that body language is crucial in relaying your messages across to others.

*Tip* To get someone to like you more, try to mirror their body language. Leaning forward towards the person you’re talking with also shows that you’re interested in the conversation.

Another topic that resonates with me is the concept of pushing outside your boundaries and stretching yourself. There’s the comfort zone that we all know; we tend to stick to people like us and have habits such as sitting in the same seat for a class. However, if we stay in the same area and never explore or take risks, we won’t grow. The stretch zone is also called the growth zone. It’s about trying new things. When you push yourself too far, you can reach the panic zone, which can turn out poorly. For example, let’s say that a timid person remains comfortable not speaking out and staying in the corner of the room. He/she can enter the stretch zone by chatting up a classmate sitting next to him/her. They might not be ready to be in front of a crowd of strangers, which could lead to them running out the room or fainting. As I enter adulthood, I am in my growth zone for many area, such as being in a new city and learning how to succeed in college.

Image result for comfort zone growth zone panic zone

 

Another way to learn about yourself is to do a SWOT analysis. This stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Something interesting we did involved ethical decision making. The college students and I were told to imagine that we were on a boat which had a hole in it, and there was just one life preserver, with a rope attached to it. Only one person can be using the life preserver, and one person using the rope. This taught us more about each other and how we analyze situations, especially when it comes to who lives and who dies.

One of my favorite parts of ELA was when we did a cube personality test.
https://www.davidwolfe.com/japanese-cube-test-reveals-personality/
The link and any videos titled “Cube Personality Test” would have the same layout. This takes just five minutes of imagining and then the answers reveal surprising knowledge about ourselves. For me, the test was accurate!

The other favorite moment in ELA was when they provided us with a keychain holder that had five blank papers. They are for you to write quotes on. The ELA instructors told us a story of how a boy who went through one of their programs carried this keychain for 3 years, and on the day of his high school graduation, he pulled the keychain out of his pocket and gave it to the founder of ELA. The program changed his life and kept him focused. Therefore, I will maintain a record of motivational quotes so I can continue on my path to greatness and not lose faith in myself either.

A couple of key concepts of Organic Chemistry

The science and math tutor and ACT prep teacher was Ms. McClay. She taught the high school students on preparing for the ACT and some basic chemistry knowledge. For the 6 college students in the camp, she had us research science careers or how we could incorporate science into our careers. We also covered some hours of Organic Chemistry material, specifically carbon structures. We took a pop quiz on it as well.

The college students put on a skit directed by Ms. McClay, and the performance revolved around a 21-year-old patient’s recent admission to the ER and how the visit lead to the discovery of other issues in his life and a diagnosis of a mental illness as well as diabetes. We played the roles of doctor, public health nurse, psychiatrist, social workers, and case manager, while Ms. McClay played the patient’s girlfriend. The skit showed how several factors contribute to a person’s health, and impact how they receive treatment. For example, the patient was a Jehovah’s Witness, and other issues he had were impulsivity, reckless driving, suicidal tendencies, and more. He could never hold a job for very long, and he just came out of a long relationship with a girlfriend, and also had strained relations with his family. We were not trying to portray anyone in particular – this character was entirely made up! It could be possible that there are some individuals in real life like the patient in our skit. It helped to remind us that we cannot see someone’s struggles just by glimpsing at them. There could be a myriad of issues they’re going through. This is what I will try to do when I am a healthcare/public health professional.

Sharing our knowledge and reflecting on our experiences

Every day before camp ended, Ms. Johnson asked us all to sit in a circle and reflect on the day. “Share some knowledge! What did you get out of this?”
At the end of the week, Ms. Johnson surprised the high school and college students with backpacks filled with school supplies! Loose-leaf paper, highlighters, black pens, colored pens, mechanical pencils, folders, a notebook, a water bottle, a USB flash drive, and index cards! I was amazed at how this camp provided us with so much. Ms. Johnson asked NEOMED for the funds to have this summer camp since it can help reach youth and allow them to better themselves.

School supply stash! I am so thankful.

July 10-20, participate in activities including art therapy, daily discussions, implementing SOLE mode, community health work training, and more.
Daily duties include helping with set up and clean up of activity areas, completing timesheets, tracking attendance, and helping other participants with any issues.

July 10 – Cleveland State University
– We completed a SOLE session. (SOLE stands for Self Organized Learning Environment). We broke out into groups to answer the question: “What are your roles and duties as a citizen in your community, and what are the influences of your roles and duties?” Each group has a few minutes to dissect the question and then find at least two sources and statistics to back up their findings. We had a great discussion.

– We later watched videos from the documentary People Like Us. One episode was about Tammy Crabtree’s family living in poverty in Waverly, Ohio, a rural village. It’s so saddening to witness people in terrible conditions, living without heat or transportation. Tammy had to walk 10.5 miles to work. She had no car or working furnace at home. Furthermore, her kids did not seem to appreciate how she struggled to make ends meet and feed them. Then outside sources intervened to alleviate some of the family’s burdens. This lead to an exploration of rural poverty and discussion of whether my peers felt sorry for Tammy or felt like she deserved it.

Watch these two videos to see Tammy’s story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ZpauS5Doo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqs4_Zs2GvI

– Norman Rockwell photo interpretation followed by art therapy

Image result for norman rockwell

Next, we looked at a Norman Rockwell painting. The facilitator Anita Iveljic (Hiram Class of 2014 and now AmeriCorps Associate Director at NEOMED) guided our discussion. She asked about what we observed in the print. Then she asked how we felt, and why the artist may have made this piece.  The Problem We All Live With, an oil on canvas from 1964, captures Ruby Bridges being walked to school by four U.S. marshals. We discussed that racism is still a prevalent issue today, but it’s more subtle than in the ’60s. We all have prejudices, but not inherently, and there’s widespread implicit bias as well. We learn about stereotypes in media and in conversations overheard when we were little. Hopefully, in America, race will no longer be a divide between people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_We_All_Live_With
http://www.politico.com/story/2011/08/art-sends-rare-wh-message-on-race-061677
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-03-28/america-has-a-big-race-problem

To end the day,  we used oil pastels, watercolor pastels, and paints to draw a portrait of a partner in the room. I am always welcome to art therapy but it was a challenge to draw a person. However, my partner said that I did a good job and she liked how I drew her.

July 11 – Cleveland State University

– Overview of Upcoming Trip
– Reading of story
While I do not recall the title of this story, although I am sure it is fictional, the summary is that a woman lost her husband in a tragic accident (murdered by someone who stole his car when the husband simply wanted to help an elderly woman with a flat tire). The 33-year-old deceased man’s organs: cornea, heart, pancreas, and more, went to various places around Texas, and to a total of eight individuals. The woman felt utterly empty and sought the person who now possessed the husband’s heart. Coincidentally, this transplant recipient was also 33 and she mails this person back and forth, because all she wanted to do was to listen to the beating heart for an hour. It was a touching story.

