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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.
[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.
Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]
Career
Sophia Gull
Interview Essay
The first year of college consists of lots of new challenges and experiences. Living in a new place, with new people all while taking difficult classes at the same time you are trying to get involved in a multitude of clubs, requires some advice from people who have gone through it all. It was important to get advice from people who are all at different stages in their college experience. First, it was important to get tips and advice from a student who just recently completed their freshman year and is still attending Ohio State in pursuit of their undergrad. Secondly, I interviewed a graduate student at the Ohio State in hopes of getting advice regarding steps to take should I decide to apply to graduate school. Finally, I interviewed a professor so that I could hear from someone who actually teaches classes here at Ohio State and get advice regarding various services offered to aid in my education.
When deciding upon which upperclassmen to interview, I immediately thought of Alex Cetnar, the RA on my floor. I knew Alex was majoring in engineering and would have lots of advice regarding the tough classes required to get a degree in engineering. Alex also is very involved at Ohio State so I thought it would be beneficial to hear how he balances his education with his extracurricular activities. In regards to the graduate student, I decided to interview Alec Sichko the undergraduate teaching assistant for my engineering 1181 class. Alec is in charge of organizing our weekly labs for 1181 and is pursuing his master’s degree in engineering. Finally, I chose to interview Dr. Krista K, my professor in Engineering 1181. I chose Dr. K because she received her master’s in aerospace engineering which is a major I am considering. I also chose Dr. K because when looking at her research I found articles not only regarding scientific research but also involving choosing a major within engineering which is something I have been struggling with.
Alex, the upperclassmen that I chose to interview, is from Butler, Pennsylvania and is majoring in biomedical engineering. Due to the fact that Alex is also majoring in engineering, he had a multitude of helpful advice regarding classes and getting involved at Ohio State. One big piece of advice Alex gave me was to use the various tutoring services offered here at the university. He also told me to take advantage of professor’s office hours even thought at first it might seem intimidating to go to them. I have already taken Alex’s advice and attended tutoring for both physics and calculus as well as attended office hours for physics. These services, as Alex assured me they would be, have already proved to be beneficial. Regarding getting involved in clubs, Alex advised that rather than being barely involved in numerous clubs, it is better to focus on or two and put my full attention into them. Alex is involved in two clubs the first being Real Life, a Christian organization, as well as the Biomedical Society. Alex is very involved in both of these clubs as he is a drummer for Real Life and was president of the Society last year. I am extremely glad I met with Alex, because not only did he give me good advice regarding study habits and getting involved he also advised me about what classes to take in the future as I pursue my major in civil engineering.
Alec Sichko was a great resource to me and I am glad I made a personal connection with him as I now feel more comfortable attending his office hours to review my lab reports for 1181. Alec majored in civil engineering and is currently pursuing his master’s while simultaneously being a TA for 1181. Currently my major is civil engineering so Alec was a great asset when discussing what classes I have to take in the future here at Ohio State. I also am involved in Engineering without Borders organization here on campus and Alec also was involved in this organization when he was an undergraduate student so we discussed his experiences with that club. We found a common interest in using engineering skills to help those in need which is precisely what Engineering without Borders is about. I also told Alec how I am in the STEM Scholars program and he emphasized how important it is to make friends with similar interests and majors as that helped him form study groups and stay motivated because many of his friends were in the same or similar classes. As of now, I am not planning on pursuing a master’s so while Alec and I discussed tips for graduate school we focused more on getting involved in research. Alec advised me to make a personal connection with the professor whose research I plan on getting involved so that they know of me and of my work ethic. He also advised to take advantage of the various fairs and outreach Ohio State offers to help narrow down what research I actually want to pursue. Alec was really informational not only regarding my future at Ohio State but also how to perform well in 1181, my introductory engineering course. He not only told me how to study better and not procrastinate but also explained how to work on the technical reports and emphasized their importance in the real engineering world.
I originally had knowledge that Dr. K was involved in some sort of research but I was not entirely sure what it entailed. Finding the articles was very easy as I just searched her name on SCOPUS and the articles were the first thing to show up. As an aerospace engineer, Dr. K was involved in research regarding wind turbines as she worked to earn her PhD. Interviewing Dr. K in addition to Alec, drastically improved my confidence in regards to 1181. When I talked to Dr. K, I expressed my concerns to her about being behind in comparison to my fellow classmates as my high school did not really offer any engineering specific classes, especially computer science classes. She reassured me, however that when she got involved in engineering she also had limited experience, particularly with coding and to not let it discourage me. I then discussed her research regarding wind turbines and their aerodynamics. While there are no current research positions for undergraduates, she did encourage me to pursue other undergraduate research opportunities. Additionally, Dr. K has written papers regarding choosing a discipline within engineering so I also discussed the process of choosing because I am still deciding what discipline of engineering I should officially apply to. Overall, Dr. K was extremely helpful in easing my concerns regarding pursuing engineering and made me feel more confident in my study skills.
