My sophomore year has been an extremely formative one for me. I have experienced both joy and sadness, and learned how to cope with difficult situations. For example, when I was dealing with a disappointing development on Mock Trial, I did not allow the situation to change my entire outlook on life and school. Furthermore, I have spent half the year away from my best friend. While this has been difficult because I miss her, it has allowed me to create my own identity and continue to form as a person on my own, without an extremely strong influence from her. I have also learned the value of my family. Because I have spent so much time without them over the past year, I have started to cherish my visits home more and more. The food tastes even better, and my bed is even more comfortable. I believe that this appreciation for my family and my trips home has helped me to appreciate the other luxuries I have the opportunity to experience in my life. This summer, I will be taking on an exciting new internship that will allow me to make money, as well as learn about the field I want to go into. I will be staying away from my family for the first time, have to pay rent, and buy my own food. I feel like this year has allowed me to grow emotionally and become a more mature person. International Affairs Scholars has given me opportunities to learn about the world, other cultures, and international politics that I would have never otherwise received. This scholars program has been an integral part of my experience this year because it gave me the opportunity to learn about a field that I am passionate about- politics- and explain it to my peers. I feel that I have become a more capable, mature person over the past year, and I cannot wait to see what the upcoming years give me the opportunity to learn about myself.
Month: April 2017
It’s a Little Hazy
After this year, my career choices have gotten a little hazier. My plan since my Sophomore year of high school has been to attend law school. But now, I am becoming less and less sure of that choice. Since starting studying my Psychology degree, I have realized that I love to help people on an individual basis. I believe that I would be a good counselor or clinical psychologist. This career choice is not possible if I decide to go to law school. Both of these choices are fairly similar: I have the opportunity to help someone on an individual basis who is facing a crisis. But these are two completely different situations. If I become a lawyer, I help someone through trial, and if I become a psychologist, I help someone through a mental health problem. I believe that it would probably be harder to be a psychologist because I would form personal connections with people who are dealing with severe problems. But attorneys make substantially higher salaries than psychologists, and I have planned to become an attorney for a while now. Furthermore, I have more experience with law-related fields since I have done multiple internships thinking I would become a lawyer. I have a lot to consider about my future in the upcoming year.
International Affairs Symposium
Presenting my Second-Year project at the International Affairs Symposium was extremely rewarding. At first, I was loath to present my poster (IA powerpoint REAL-1whkjvu) to the individuals who came. However, after a short time, I realized that they were actually interested in what I had to tell them. My second-year project was working as a Page at the Ohio House of Representatives. While I worked there, I was promoted to Constituent Aide for House District 89. It was the most rewarding job I have ever had. Sometimes, it was tedious- I would open mail and respond to mass emails- but other times, I had the opportunity to effect real change for the district’s constituents.
I loved explaining this to the people who came to see my poster. I have always had an affinity for public speaking, and describing my job to the variety of individuals who attended the Symposium was a blast. I feel that this experience helped me to grow as a student and a speaker because it gave me the opportunity to present the information I worked so hard to learn to the variety of the symposium’s attendees. I certainly would do it again if I could.
Mock Trial 2017
As you probably know, I spend a lot of time competing in Mock Trial. This year, I was our Vice President of Travel, which came with many responsibilities and difficulties. For example, at a tournament the hotel only reserved one room instead of six. I believe that this experience, in addition with my experience as an executive board member overall, helped me hone my problem-solving capabilities and helped me understand myself better. By taking responsibility and learning from my mistakes, I believe that I have become a more welcoming and inclusive person. I have learned to say what I mean and mean what I say. I have learned to be straightforward, and to be firm in my opinions. But most of all, I learned the importance of loyalty to my friends, to my teammates, and to my program. Without this loyalty, we are just a group of individuals trying to succeed. When we work together, we are a team with the capability of winning.
Pictured above is my team at our last tournament this year. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to meet and compete with this talented group of people. Without them, my Ohio State experience would not be the same- they have become some of my closest friends.