Hiram Excursion Trip – July 12 to July 14

This rural educational experience trip was overseen and supported by the NEOMED HPAC Program, the HRSA HCOP grant, and AmeriCorps. The purpose was to expand professional and educational growth through lab experience, scientific discussions, and learning about rural culture, while experiencing a movie and campfire s’mores.

Image result for hiram college east hall

We stayed at East Hall for three days, two nights.

Wednesday, 7/12  
– Campus Tour of Hiram College
– Lunch (all you can eat)
– Hiram Lab Experience in Gerstacker Science Hall
We split up into two rooms because there were a lot of students. We extracted DNA from cheek cells and also from our saliva, and used these in tests to analyze our genetic diversity. We used PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and electrophoresis. Specifically, we looked at the Pv92 sequence presence or absence in our genomes! You are either +/+ if both parents gave you this, +/- if one parent gave you a Pv92, or -/-, if neither of them did.

Image result for pv92

From Bio-Rad Pv92 Informatics Kit

This lab took hours to complete because the procedure was complex, involving pipettes, tubes, micro centrifuges, and other equipment. Sadly, not a lot of students’ results appeared, most likely because there were errors during the experiment. Mine showed up though; I was +/+. According to the handout we received, people of Asian ancestry were more likely to have positive (+) allele frequencies. For example, 86% Chinese, 80% Filipino, 84% Java, and 90% of Taiwanese have the + allele. In comparison, the chart on our packet also showed that people of European origins are more likely to have the negative (-) allele; 18% for Euro-Americans, 10% for German, 12% for Hungarian, 18% for Syrian and 20% for Swiss. This was all very interesting, but I wish I understood more about the material.

– Bioethics Dilemma Prep

We were provided with a packet of articles relating to athletes using enhancements such as inhaling xenon gas or blood doping to improve performance. Steroids, injecting hormones, or living/training in high altitude environments help with strength or red oxygen cell formation. The various essays offered insights on the issue from experts and former athletes themselves. Is the use of these various methods cheating and therefore unfair? What qualifies as fairness? I learned about how one side supports the fact that all athletes should have wide access to the same drugs, so the playing field is level. However, critics claim that if all drugs were allowed, there’d be pressures on the athletes to use them. Some say that athletes should have the same opportunities to use drugs, and then their use can be optimized. According to one author, we should invest in developing safer forms of enhancement since people are going to continue using them anyways.

– Dinner
– Biomedical Humanities Discussion

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2012/08/12/sunday-review/12DOPING/12DOPING-articleLarge.jpg

The entire camp group came together to discuss what we believed were fair and unfair ways to enhance athletic performance. I personally think that living or training at high altitude environments are fair. Things like low oxygen tents or blood transfusions require thousands of dollars. This is a waste of money to me; people are in need of blood everyday. We even heard about abortion doping; women runners reportedly aborted their babies before races, while they benefitted from the extra red blood cells in their bodies. This is ridiculous and inhumane.

– Chopped! S’mores Competition
We divided campers into groups of eight people to get together and create s’mores that were healthy and creative. They could use four ingredients off of our provided list, which had 26 ingredients. They could pick from Nutella, wow butter, cream cheese, vanilla chips, powdered sugar, soft tortillas, green apples, sour brite octopus, air head extremes, pineapples, and mangos, to name some from the list. Then 15 minutes before they were supposed to present their concoctions, the staff members introduced to each group their secret ingredients.

– Campfire
Outside, each group presented their s’mores to the five judges. We had 10 groups total, and some groups stuck with the traditional graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallows. Almost all used fruit in their s’mores as well. In the end, Groups B and E won. Their prizes were Hiram Health water bottles.

Thursday, 7/13 
– Breakfast
– Middlefield Cheese Co-Op Visit

Image result for middlefield cheese co-op

Elmer was the employee that greeted us and gave us an overview of the operation. He actually helped build the factory. I learned a lot and saw what it’s like to make cheese. There are about 18-20 employees and 70+ farmers, who are 98% Amish. The cows that provide the milk all have names, and milk is delivered in jugs. The cheese is made by hand in open vats. No artificial growth hormones are used.
(More information on the co-op can be found here: http://www.geaugamapleleaf.com/news/a-slice-of-tasty-tradition-in-geauga-county/)

– Amish Farm Visit
Dan Chardon in Middlefield, OH is a mutual connection of a Hiram or NEOMED worker. He allowed us to visit his farm, which he said was 70 acres of land. He has six kids, who were adorable and quiet. While they did not talk, they watched us and followed us around as Dan showed us city folks a tour. We were as curious of the family as they were about us.

Dan presented his 40,000 pieces of garlic he had picked over three days. They could be sold for $15,000! What a whopping harvest! The farmer also butchers deer; he does not hunt them, but people bring them in to him. He raises livestock as well: chickens, sheep, and horses. I believe he said there’s 300 sheep, and the lambs are eventually sold and separated from their families. The horses are used only for transportation purposes, not for riding on, but for pulling the carriages. Also, the eggs of the chickens are sold. Although he makes minimum wage, he does not complain; he is comfortable and happy with his life. The students asked what he did in his free time, and he replied that he did not have much. Most of his time was spent on the farm. There was always something to do.

The Amish life was meaningful to Dan because three or four generations of his family lived on the land. He attended a private school until eighth grade, and a kid muttered to herself why Dan did not continue to high school. Actually after age 13/14, vocational training begins, and that’s when the individual pursues their craft or skilled trade. Amish people can have jobs in carpentry, farming, etc. The Amish lifestyle is interesting and is simple. Some kids did not understand and called it weird. Dan did not condemn the outside world for using technology or electricity. He respects us, just like we should respect them. Personal questions I had written and did not get to ask were “Has the Amish community decreased? Do you hear much about the outside world?” We all clapped and thanked Dan for our tour and departed for Hiram College.

– Lunch
– Water Balloon Battle
Hundreds of water balloons lay in containers out on an open playing field near the dorms we were staying in. This was optional, but about several dozen students participated. They brought their own Nerf guns and Super Soakers. We had plenty of photos of the battle. The kids had fun. Those who did not partake had free time to go to the gym or remain in their dorm. A student and I did walking and jogging around the track circling the football field.

