This past summer I participated in a 3-month internship at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Boyce, VA. The center serves as a rehabilitation center for injured or abandoned wildlife in the northern Virginia area. Three days a week I went to the center to perform several different duties, which included feeding baby birds, preparing diets, distributing food to mammals, keeping cages clean, and administering medications. Feeding birds was one of the major tasks since it had to be done every hour. Not only did I gain experience in handling birds, but I also learned how to monitor various signs to make sure they were healthy and eating well. Another task that required a lot of my time at the center was preparing diets. There was a kitchen in which we made the set diets for all of the different mammals, raptors, and other animals. These diets included vegetables, fruits, mice, rats, oats, nuts, and many other items that can often be found in stores. Through preparation, I learned the components of different animal diets and how the food should be cut according to the animal’s size. The diets prepared for the day were stored in the fridge and the next day in the morning the interns took out the food to the animals. I would often take the prepared meals out to the opossums, turtles, ducks, geese, skunks, and foxes. In addition to providing the animals with their food, I was also responsible for cleaning the cages and making sure the animals were healthy and not escaped. Through these tasks I learned how to safely handle animals in a way that kept myself safe and prevented them from becoming scared. The internship required a great amount of dedication and hard work. However, the work was rewarding when I was able to see healthy animals released back into the wild.
Vida Experience in Guatemala – Global Awareness
This past summer I had the opportunity to travel with other Ohio State students to Guatemala through an organization called Vida and give my time and abilities to the animals of the country.We set up spay and neuter clinics in various cities, including Chimaltenango, Panajachel, and Paramos. Over six days, we saw 151 patients, with 88 of those dogs and cats being spayed or neutered. These six clinic days involved long hours in buildings with no air conditioning and sometimes no running water, which is much different than what is found in the United States. As a volunteer, I was able to gain invaluable experience under the guidance of native veterinary technicians and surgeons. I aided in all aspects of intake, surgery, and recovery, including conducting of physical exams, placing a catheter, intubating, assisting surgery, monitoring anesthesia, and prescribing medicine. Not only was the veterinary experience something I will never forget, but the people I interacted with and their culture is also an aspect of the trip I will always remember. We were able to participate in a homestay for a few nights, during which I got to practice my few Spanish skills, gain an understanding of family life in Guatemala, and try new foods. Overall, the insight I gained on veterinary medicine and Guatemalan culture made the trip a phenomenal experience.
WOW Program – Service Engagement
I have had the privilege of participating in the Wonders of Our World (WOW) program, coordinated by Jessica Caton, to fulfill the STEM service outreach requirement. As a part of the program, I have visited various elementary schools in the Columbus community and helped students with short experiments to engage them in science. For the past months of October and November, I have visited two different elementary schools alongside fellow STEM EE scholars and other Ohio State students. I am looking forward to continued visits throughout this semester and next semester. Each visit has had enjoyable moments and challenges, but I never fail to walk out of the classrooms with a smile on my face. After each classroom visit was over I asked my group of students if they enjoyed the experiment and every time I have received an enthusiastic “yes.”
I did not have a lot of experience working with elementary-aged students prior to the WOW program, which has left a lot of room for learning as I work with the kids. My first experience was a wake-up call to how energetic children can be and how much their personalities can differ. However, after that first visit, my ability to handle the children’s unique traits, keep their attention, and encourage them to be engaged in the experiments has improved with each subsequent visit. Some students are overly eager to participate in the experiments while others are less excited about working in groups. However, when I provide them with attention tailored to each member of the group, I have been able to successfully keep students on task a majority of the time and help them learn new science concepts. Throughout my participation in the program, I feel that both I have helped changed the students’ perceptions of science and the students have changed my own view of STEM education and the significance of engaging with young children in science.
Student and Faculty Interviews
STEM EE Scholars were tasked with interviewing an upperclassman, a graduate student, and a professor in order to gain more insight on the opportunities here at Ohio State and how to get involved in them, especially research opportunities. Attached is an essay describing the interview process and what I learned from each person, which would not have been possible without their kindness in meeting with me and answering all of my questions!
Introduction
I moved to The Ohio State University from Stephens City, a small town in northern Virginia, however, I have called many other states and countries home. Throughout our many moves, I grew accustomed to change and meeting new people as a young child. Nowadays, I am not afraid to leave my home and discover the cultures and experiences other countries have to offer. No matter where I was on the world map, I was always with my parents and younger brother. I grew up with constant support from my family, which helped shape me into the determined and passionate student I am today.
During the times in high school when my eyes were not glued to my textbooks and notes, I explored leadership opportunities through camps and school clubs, such as the National Student Leadership Conference and Key Club. Through organizations such as those, I was able to meet new people and learn lessons on who I was as a leader and teammate.My greatest leadership accomplishment was becoming Vice President and eventually President of Key Club. As President, I was presented with the challenge of running the club along with a new faculty advisor. While in high school, I also expanded my perspective by traveling to locations such as China and relieved stress by playing piano and participating in Muay Thai Kickboxing.
I took every opportunity I could to experience STEM opportunities in high school, especially those concerning science. I took multiple science classes my junior and senior year, attended Mountain Vista Governor’s School for Science, Math, and Technology, and participated in the Virginia Space Coast Scholars Online Class and Summer Academy. I knew that science was an area that I had a strong passion for, but I was unsure of what area I wanted to pursue within the broad field of study. Therefore, when I first applied to Ohio State, I knew the STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars program would be a great fit for me. I am looking forward to the community of students and the opportunities in the field of science in which I will be immersed through the STEM EE Scholars program.
Despite my uncertainty with college degree options in high school, I am truly looking forward to pursuing a zoology degree at Ohio State. My family has owned pets my whole life and I have always felt a great reverence for the animals of this Earth. The various opportunities at OSU for a student with my interest in animals and my love for hands-on learning are extremely exciting, especially with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in close proximity and OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. I aspire to gain invaluable experience and lend my services to those or other similar institutions through volunteer work, internships, and research. In the future, I see myself caring for animals whether it is through research or veterinary services. I am looking forward to the community of students and the opportunities in the field of science in which I will be immersed through the STEM EE Scholars program.