My Updated GOALS

Global Awareness: I have always been enthralled by the world around me. In high school, I took many history classes that taught me about the world and its development. The biggest revelation I had from these history classes is that the world is the culmination of actions from people like you and me. This realization has driven me to broaden my horizons even further. Since beginning my time at OSU, I have studied abroad in London, England, my first time outside of the US! I have taken a classics course on that detailed the ancient civilizations that have had profound impact on the world today, and I plan to take several more. Also, I will be studying the history of HIV, and how the disease has affected the world.

Original Inquiry: I think it can be agreed that any student at Ohio State has some amount of curiosity, if we did not, why would we come to a research institution? That being said, I have been, primarily, interested in the biological and natural sciences. When I was a senior in high school, I interned in a research lab that was studying the effects of a certain protein, Brevican, on memory retention, in the hopes of better understanding the mechanism for Alzheimer’s Disease. But, recently, I discovered I also have a love for philosophy and the complex ethical and intellectual dilemmas that drive our societies’ choices today.  To synthesize these two loves, I have chosen to pursue a biology major, and a minor in bioethics. I have done research on endophytic life and how it affects plants; what the stories of Achilles and Odysseus meant to the Greeks; the ethical implications of CRISPR Cas-9; and the sociological presence modern athletes have in America. Certainly, I feel as if Ohio State has allowed me to investigate things that interest me. I even have plans to collaborate on a small paper with a professor in the hopes that it may be published!

Academic Enrichment: I do not think it is necessary to talk about the challenging courses that I will take during my time at Ohio State, that is just a prerequisite of being an honors student. What really enriches one’s education, in my opinion, is diversity. Rather than just taking a bunch of science courses since I am a biology major, I should strive to take courses in other disciplines, like economics, or history, or political science. I have taken many courses in the humanities which I have mentioned in brief previously, and my minor falls within the category of a humanity. I have studied abroad and will be taking even more non-scientific courses for the rest of my academic career at Ohio State.

Leadership Development: In my time at Ohio State, I have worked as an Office Assistant within residence life, which allowed me to gain experience directing students and helping them with their day-to-day needs. I also went through suicide-prevention training as part of the OA position, which has inspired me and it is a cause I really feel passionate about. The topic of the paper I will be writing with my professor will be suicide prevention, and I plan to join the suicide prevention organization, Buckeyes Campaign Against Suicide, here on campus. Finally, I hope to work as a tutor through the office of diversity and inclusion, here on campus.

Service Engagement: To be honest, this is the section I feel needs the most work, and I plan to start that soon. I will be participating in Buckeyethon next year, and I hope my work with BCAS will give me fulfilling and satisfying service. I also plan to volunteer this coming summer, though I am not sure where. Finally, I hope to go on a service trip sometime next year. I am disappointed in myself for not utilizing the multitude of resources here on campus that allow me to get involved, and I will definitely be changing that in the months to come.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: I have always been enthralled by the world around me. In high school, I took many history classes that taught me about the world and its development. The biggest revelation I had from these history classes is that the world is the culmination of actions from people like you and I. This realization has driven me to broaden my horizons even further. My first step in doing so is going on right now, I am taking a course in English history that has the bonus of going to London over winter break (New Years 2017)! My continued study of history, people, and cultures will, hopefully, provide me with a holistic and sagacious view of the world.

Original Inquiry: I think it can be agreed that any student at Ohio State has some amount of curiosity, if we did not, why would we come to a research institution? That being said, I have been, primarily, interested in the biological and natural sciences. When I was a senior in high school, I interned in a research lab that was studying the effects of a certain protein, Brevican, on memory retention, in the hopes of better understanding the mechanism for Alzheimer’s Disease. But, recently, I discovered I also have a love for philosophy and the complex ethical and intellectual dilemmas that drive our societies’ choices today.  To synthesize these two loves, I have chosen to pursue a biology major, and a minor in bioethics. Together, these two will allow me to study both sides of science: the intellectual and the philosophical, which will, hopefully, aid me in realizing my dream of attaining a Medical Degree. Too often, I think, people are so focused on discovering or creating the next “thing,” without thinking about the implications of their actions. I hope my studies will make me circumspect in this area.
Academic Enrichment: I do not think it is necessary to talk about the challenging courses that I will take during my time at Ohio State, that is just a prerequisite of being an honors student. What really enriches one’s education, in my opinion, is diversity. Rather than just taking a bunch of science courses since I am a biology major, I should strive to take courses in other disciplines, like economics, or history, or political science. Furthermore, I am going to push my learning outside the classroom, like the study abroad in England, or working in a research laboratory.’
Leadership Development: I am currently a part of the bioethics club here at Ohio State, and I really enjoy it. I have considered, in the future applying for a leadership/organizational position, so that could be a possible leadership opportunity. Otherwise, I hope to grow as a leader through volunteer work and working with other people.
Service Engagement: Seeing as my career goal is to be a physician, whose principal responsibility is to help other people, I should definitely have a strong service background. Service is probably the easiest of the G.O.A.L.S to achieve–there are no prerequisites or preferential traits. If you are willing to help, you can help. The most obvious way to engage in service is to help the community, whether it be volunteering at a soup kitchen, tutoring inner city students, or something else, there are virtually endless options. However, there could be actions that might not be,at first glance, considered “service.” For example, working in a research lab to develop a new vaccine may fall under the “Academic Enrichment” category most obviously; but, in reality, it is primarily service, since the goal of the vaccine is to protect people from disease. Therefore, I look forward to having a wealth of service engagement.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]