– Dinner
– Stress relief therapies (mindfulness, music therapy, art therapy, pet, yoga, drum circle)

Plans had to be changed regarding this activity; many speakers cancelled, so we only had a mindfulness speaker, but she captured everyone’s focus and I truly enjoyed being with her. Rebecca Reynold is a health coach, certified drugless practitioner, certified Thai massage practitioner, and a raw and vegan lifestyle educator. Based in the Lakewood area of Cleveland, she also does women’s retreats and much more.

Image result for mindfulness

Being mindful is different than having your mind full. Free yourself and just be in the moment. Do not think about the past or future, but focus on the present. Photo from Friendsaction.co.uk

She began our session by rubbing peppermint oil on our wrists and telling us to smell them. We were then directed through imagining something we wanted. We kept our eyes closed during this. We had to picture what we wanted. What did we look like when we eventually obtained what we wanted? How did we feel? What were we envisioning? Then she said to imagine us receiving an award stating that we deserved what we received. Some students shared their goals of obtaining careers. Another boy dreamed of having a sports car. I went through the activity too, and I dreamed of finding love and true happiness, and the public health career and traveling the world appeared after.

We learned about an artist who looks into people’s eyes as a performance art. For one piece, in 2010, Marina Abramovic sat in a chair at a museum and people lined up, to the point that the line stretched outside the museum, to sit across from her and have her stare into their eyes. This can be a few minutes to even 40 minutes. She looked into 1,500+ people’s eyes. This is incredible. A shattering moment was when Ms. Abramovic had her head down as she always does before an art patron sits down. When she felt someone take a seat across from her, she gazed upwards and tears flowed down her eyes soon after, because she was looking at a former lover of hers that she’d seen decades ago. Hearing this story touched me. The campers were asked themselves, if brave enough, to look into someone else’s eyes, for three minutes, and then share what they learned about their partner from just observing.

http://www.marinaabramovic.com/bio.html
https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2010/06/03/marina-abramovic-the-artist-speaks/
http://www.openculture.com/2013/12/artist-marina-abramovic-former-lover-ulay-reunite.html

‡

Next, we discussed and practiced doing a few ancient mudras. When we do a peace sign with our pointer and middle fingers, that’s a mudra. Furthermore, from Ms. Reynolds, I learned that energy is like a boomerang. She told us that she was 5 foot 7 in the seventh grade. She was already taller than most of her teachers, and was called Big Bird and Tree Woman during her childhood. When we exhibit anger and hate, we will get it in return. That is why we cannot allow our negative energy to linger. Our session was just an hour and it was too soon. The kids really enjoyed being with her as well.

Image result for Buddha Hand Mudras and Meanings

The Buddha is doing the mudra of No Fear. Sometimes He is portrayed having both hands up.

Here are Rebecca Reynolds’ websites to find out more about her.

https://www.facebook.com/SoultoEarthWellness/
https://twitter.com/wellwithrebecca
http://www.soultoearthwellness.com/

– Movie with Discussion
We watched a movie that was planned to have a discussion along with it, but this did not happen. Gattaca is a 1997 sci-fi, drama, and thriller movie. The plot summary provided by IMDB:

Gattaca Corp. is an aerospace firm in the future. During this time society analyzes your DNA and determines where you belong in life. Ethan Hawke’s character was born with a congenital heart condition which would cast him out of getting a chance to travel in space. So in turn he assumes the identity of an athlete who has genes that would allow him to achieve his dream of space travel.

Friday, 7/14 
– Breakfast
– Check-out
– Tour of NEOMED
I have been to NEOMED three times before. I have fond memories here. It was fortuitous to me that I saw an incoming med student there who actually spoke to me at my high school a few years ago while he served in AmeriCorps. He’s now starting medical school. He looked familiar and then I saw his name tag, and indeed it was the same guy. I should have wished him kind words and good luck for school, but I did not stop to talk to him.

Image result for neomed

NEOMED new campus

– Back to Cleveland State University for the Summer Internship Celebration
– Lunch
– Speeches
– Videos of Amish Farm trip and Water Balloon Fight were played.

A post assessment evaluation will be emailed to us, asking us about how our experiences went.

REFLECTION

The five weeks being with NEOMED were short. I had a splendid time with CHAMPS and the other camps/excursions in July offered me new perspectives on underserved communities. This was also my first time being a camp counselor (supervising people on an overnight visit.) I was responsible for knowing the whereabouts and activity of the four girls in my suite. Other supervisors had to handle six kids, or even another group altogether in addition to their own. I learned more about my strengths and weaknesses. An example of how I employed professionalism and maturity is when I put the girls’ needs above my own. One of them forgot her jacket in the dorm, and I finished my dinner abruptly to let her into the dorm across the street from the dining hall. Supervisors are the only ones with keys to the building and the suite. I have to listen to them and if they are not comfortable with something, I have to try to help them feel safe.

Overall, the girls I had were easy to get along with, and posed no major issues. An issue I personally had was not being in the camp counselor group chat, which included the program/camp coordinators. Sometimes the supervisors themselves were not sure of what was happening because the schedule was adjusted if we finished an activity early or events are cancelled. There was confusion but we went with the flow.

A huge challenge was the loud, disrespectful campers. On multiple occasions, we reminded them to be quiet and listen when a speaker is talking, yet they did not obey. I often heard cursing from a few people, such as on the bus and around the college. People continued to talk during the movie too. Additionally, some did not keep hands and feet to themselves; I noticed girls lounging in a chair with their feet on the wall or on a school bus with their feet dangling over the top of the seat. I was frustrated and enervated. But they are high school students, and rowdiness and hyperactivity is expected. I actually played the game of Telephone with the other Cleveland campers.

Another problem was when I had to clean up scraps of candy wrappers left over from the children’s messes. When it was time to check out of the dorms, I did a final sweep of the suite, and noticed leftover water bottles and granola bars. We had to leave the room in the exact same condition as it was when we entered the dorm. Even though I conveyed to my suite-mates that I was sorry for being a bad supervisor since the camp was not going as smoothly as expected, and that I myself was unsure of what to do at times, they said it’s 50/50, meaning that both sides have to put in effort.

I did enjoy my experience at Hiram College and NEOMED. While I wasn’t the best supervisor, and also possibly the least experienced, I am glad to have been a part of the camp. I got to walk my suite-mates around Hiram to our various scheduled events. The knowledge about Amish people and rural life will carry with me during my career. I want to help ensure that people in the country also receive quality healthcare, which can be problematic since they’re surrounded by fields of corn or wheat or cows. They could be miles away from a primary care provider. There also may not be a grocery store nearby. When we went to NEOMED in Rootstown, Ohio, gas stations and convenience stores, along with a smattering of pizza parlors, were lining the main road. It’s a different way of life in this rural area, and I want to gain more experience working with the rural populations in the future. A possible entry-level job for me can be Community Health Worker. My desire to work with a variety of people and travel the planet still remains strong after these past few months.

