During the fall of 2017, a few of my friends and I participated in Community Commitment, which was an event focused on community service and volunteering. We were assigned to pick up trash in the neighborhoods just outside of campus. The day wasn’t as exciting as I was hoping, but I did learn a lot from this experience. First of all, I realized that litter is a major problem on campus and off campus and that we need to work together to improve the environment. It was a rewarding day, and I would definitely recommend Community Commitment to anyone that is looking for a way to get involved in service.

Global Awareness: The STEP program at Ohio State has provided me with an opportunity to travel to Costa Rica and take part in a sea turtle conservation research project. This May (2019), I will be working with GVI, assisting with the conservation of critically endangered hawksbills, endangered green sea turtles, and vulnerable leatherbacks and developing key research skills while monitoring beaches for mother turtle tracks and nests. In addition, we will be conducting beach surveys, gathering and processing data, and gaining knowledge about conservation and the rainforest ecosystem. I am looking forward to learning more about Costa Rica and its people and culture by immersion in a new environment.

Original Inquiry: During the 2019-2020 school year, I plan on working in the Grottoli laboratory in the School of Earth Sciences to study the phenomenon of coral bleaching and its causes and effects. Research activities will include laboratory work, data entry, participating in lab meetings, and engaging in all aspects of ongoing research in the laboratory. The ongoing research is part of a large National Science Foundation funded grant to study Hawaiian corals.

Academic Enrichment: To challenge myself, I plan on taking classes that are out of my comfort zone and trying my best to be successful in those classes. Academic Enrichment also includes taking classes that are different from my major courses and something that I wouldn’t normally take. These classes will serve to open my mind to other ways of thinking.

Leadership Development:  Leadership is something that is important to me, and I plan to demonstrate my ability to be an effective and helpful leader by participating in the Biological Sciences Scholars Mentor Program during the 2019-2020 school year. This program will benefit both myself and the first-year students that I am mentoring. I am looking forward to using my own background and experience to make others feel welcome and answer any questions that they may have about the scholars program or college in general. I feel that STEP has prepared me for this opportunity because my cohort was focused on developing strategies and techniques to become effective leaders.

Service Engagement: While research, study abroad, academic enrichment, and leadership are important to becoming well-rounded and educated, it is important to develop your character, as well. Community service allows you to take a step back and focus on other people and their needs instead of your own. During my time at Ohio State, I have been a part of the OWL Program, taken part in Community Commitment and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, and participated in Buckeyethon to raise money for children with cancer. In addition, I have been on two spring break service trips through the St. Thomas Moore Newman Center on campus. During my freshman year we went to Kentucky and worked with Christian Appalachian Project to renovate homes of those in need. This past spring break I went to Mississippi and worked alongside Sacred Heart Southern Missions to do the same. These have been very rewarding experiences and have not only helped me to build relationships with other Ohio State students, but with members of other communities and schools across the United States, as well. Buck-I-Serv is an alternative break organization on campus that provides students with the opportunity to do service either in the U.S. or in a different country. Over winter break (2018) I went with a group of students to Louisiana where we did environment-focused service while living on a bus for a week. This experience forced me to step out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons to things that I may not have done previously.