My first artifact is my Capstone project. During my senior year of high school, I was required to complete a Capstone project in which I had to write a paper and make some sort of product to demonstrate my learning, all with the guidance of a mentor. I chose to pursue the topic of Canine Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and spent my first semester heavily researching it. During my second semester, I wrote my paper concerning whether Canine PTSD exists and if it is similar to that of PTSD in humans, and I made both a treatment plan and a website aimed at animal professionals and dog owners. I used Wix.com to create my website, a treatment plan guideline created by a professional therapist for my treatment plan, and wrote my two thousand word paper with mentor guidance. I completed the project in May of 2016, followed by a presentation to sophomores and juniors during which I also received a grade.
My Capstone project was an obvious choice. Despite it being from my high school experience and not of that at Ohio State, I do not think that that fact should diminish its importance. It represents what sort of person entered Ohio State University. Therefore, it lets me know where I stand currently, and as I add artifacts in the future, I can use my project as a baseline. It is also extremely significant to me. At this point in my college career, I am completely lost in terms of a major, a future career, whether I want to do grad school, etc. At the beginning of this project, when I was told I could do any topic I wanted, I was completely clueless. I spent hours a day considering what I wanted to spend my senior year studying. I remember the moment Canine PTSD entered my mind. Canine PTSD. I love dogs and I have a passion for promoting the underdog. I feel now I am at a similar situation. I can do anything I want, but have no idea what I want to do. Yet because of the similarities between my Capstone project and making decisions about my future here at OSU, I know I will discover what I am passionate about. Were it not for the experience, I feel I would be more stressed out, angry, and concerned. The project told me that I will run into difficult decisions in my life, and it’s okay if I don’t have an immediate answer.
In terms of what the project taught me, I think that the project was extremely preparatory for college and even for a future career. My writing skills were significantly improved. I learned how to perfect an academic voice and strongly argue a thesis. I also improved by research skills because while I was required to use mainly scholarly sources, my school’s provided databases—while plentiful—did have the sort of information I was looking for. I had to learn how to search for my information by myself and determine what was helpful, what was peer reviewed, and/or what could be used as a counter-argument. I learned that I actually enjoyed writing research papers. I like digging through information to prove my point and learn about various aspects of a subject. I entered the project with just a general comprehension of Canine PTSD, but I was able to walk away with a much greater understanding. It became a subject of passion, and I still believe it to be a very important issue. I also learned an important lesson about procrastination. I had basically the whole school year to complete my project and a few months for my paper, so I definitely procrastinated on my project at times. It caused me to feel a time crunch at the end, so I have definitely realized the importance of not procrastinating, and I plan to use that knowledge in future projects or work.
It was not a particular challenging project overall, but I originally wanted my product to be a study on which treatments are most effective on dogs with Canine PTSD. I would use a dog with the disease and try treating it, and see if it was effective. However, I could not find a dog anywhere nearby that I could use. Shelters, dog owners, vets, no one had one I could use, so I had to change courses. I adapted my product accordingly. Because of this challenge, I learned how to be flexible. It is all right if plans change or an obstacle prevents progress. I have always tended to form a plan and stick to the plan, and I hated when something changed. Needing to change my product was a good lesson for me.
I am grateful for the experience my Capstone project provided for me. I hope to have similar ones going forward during my four year journey at Ohio State. Both the paper and my products are attached below.