I hope to positively impact my people of Ohio.

CHAMPS: Careers in Health and Medical Professions

In June 2017, I had the opportunity to work with the 2017 cohort of CHAMPS: Careers in Health and Medical Professions, a three-week long academically enriching summer institute held at Cleveland State University. Cleveland residents and 1st ring high school students of Cleveland are able to participate at no cost to them, thanks to the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and The Cleveland Foundation. Founded in 2009, CHAMPS is “an academic and skills-based program designed for high school students who are interested in professional careers in the medical and/or health fields.”

Cleveland State University photograph of its Student Center

Students in the summer cohorts build awareness of medical and health careers while increasing their science and math knowledge. CHAMPS improves college readiness and sharpens the students’ personal skills through the hands-on activities and interaction with students from other high schools, teachers, college professors, and career professionals in a college laboratory setting. The 2017 program officially began June 12th and would last until June 30. Each of the 24 students would receive a $650 stipend after completing the program! Coming into CHAMPS, I was hopeful that I would serve as a great role model for the high school students and complete my duties efficiently and diligently. My position was being a college mentor and assisting the teachers and students. The camp was from 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday.

No automatic alt text available.
The fun and learning does not cease after the program ends each summer! There are four Academic Year Follow Up
meetings for the students to participate in as well. Students have engaged in activities such as first aid & CPR training,
and learned about immunology and the different body systems.
This year, the research revolved around testing and evaluating the effectiveness of various spice extracts and
their antibacterial effects. These would then be compared to effects of known antibiotics. Students would review
scholarly articles, write a paper, and present their findings to the rest of the cohort. The students were divided
randomly into six groups, each group studying either garlic, cinnamon, clove, ginger, cumin, or turmeric for the
three weeks. They would do a lot of the research independently and collaborate together to present as the six groups
at the end-of-program banquet/luncheon. This banquet would be open to their families and teachers to attend.
In charge of the program is Dr. Ferguson. He has three high school teachers facilitate the lessons/lectures: Mr. Keller,
Ms. Stuhm, and Ms. Girard. There were two student workers, Jackie, and Jemima, and then two AmeriCorps members
named Constantine and Stephanie, who plan to attend medical school in the future! I was assistant also and got to
interact with the teens and accompany them on the field trips.

 

 

 

Summer Curriculum

Week One

  • Monday: Administrative Tasks, Team Building, Spice Research, Antibiotic Research
    • This day was spent doing icebreakers and introductions and getting students settled into the program. Drawstring backpacks containing journals, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and a ruler were given so students could keep lab notebooks and remain organized during their activities. In the afternoon, they read articles about antibiotics and resistance to gain background on the topics for the institute. Each of the six groups presented to the class about their specific article.

      This was one aisle of the lab we were in. There were about four aisles total.

  • Tuesday: Aseptic Technique Intro, Agar Preparation
    • Students received their own lab coats and neon biohazard safety goggles and were able to begin the hands-on lab activities. Each group chose a spice to study. They also prepared agar using beakers, graduated cylinders, petri dishes, hot plates, and heat gloves. This can be an hours-long process to boil, but the students were patient. Agar is a medium that can be used to grow microbe cultures.

      Cart full of flasks containing agar

      Boiling the agar

  • Wednesday: Broth Media Preparation, Spice Extract Preparation
    • Students continued with their experiments using their group’s spice. I witnessed them pounding their spice using mortar and pestle, and then pouring over it using water and mixing it with a type of alcohol until it got to a consistency of a Slushy drink.

      Which spice is this?

      They then poured this into a funnel and over a filter to get it into a beaker.

      A colorful array

      They poured their agar onto plates, like the one shown.

      Photo is from Wiki Commons

    • We also attended a talk/Q&A session with Dr. Sonja Harris-Haywood, M.D. and M.S., who is a very distinguished and diligent professional! I learned that it’s not about natural gifts or intelligence; a lot of efforts can be obtained through GRIT. She struggled with dyslexia, which lead to difficulties especially in English classes, but her competitiveness helped her overcome this. She forced herself to keep at it and not give up because her passion was medicine. I had to leave early but I am glad the students got to hear about her experiences and how some bad grades do not determine someone’s worth or mean that they are automatically excluded from success. Even failing all her classes freshman year, she turned it all around.
      (Read more about her here: https://www.csuohio.edu/news/dr-sonja-harris-haywood-appointed-director-neomed-csu-partnership-for-urban-health)

      Dr. Harris-Haywood telling us about how GRIT got her places

  • Thursday: Bacterial inoculations, OT lab experience
    • We inoculated broth media and used the bacteria: e. Coli, staphylococcus epidermidis, enterococcus faecalis, and klebsiella pneumonia. Afterwards, students researched the morphology, habitat, transmission, symptoms, and treatment of each bacteria. CHAMPS has our own collection of MacBook’s for the students to use!
    • We attended a session with an Occupational Therapist! Dr. Keptner has a Ph.D. in epidemiology and biostatistics, and has had experience in hospitals, schools, and other places. She has worked with people of all ages, and people who committed criminal offenses, who were injured at work, or suffer from mental illnesses. This was my first time meeting an OT and learning what the field is all about! I learned an enormous amount about what the work entails as well as what innovations are available to improve people’s lives and help them with functioning tasks like eating, sleeping, using the restroom, etc. I was left amazed at how this field is so versatile and influential.

      “OT, OT, is never much love when we go OT” – Drake

      (http://facultyprofile.csuohio.edu/csufacultyprofile/detail.cfm?FacultyID=K_KEPTNER)

  • Friday: Plate spreading, adding extract to plates, serial dilutions
    • This day was the most lab-heavy (we spent all day in the lab in our disposable lab coats and goggles). Students did serial microbiology, spread plates, and added their spice extracts and antibiotics to these plates. I was more involved in going around to each group to assist them through the over 20 step procedures.

      A kid was amazed that I knew most of the 24 students’ names already! Honestly, it was not that hard to learn their names; plus, it make anyone feel special when someone knows their name. We accomplished so much this day. On Monday, we will be checking to see where and in which Petri dishes the bacteria grew, and if the students’ hypotheses were correct for whether a spice or an antibiotic would have more antimicrobial activity than the other.

      A microbiology lab at CSU

      Listening to and watching the teacher demonstrate is very important. This is in our normal lab room.

