My name is Megan Graf. I am currently a first year STEM EE Scholars. I am majoring in data analytics.
Month: September 2017
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.]
First Semester G.O.A.L.S. Reflection
Between all five pillars of the G.O.A.L.S. for Honors and Scholars, the two facets that impact me the most is academic enrichment and service engagement. While global awareness, original inquiry, and leadership development is important, in my everyday life, academic enrichment and service engagement is the two that are constants in my life. The reason why I think these are the most important, especially for college students, is because it helps check in on the end goal of graduation and getting a job as well as remaining you sanity through the four years.
Academic enrichment is important in a college student’s endeavors. Having a lot of chances to learn about jobs in your major after graduation and other majors. You may think you want to major in CSE, but going to multiple events can help you realize that CSE doesn’t seem interesting or that animal science is what you are passionate about. Also, going to a big school, like Ohio State, that have so many options for majors, it is necessary to look at other majors. There may be obscure majors that aren’t very popular but is where you want to work, like data analytics. Through academic enrichment, I have learned that data analytics is the right path for me which is always a good thing to learn. While I am a student, I will still be looking for more academics whether it related to my major or not, and in a few years when I am a graduate, I will take time to show high school students and college students what I do and give speeches if possible.
Service engagement is something I think is very important in general, but also during college. I have always been raised to volunteer and help my community. Now, I am part of a new community, but I was worried I would be too busy to volunteer. When I learned I had to volunteer at COSI for STEM EE scholars, I was not excited, but after my first hour there, my mood quickly changed. I remembered how much volunteering can affect your mood and stress levels. Every week all throughout high school, I would volunteer at a daycare called Childcare on the Square. I would look forward to Wednesdays because I knew it meant that I would be able to see the children there and work with them. I never realized how relaxing reserving an hour or two just to volunteer would be. In many years, I know I will still be volunteering. Nothing compares to the feeling you get while volunteering.
Megan’s Work History and Skills
While growing up, I was always at the pool. I swam competitively for eleven years. For my first job, I was destined to become a lifeguard for Hastings Water Works in 2015. Being a lifeguard was an amazing experience and I fell in love with my job. The following summer, I was promoted to lead lifeguard. I got to work more closely with not only my boss, but with the patrons at the pool. I also got to give lifeguards advice on how to become better guards. In the summer of 2017, my pool switched companies, and I became the pool manager with Lifeguards Plus More. This came with many more responsibilities. I got to make schedules, lead lifeguard inservices, aid in training classes, and acted as the link in between the company and the Homeowner’s Association.
I have been presented with many opportunity to help gain experience. I was already interested in taking steps to help my dream of becoming a data analyst ever since high school. While I was still a senior at Mentor High School, I had a two week shadowing at the Cleveland Clinic. I got to manipulate data from the Framingham Heart Study. For my project, I looked at the correlation between multiple variables, a few included smoking habits, weight status, diastolic blood pressure, and age, and the likelihood of death. I currently am working in collaboration with The Ohio State University Varsity Swim and Dive Team by creating and analyzing statistics for them. To compliment my amazing experiences, I have also pursued in growing skills that are valuable in this field. I am proficient in multiple programming languages, like Excel, Java, and Python.
Working with the Swim Team
This year, I decided to reach out to the swim team to see if I could volunteer my time to do their statistics. Much to my surprise, I was embraced by the team with open arms. The first day, I was given four big assignments. I had to make a goal time calculator for both men’s and women’s team. I also had to calculate the points each Big Ten team got at championships earlier this year.
This project has already taught me a rather unpleasant side of data analytics. I thought these projects would only take up to maybe three days. I was not prepared for the amount of data I would have to work with. When I got to work at the Cleveland Clinic, the data set I was using was already typed up, and I just had to import it. Plugging in the top fifty times with two to thirty-six pieces of data for each person for fourteen races took at least a week for each goal time calculator.
My goal for this year is to continue working with the swim team. If this year continues being a good experience for me, I hope to carry this over to next year as well. These projects with the swim team has already taught me so much and is helping me possibly obtain an internship over the summer.
About Megan
My name is Megan Graf. I am a first year STEM EE Scholar. I am originally from a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, called Mentor. In high school, I was very active in clubs. I was part of the Mentor High Swim and Dive Team, tutoring, Student Government, Youth United Way of Lake County, and a sixth grade camp counselor. After a very valuable and memorable shadowing experience at the Cleveland Clinic my senior year of highschool, I have decided to pursue the path to become a data analyst. Currently, I am volunteering my time with The Ohio State University Varsity Swim and Dive Team by creating and analyzing statistics. While a freshman, I have also joined multiple clubs, like Big Data and Analytics Association, A Moment of Magic, and The Red Cross Club at OSU.