I am now officially half way through my undergraduate career at Ohio State. For the past two years, I have made it a goal to become very involved in the university and the community.

I am a neuroscience major on the pre-med track and love my decision! Neuroscience is a field of science that is up and coming, and the potential areas of growth in the field is amazing. I love my major classes as they are so interesting to me. I actually have been selected to be a Neuroscience Ambassador. We help the freshmen in the program with scheduling, finding research/shadowing/volunteer opportunities, creating future plans, and are simply mentors to help them through college. Furthermore, I travel to high schools around the Unites States to promote the major and Ohio State! Go bucks! Wanting to engage more in the field of neuroscience, I was chosen to work in an Alzheimer’s research lab last summer at Ohio State. I learned many research techniques such as PCR and Gel Electrophoresis, and was trained to help with the mice, the dissection, and the brain slicing. One of the coolest parts was the advanced training I received to use the two microscopes in the building. I was able to analyze the brain slices, which was so interesting as I was able to apply what I learn in my neuroscience coursework to my research. Flighting Alzheimer’s disease in another way, I am on the executive board for Buckeyes Against Alzheimer’s. We plan events at Ohio State and in the community to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s. I am the Director of Social Media and Advertising so I am in charge of promoting our various events such as our Brain Health Awareness week! Every day we have a  different event to teach students about brain heathy living! The events are free for students and we do activities such as brain healthy cooking, playing with therapy dogs to relieve stress, and a trivia night to learn more about the brain!

Recently, I have picked up a Global Health Sciences Minor. I have always had a passion to serve people internationally and since I am interested in becoming a physician, learning more about global health in the classroom is the perfect way for me to prepare myself for my future career. I also had the opportunity this year to participate in the STEP program, and with those funds, I will be traveling to Thailand in May for a few weeks to teach English and promote healthy living to children in Phang Nga. This trip will give me the opportunity to see an area of the world I have never been, have authentic engagement with people in the country, and teach people something I am passionate about – healthy living. I have really enjoyed preparing for this trip by reading up on the country, the area I will be working, the field manual of my specific project provided by the company, and trying to absorb as much information as possible before I leave. I also have had the opportunity to engage in clinical volunteering here in Columbus. Once a week I volunteer on a stroke recovery floor at Riverside Methodist Hospital. I stock up the rooms to ensure the nurses and physicians have all the tools they need, I talk with the patients, and assist the patients as well as the hospital staff in any way I can.

The past two years at Ohio State have been so rewarding for me in my academic and personal pursuits. I have been able to engage with the community in many different ways, and I am looking forward to the next to years and continuing to prepare for medical school.