Week Two

  • Monday: Dittrick Medical Museum, Creating Data Tables, Measuring Zone of Inhibit, Research Paper Intro, PT Lab Experience
    • First thing in the morning, we took our first field trip to the Dittrick Museum of Medical History, located on Case Western Reserve University’s campus. I LOVED the museum! It’s filled with images, artifacts, rare books, and archives. The walls are super thick because the architects/builders wanted to ensure these items wouldn’t be harmed from explosions/bombs back in the day. We went up an ornate staircase, where we saw two massive paintings of Greek gods/goddesses.

      The beginning of our tour of the Dittrick Medical History Museum

      The CHAMPS cohort, minus Dr. Ferguson, and Jackie and Jemima
      Photo credit: Ms. Girard
      Bottom row in the middle are Constantine and I

      Next were rooms of books, and some students were there studying (most likely medical students). A Research Associate named Dr. Brandy gave us a tour and provided us with valuable information about how medicine has come a long way. I could tell she was so passionate about what she does, because she kept us engaged and hanging on her every word! We learned about the origins of defibrillators and stethoscopes. We learned about how/why contraceptives were banned and that literature about it was seen as obscene. I was amazed at everything, and I will definitely return to continue looking at the artifacts here. Some parts of the museum were interactive, like a four-panel touch-screen TV wall. The galleries range from diagnostic instruments to doctor’s offices in 1870s and 1930s to surgery to hospital medicine, and much more. It’s FREE to the public so please check it out!!

      Source URL:http://case.edu/affil/skuyhistcontraception/exhibit/still-link-panorama.jpg

      https://dittrickmuseumblog.com/
      http://artsci.case.edu/Dittrick/

    • In the afternoon, students reviewed their petri dishes and measured in millimeters the Zone of Inhibition, or the area where there is no growth of bacteria. I helped a few groups figure out how to measure and record the data into their lab journals. Some growth was peculiar and I was instructed to call this “experimental error.”

      Me examining a student’s petri dish’s growth of bacteria

      This student group calls themselves the Professional Savages, but they’re actually the sweetest bunch of kids.

      One of my favorite parts of this job is the students and their unique personalities.

    • We then went to the Center for Innovations in Medical Professions building down the street from us at CSU and interacted with Doctor of Physical Therapy students and staff! We saw and got to touch different aids like walkers and crutches, and balanced on different balances (some square shaped, some circular, and some were foam mats). We also got into wheelchairs to test our maneuverability in an obstacle course.

      Physical therapy – for athletes, the disabled, the elderly, and more

       

  • Tuesday: NEON Medical Center Visit, Effect of Drugs Lab
    • In the morning, we visited Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services, Inc. (NEON Health Services) at one of their seven locations, in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland. They are a Federally Qualified Health Center and  provide accessible, community-based health care in a sensitive, caring environment. There’s dental services, family medicine, primary care, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry, nutrition and behavioral health. Everyone was friendly to us and welcomed us warmly to NEON.

      Ms. Saleem, a very animated, friendly woman who one CHAMPS participant said reminded him of his grandmother, to her face

      We were greeted by a provider relations manager, health administration intern, pre-med student, and diabetes empowerment program coordinator. After an introduction about the facility, we learned about the Ohio Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative from Ms. Saleem, a Centering Pregnancy Coordinator. She talked with us about infant mortality, including in Cuyahoga County, and she shed light on the subject and I found out that in 44128 (Warrensville Heights), the rate for infant mortality was especially high for African American babies. This can be attributed to multiple factors like families being higher up on the career ladder experiencing more stress and pressure from jobs, and from racial discrimination from healthcare providers.

      Centering Pregnancy room at NEON-Hough. It’s a group setting so pregnant women bond with each other while coming in for their exams.

      Additionally, we learned what a Baby Box is. Ms. Saleem asked us many questions so we would play an active part in the discussion and retain this information better! Later we heard from Mr. White, Daddy Boot Camp coordinator, and he was extremely funny while relaying his information. We took a tour of the health center; I saw some adult medicine waiting rooms, the Centering Pregnancy room in the basement, and an X-ray room. It never ceases to amaze me that I learn a great deal each day I am with CHAMPS!

      The baby box is multi-purpose. It carries supplies but can also serve as a bed for the baby, which comes in handy especially when being transported between parents and to caregivers like grandparents’ homes. Also, some people cannot afford cribs.

      http://www.neonhealth.org/
      https://www.babyboxco.com/

    • The afternoon comprised of an Effects of Drugs lab, in our chemistry lab classroom. Each of the six groups were given a different drug, such as aspirin, caffeine, adrenaline, lactic acid, and nicotine. We used live organisms: brine shrimp, or daphnia (basically sea monkeys) to test the effects of the drug on their body systems. The students measured how many times a shrimp subject would flap its appendages for 30 seconds, and do this for a total of three trials. They multiplied this number to get the number of beats per 60 seconds. This would serve as the baseline, for comparison. After adding the drug, they counted how many times their shrimp flapped, for 30 seconds, and multiplying it for 60 seconds. They then recorded the increase or decrease in beats per 30 seconds and for 60 seconds. They also found the averages for this data. Sadly, many of the shrimp died, as their lifespan is incredibly short.

      Daphnia (Rest in Peace)

  • Wednesday: Center for Innovations in Medical Professions (CIMP) Building Tour
    • The entire morning, we spent in the CIMP building at CSU, which opened in 2015 and is 100,000 square feet. It cost $47 million to complete.

      Outside view of the Center of Innovations in Medical Professions building, in the center of CSU’s campus

      We heard from a nurse, an audiologist, and speech-hearing pathologist. We watched videos about these three career fields. We also toured part of the building, which truly is a work of art. It’s a hub of activity because there’s nurse simulation labs here, as well as a health & wellness clinic that all students and staff can access. Furthermore, there’s a healthy café, speech & hearing clinic, OT/PT rooms, Distance Learning rooms, meeting rooms, and quiet study areas.

      Audiologist and speech & hearing pathologist!

      It was exciting to visit the audiology rooms and speech-hearing therapy rooms as well as to hear about some experiences the professionals had that make their work worthwhile.

      An audiology testing area

      We stopped by an audiology therapy room, which has a ball pit (one child patient can only focus and cooperate when in the ball pit) and also a tall cylindrical lamp that contains water and changes colors (this helps kids focus, too.)

      A therapeutic room for all ages

      We visited one training room where a man in the CSU-NEOMED (Northeast Ohio Medical University) Partnership program spoke to us about blood pressure. Two students checked their blood pressure. The ideal number is 120/80.

