Balance is incredibly important in living a life to be proud of. I am thrilled to be a part of a program which encourages this while forming well-rounded students through global awareness, original inquiry, academic enrichment, leadership development, and service engagement here at The Ohio State University. In reflecting on these G.O.A.L.S. I see both my passions and plans, and the areas I have to grow in.
There are many areas that will come together to increase my global awareness. I plan to take classes both on cultural anthropology and the global business of food, and while I am excited to explore these interesting topics which I have not gotten to engage with previously, the classes will broaden my understanding of the world, the people who live here, and the role food plays globally. Because of my passion for speaking German, I also intend to travel to Germany during my undergraduate career, whether that be through summer research with the German Academic Exchange Service and RISE Germany, or study abroad over May term.
Original inquiry, for me, will come in the form of research and my senior capstone project, as well as my own creative art. Because there are so many fields and industries to which data analytics can be applied, I would love to participate in research in multiple fields as the opportunities are available, to find out where I want to apply data analytics to. I also look forward to my senior capstone in data analytics, where I will surely be expanding upon this knowledge and experience in original inquiry. Additionally, I find it incredibly important to have some form of artistic outlet in one’s life, and in my past that has taken many different forms, all of which I am interested in rediscovering during my time here. I have an extensive knowledge of ballet technique, a gallery of conceptual and professional photos, a small collection of spoken word poetry, and a set of beloved cello solos, all of which I would love to rediscover and expand upon in their own ways.
Academic enrichment is something that I very pointedly researched before coming to OSU. My current plan for extracurricular involvement is to primarily focus on the Big Data and Analytics Association (BDAA), and supplement my involvement when possible with opportunities from the Buckeye Hackers and Association of Computing Machinery Women’s chapter. My choice of major is something I am committed to allowing sufficient time, focus, and balance to pursue successfully, especially as a current pre-Major. When I realized how cool statistics and computer science are- how powerful they are and how many problems they could solve together- I knew that’s what I wanted to do as a career. There is far more data than there are people who know what to do with it, and I believe that data analytics could be the most fulfilling and engaging way for me to make the world a better place.
In high school, I gathered lots of leadership experience as business club president, a German club officer, Physical Education leader, and at many leadership conferences. While leadership is a goal I want to pursue in college, I want to be more focused about where I put my efforts. For my future, that looks like an internship, worship planning, and the BDAA executive board. Because of all the options in how I can pursue data analytics, it will be beneficial for me to find an internship where I can practice data analytics in multiple capacities. As far as community organizations go, I love being a part of Jacob’s Porch, and plan to continue attending Worship Arts after Wednesday night Bible study to help plan Sunday worship. Ultimately, I hope to secure a leadership position on the BDAA executive board as a sophomore or junior so that I can help the future classes of data analysts and the major community.
For me, service engagement is something that I always keep my eyes open for, and take as it comes. Several examples of this are the God’s Work, Our Hands service days I have participated in through both Jacob’s Porch and my home church, the mission trips I was fortunate to participate in during high school, and the service project benefiting a local woman’s shelter I completed as a PE leader. Despite this approach, there are several instances of service opportunities which I expect to participate in during my time at OSU, including the Community Commitment event and the Jacob’s Porch high school retreat that happen during the school year.