      A nursing simulation lab with a realistic, responsive mannequin boy with ‘flushed red cheeks’

      We went into a nursing simulation lab, which had over a handful of mannequins (they do not like being called dummies.) Only two mannequins were specialized and much more technological. They could sweat and cry as if they were real! A voice (the nursing instructor) could emit from their mouths. The eyes could open and close. It was very fascinating. These mannequins are extremely heavy and costly. The nursing program here truly strives to make this setting as realistic as they can for the students to learn and treat the patients. For example, to create a foul smell from a wound, the instructor would combine parmesan juice and lemon juice, I believe. They actually have a book with ‘recipes’ on how to construct different wounds and bodily fluids/acids.

      Additionally, we discussed the Iron Lung, which was a key invention that helped people suffering from polio. Iron lungs are no longer needed in this day, thanks to Jonas Salks’ vaccine for polio in 1955! The disease is basically eradicated completely. In one corner of the CIMP building is an iron lung, painted in a bright pastel yellow color. It suits its nickname “The Yellow Submarine.”

      Iron Lung, donated by MetroHealth Medical Center to the Center of Innovations in Medical Professions

      Overall, it was a wonderful tour that expanded my knowledge some more. For example, we were told the distinction between a BSN and RN. BSN is an academic degree while an RN is a license and depends on the state one practices in. Another fact/life tip was that if you have headphones on and cannot hear someone talk normally to you, your music/audio is too loud! In this century, more younger folks are experiencing hearing loss and may require aids because of their too loud tunes.

    • After lunch, students compiled their Effect of Drugs data into charts to discuss their findings with the rest of the cohort. The room was full of chatter and cooperation for the hour we had left for the day. I helped groups with their questions and designing their tables. They also wanted assistance in writing their hypotheses and conclusions. I was so happy to be of help, and I loved the conversations I was having with the students.

      Artsy lab picture by Jemima

  • Thursday: Epidemiology activity, research paper
    • The morning and early afternoon revolved around preparing to write their major research paper! The six groups of students would begin working on their research paper, which has seven parts to it: (1) The title page, (2) Abstract, (3) Background Information, (4) Methods, (5) Results, (6) Discussion, and (7) Reference Page. Mr. Keller informed them that Purdue Owl was their #1 resource when writing their paper. He told them about proper in-text citations. At least two graphs of data would also be required in the paper. Furthermore, credible sources like PubMed or articles from Google Scholar were needed; not every source can be trusted and therefore cited.

      Classroom 420

    • For an hour, we touched base on the fascinating earth-shattering field of epidemiology, which I am also considering as a career path. Ms. Stuhm began by having students write down as many infectious diseases as they could think of. She introduced what epidemiology was, which is more than just about infectious diseases. It involves being a ‘disease detective’, as she calls it, and finding out the sources causing an illness or health issue. Ms. Stuhm gave out an activity about John Snow investigating a cholera outbreak in London.

      http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/3/14/1363295337709/johnsnowillustration.png
      John Snow, father of epidemiology

      One side of the room would be John Snow scientists who argued that contaminated water was the culprit, and the other side had scientists of the time who refused to accept new knowledge, and credited the ‘bad air’ for making people ill. After some brief group time, they came together for a debate! This debate was great, and involved a bunch of back-and-forth. Ms. Stuhm was impressed.

      Short video we watched for context on epidemiology

      So how did John Snow, a physician, pinpoint the source and solve the problem? He went house to house to ask people who were infected, and discovered that those living closest to the water wells were more sick than others who lived farther away. He found the one well that was doing the most damage and leaking to the rest of the water supply! At the end of the day, both sides provided good arguments, and it was a tie.

      Debate moderated by Ms. Stuhm

       

  • Friday: Microbiology lab, gram staining, CIMP building nurse discussion
    • In the morning, we were back in the microbiology lab to do gram staining of their bacteria to determine if they were gram positive, which would show up as purple on their microscope slide, or gram negative. which would be a pink color. The procedure for this required 23 materials and was the most complicated lab these students would encounter during CHAMPS. We learned the three basic shapes for bacteria: cocci (circular or clusters of circles), rod-shape, or spiral-shape.

      Me assisting a group who call themselves Dub Nation

      Even I was nervous while helping the students because we had to follow the steps exactly and we had to know what we were doing. We also could not feel rushed or else our results could be jeopardized. I accidentally told the students the wrong thing to use, so they had to start over. If I am unsure I must double-check with a teacher first before telling the student.

      Bacteria comes in different shapes.

    • After a brief hour of working more on their research papers, we headed back to the Center of Innovations in Medical Professions building down the street to hear from two women, both with advanced degrees. One, Dr. Matthews, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice. All of her degrees, from Bachelors to Masters to DNP come from Cleveland State! Her biggest struggle in school was having support, because she lost her mom at age 18, and even a nursing professor doubted she’d make it through school. However, she persisted and achieved so much; she graduated summa cum laude from CSU.
      Another lady we talked to was from Nigeria. Dr. Adedipe has her Ph.D. in nursing, and loves teaching students. What I gained from this discussion is that motivation is a crucial part of succeeding; everyone has their own definition of success. Things will be hard, but will be worth it! Others, even family members and friends, may doubt or discourage you, but you listen to your own heart!

Week Three

  • Monday: College Prep Lecture, CPR Training Part I, Lamb Hearts, and CSU Campus Tour
    • The morning started off with a speaker, Ms. Nudell, from CSU, discussing college preparation with the kids. She asked them what internships have they had and which they did like, or disliked. What math classes were they taking? What college classes have they taken? She also provided them with papers relating to scholarships/financial aid and a college comparison chart to help them think carefully about their college choices. Some kids wanted to get out of the state, while others want to go to a big school.

      College prep lecture

    • We then went to the CIMP building for CPR training. We mostly watched videos and then had the chance to practice techniques for a choking individual.
    • Next, a familiar face came into the room. A former AmeriCorps member who I met when I was in high school and now current NEOMED employee Jonathan Tyes strolled in! He’s on his way to medical school to be an orthopedic surgeon. He demonstrated to us how to cut open lamb hearts (which he got from a Middle Eastern grocery store) and had the kids put on gloves and get in on the action! He asked what were the parts of the heart and how does blood circulate? He did not lecture us, but had us all engaged in the learning and critically thinking. Mr. Tyes is SO intelligent and kind; he’s one of my role models.

      Lamb hearts

    • After lunch, we had a Welcome to CSU overview by an admissions counselor. Then we toured CSU campus: the rec center, the Science building, Main Classroom, Student Center, Engineering College, and Fenn Tower! This was my first time seeing what some CSU dorms look like and they looked nice.

      Great admissions presentation by a CSU alumna

       

  • Tuesday: CPR Training Part II, more research paper writing
    • The kids spent more time working on their group research paper. I assisted some groups with editing, looking at references, and paper formatting. The teachers informed the class what they expected in terms of their PowerPoint presentation and announced the order in which the groups would go.
    • We finished our CPR training and we will receive our certifications in a week or two! We are trained in the differences when treating infants, children, and adults (anyone over age 12.) We can also use an AED. It went so well, and I feel confident in all of us being competent enough to save someone in need. This training can truly help a person’s life.

      The CPR instructors!

       

  • Wednesday: University Hospitals of Cleveland Visit
    • This was a busy day, but super fun! In the morning we heard from Ms. Okwudi, academic advisor for the CSU-NEOMED Partnership for Urban Health program. She spoke with us about health careers, and how vast it is. She showed us the website for the Occupational Outlook handbook
      (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/)
      Here is more information about CSU’s baccalaureate/M.D. program!
      (https://www.csuohio.edu/sciences/neomed/baccalaureatemd-program)
    • We embarked on another field trip, to University Hospitals! I was extremely eager to tour this facility and see what lay in store for us. CHAMPS met with the UH Health Scholars, a group of underrepresented African-American and Latino/Hispanic rising 8th graders and 9th graders interested in medicine. These Scholars are in a five-week intensive program and are assigned to one of nine medical disciplines, and they have research as well as a mentor in that area. This summer camp also provides students with transportation passes and meals! There’s field trips and hands-on learning, just like in CHAMPS! We were able to hear from an inspiring doctor and then over pizza, CHAMPS and the Health Scholars mingled to learn more about each other. After lunch, we went on a tour of UH, and were split up into groups. CHAMPS students were paired with the UH kids and along the way, CHAMPS kids talked to them about what high school would be like.We saw the Seidman Cancer Center and traveled next door to Case Western Reserve University, where we went into an auditorium to listen to a panel of two rising second-year medical students. These students were the valedictorians of their high schools and also were debt-free for their undergraduate education. In medical school, this was not the case for them; they have loans and are also burdened with classes for the day and studying for hours. It is not recommended to hold a job while in med school. However, the hard work and sacrifice pay off eventually.

      Madison captioned this pic in the CHAMPS group chat as “CHAMPS Mom & Me”

      I really was amazed when we visited UH – Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. The facility was so interesting and colorful; it really made me feel relaxed. Additionally, the rooftop garden, Angie’s Garden, was the most breathtaking scene for me. Attached is an indoor space called the Horticultural Therapy Suite. These resources can be therapeutic for the children cancer patients, as they can garden and get sunshine while overlooking the grounds and being able to see as far as Lake Erie from where they are! The garden has comfy rainbow-color plush or foam-like chairs as well as lawn chairs. This is a great relaxing area and I would want to come here if I was afflicted with illness as a child.

      Giraffe sculpture

      http://www.uhhospitals.org/
      http://www.uhhospitals.org/about/diversity-and-inclusion/health-scholars-internship-program
      http://www.uhgiving.org/uh-giving/impact-of-your-gift/in-the-spotlight/healing-space
      http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/06/angies_garden_at_uh_open_to_th.html
      http://www.uhhospitals.org/rainbow/services/hematology-and-oncology/services/our-centers/adolescent-and-young-adult-cancer-center/angies-garden

  • Thursday: Research Paper Writing & PowerPoint Presentation, Physician Assistants
    • The entire morning, we spent on wrapping up our research papers and making tremendous progress on the PowerPoints. By tonight, all students need to finalize their work.
    • For an hour and a half, we went to the CIMP building to speak with a panel of five Physician Assistant students! After presenting on how to get to PA school and what the application looked like, they had three stations around the room: how to check vitals, the stethoscope technique, and hearing/auditory testing.

      Madison and I – Her suggested caption was “We pray for our enemies”

  • Friday: Luncheon and presentations
    • The culmination of our three weeks worth of work! In the morning, CHAMPS rehearsed our presentations. Shortly after, we went to Fenn Tower, third floor, for the banquet in the Ballroom! At least 130 people were on the RSVP list! Included were everyone we met during camp – the doctors, nurses, OTs, PTs, and other people who talked to us, even the UH Health Scholars.

      Everyone involved with CHAMPS is in this photo!

    • The banquet went by smoothly and quicker than expected. The six groups presented one right after the other. They were given certificates for completing CHAMPS as well as goodie bags (inside had a CSU shirt, thermos cup, mini stapler, and more). Everyone was dressed professionally. I felt pride in seeing their work. The lasagna, garlic bread, salad, eclairs, kebabs, and one of my students’ cupcakes made for a wonderful meal.
    • After the banquet, we had some students participate in focus groups, to gauge their thoughts on CHAMPS. This data would be transcribed and analyzed for future purposes in improving CHAMPS.

Reflection
My experience with CHAMPS was enlightening. I learned more about interacting with youth. Although they were the ages of 15, 16, and 17, and I was only 19, I had to improve on how to talk to students. My listening and empathy skills were especially put to use on the second day when one student revealed to me the struggles she endured growing up, and how frustrated she was that no one was really there to support her. This rattled my core; I realized how brave she was for disclosing this to me, and that I have the power to help her go down the right path and not succumb to negatively-impacting behaviors. These students are the future; we as a society have to watch out for those who are at risk of not doing well because of the environments they’re in. Therefore, the most challenging part was learning how to reach out to students and keep them motivated and on-task. Some were on their phones when they were supposed to be working on their papers, but I used assertiveness. “I better see all laptops out.” “You can do this.” A few times I caught the same student falling asleep because she’s been deprived. I have woken her up when I see this occurring. Sometimes I feel like a teacher and not like a peer.

However, I do feel like I bonded with some teens. It takes time to get to know them, and for them to know me! A few students greeted me every time they saw me, which was pleasant. That shows they acknowledge and respect me! They asked me questions about my college background and my career plans. One asked what my hobbies were. All of the students were racial minorities (non-white) and were mostly from urban schools, including the high school that I graduated from. I could relate to the majority of the students in some ways, but in other ways, I could never fully understand what they have been through.

During the last week of CHAMPS, the students added me to their group chat on GroupMe. They call themselves Champers (#Champers2k17), and I was given the name #ChampsMom. This group chat is hilarious because the kids write their messages in the most sophisticated way they can, using rarer vocabulary words, and we keep this going no matter what.

As for my career skills, I gained or strengthened in youth development, professionalism, patience, responsibility, and of course, leadership! I was patient and calm when directing the students through the assignments. I arrived to work early each day and followed all rules. I never cursed or was rude to anyone. From CHAMPS, I learned that working with teens is an interest of mine. They can follow directions more than younger kids, and are more independent. Especially with these smart, polite teens, there was often no trouble during the program. I do hope that there are more summer programs like this to get youth interested in their lives and passionate about something!

A favorite part of my time with CHAMPS was getting the different field trip experiences, like the medical history museum (which I had no knowledge of its existence beforehand!). I benefitted from the lab experience, too. I learned about aseptic technique, and about the valuable resources right in Cleveland. I do not take anything for granted – my intelligence, or my privilege of obtaining a college education, for free.  I will continue to learn no matter where I am, at least one new piece of information a day.

I must acknowledge thanks to Dr. Ferguson, for creating CHAMPS, and for sharing corny one-liners with the class, and allowing me to be a part of CHAMPS.
Thank you to the teachers Mr. Keller, Ms. Stuhm, and Ms. Girard, who put into reality the activities and guided the students. They were funny and good role models.
Thanks to Stephanie and Constantine, who volunteered their time with the program when their schedules allowed them to.

Mr. Keller and Ms. Stuhm ready to do science!

Ms. Girard!

Thanks to Jemima and Jackie for their efforts in executing CHAMPS!
I appreciate CSU for providing the places for us to conduct our program in, and for the daily lunches for the students.
Thank you to NEOMED for your new building on campus, because it’s a huge resource for everyone.
I must give thanks to all of the places we visited/toured. Everyone learns from our visits.
Thanks to The Cleveland Foundation and Martha-Holden Jennings Foundation.

Thanks so much to the 24 CHAMPS students, who made me laugh, smile, and feel young still in my last year of being a teen. They all worked incredibly hard and demonstrated how much potential they had. It was heartwarming to see them blossom and grow in the program into more intelligent and more research- and science-savvy professionals. They constantly inquired about the world and asked the professionals we met about numerous facets of their work and life.

For more information please look at:

csuchamps@gmail.com
www.csuohio.edu/CHAMPS
CHAMPS also has a Facebook page! Look up CHAMPS: Cleveland State University
To apply, there’s an application on their website (will likely be available January 2018 for that upcoming summer) and a good GPA and references are required.

Summer Bridge Experience 2016

 

HOME

My new home for the next 4 years: Columbus, or the 614.

Many people do not know about the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI)’s Young Scholars Program. It is an honor to be a Scholar in this selective program, which I was inducted into during the sixth grade.

Here is a little history of the Young Scholars Program (YSP) for those interested in knowing more about it:

Established in 1988, YSP has served more than 3,000 students from the nine major cities in Ohio: Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain, Toledo, and Youngstown.
YSP helps first generation students thrive and achieve higher education. Scholars receive college preparation, academic coaching, access to resources and tools for success, and help with exploring careers and majors. Also important is the scholarship that Young Scholars receive once admitted to the university so oftentimes students graduate from OSU debt-free!
(Learn more about YSP here: http://odi.osu.edu/ysp/)

I actually had no idea what college was until one wintry day in the sixth grade, a very smiley YSP recruiter named Mr. Lofton came into my middle school English class to present to us about how YSP was a very unique, amazing opportunity. He told us our undergraduate education could potentially be paid in full! My teacher selected about 10 of us sixth-graders to fill out applications to the program, which was about a dozen pages long. It included essays and personal information about ourselves.
I was the only one in the class to receive a call back for an interview, which I did poorly on because I was shy and didn’t/couldn’t speak much. The YSP coordinator for Cleveland did not think that I was worthy of being in the program because of my inability to interact with others, but my English teacher vouched for me passionately and I was accepted into the program. I later proved that I deserved to be there.

Six years later, I am thriving in this program and am attending The Ohio State University fall of 2016!
The summer of 2016, my YSP cohort participated in a Summer Bridge Experience to help with our transition to college.


Packing

My dad’s SUV trunk packed with carts, bedding, and more!

MOVE-IN DAY/ Welcome and Orientation

On July 31, I moved into temporary housing at Lawrence Tower for a three-week Summer Bridge Experience that is mandatory for Young Scholars who are incoming freshmen. We were there for two weeks and then August 14, we were able to move into our permanent dorms.

Before Sunday, the day I would leave Cleveland for a few months, I packed my bags and boxes with tremendous help from my amazing mother. My family and I drove down to Columbus, the roughly 2-hour-ride noisy with pop music playing.

The same day, we were given a warm welcome by YSP staff and Peer Leaders, who helped escort us to our classes the first week of bridge because we were utterly lost. All meals were paid for during this experience! I learned how to use BUCKID and swipes.

Summer Schedule

Week 1 schedule: math, research writing, and more classes/workshops.

 

 

What were we Young Scholars doing during this Summer Bridge Experience?

My schedule for Bridge was busy, but still left room for meals and recreational activities. The classes I took were for personal enrichment and not for credit or for a grade at all. Some were related to career planning and personal development! We were required to take them to better prepare us for our ‘real’ courses at Ohio State. We also walked around campus a lot! (Lawrence Tower was on the edge of campus, near the Schottenstein Center! We were soaked with sweat by the end of the day (sorry for the gross image))

I was in a Research Methods writing class, which I liked a lot! We wrote research papers under the guidance of a great professor named Bob Eckhart (we call him

Uncle Bob) and presented our own individual posters at the culmination of this bridge. I researched Police Brutality on People with Mental Illnesses.

I was also in a Calculus preparation class, but I took college-level calculus previously, and did not plan on taking anymore math in college. However, it was good refresher material and required me to use my brain again.

We could choose an elective course (Psychology, Statistics, Economics, and Physics), and I chose psychology! Our teacher was a Ph.D. candidate who made the class fun.

What I really enjoyed about the entire summer bridge experience was getting the chance to familiarize myself with OSU’s campus before the rest of the students arrived. My transition was so much more smoother than I thought it would be.

Young Scholars Program cohort!

After Bridge, the cohort’s members also were enrolled in a Study Skills course for autumn semester to ensure that we could succeed in our classes, properly take notes, and analyze information. Throughout our first year, we also get success coaching (from a program coordinator) and peer-mentoring (a one-hour meeting with an upperclassman student every week to discuss life!).

I think that all incoming freshmen, especially those from low-income, first-generation, minority backgrounds, can benefit greatly from summer programs! OSU offers several to build relationships with your peers early and lessen the anxiety that you may be feeling!

https://fye.osu.edu/programs/special_eligibility.html
https://fye.osu.edu/programs/index.html
Also for early move-in, students can check out programs like OWL and R-Lead!