The personal connections I made while meeting with these three people has already proved to be extremely beneficial. I have already taken much of the advice and information given to me into consideration and it has already been extremely helpful and reassuring. I also feel more confident asking for help when I need it knowing that all of these people are here and willing to help me further my education here at The Ohio State University.
Works Cited
Kecskemety, K. M., and J. J. McNamara. “Influence of Wake Dynamics on the Performance and Aeroelasticity of Wind Turbines.” Renewable Energy 88 (2016): 333-45. SCOPUS. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
Kecskemety, K. M., and J. J. McNamara. “Influence of Wake Dynamics on the Performance and Aeroelasticity of Wind Turbines.” Renewable Energy 88 (2016): 333-45. SCOPUS. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
Artifacts
Throughout high school, I was involved in various programs and activities involving STEM. These activities contributed greatly to my decision to major in engineering here at The Ohio State University. Upon deciding to join the STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars Program, I was hopeful that even more opportunities to further get involved in STEM would become available. In addition to my passion for STEM I also have always enjoyed being involved in service particularly working with children. This past semester through STEM Scholars I am grateful to have had the opportunity to combine both of these passions into one specific activity. I, along with 2 other team members, were tasked with drafting, designing, and planning an experiment that would be presented to various groups of elementary and middle school students at various libraries in the Columbus area. The goal was to design experiments that introduced the students to STEM concepts in a fun and hands on way that helped them realize how STEM can be fun and exciting.
The first experiment we designed was aimed at teaching the students about polar molecules in a simple way by having them make a milk rainbow using food coloring, dish soap, and milk. The students would fill a plate with milk and drops of food coloring then dip a Q tip covered in dish soap in the center of the plate, causing the colors to move and make a rainbow. This happens because of the non polar and polar ends of soap interacting with the milk which is composed of primarily fats, proteins, and water. This experiment is a cost effective and simple way to introduce the students to the concept of polar molecules. My team and I are currently working on our second experiment and we are planning to do something involving making a lava lamp in a water bottle with water, oil, food coloring, and alka seltzer tablets. This opportunity has given me the chance to try and find a way to make science both fun and educational for children with the hopes of inspiring them to be the next generation in STEM fields.
About Me
My name is Sophia Gull and I am from Alexandria, Virginia just a couple miles away from our nation’s capital. Until coming to Ohio State, I had lived in Virginia my whole life. While it was a bittersweet transition, I could not be more excited to be studying at Ohio State and cannot wait to see what the future holds for me. As of now, I plan on majoring in civil engineering and possibly minoring in Russian. My family, especially my parents and sister, back in Virginia have always been such a strong support system for me and are a big part of the reason why I decided to pursue a career in engineering and why I have such a great appreciation for STEM. When I tell people at Ohio State that I am from Virginia the common question always seems to be why I chose Ohio State. For me, it was an easy decision. I was looking for an engineering program that allowed me to get hands on experience early on with various disciplines of engineering not just civil. Additionally, I wanted a big school with numerous activities involving not just academics but also sports and service, a few of which I have already gotten involved in. Finally, I of course came to Ohio State for Buckeye football and the amazing school spirit and alumni network the school offers. I could not be more excited to be a Buckeye for the next four years and get involved in all the various experiences being a Buckeye entails.
From a young age, I always had an affinity for math and science, particularly spacecraft and space missions. As a kid, my dad and I would always buy model rocket kits and build and launch them from a park near our house. I also would always attend lectures with my dad at the National Air and Space Museum where NASA employees and astronauts such as Jim Bean would come and talk about their experiences. These experiences with my dad only furthered my love for building things and seeing how they worked. It was not until eighth grade, however that I realized that I could turn this passion into a career. I conducted a science fair experiment involving model rockets and was recognized by the Society of American Military Engineers and was invited to present my project at their monthly meeting. Here I met so many people involved in engineering and realized the various opportunities that engineering offered to me if I chose to pursue it as a career.
Upon entering high school, I was involved in three summer engineering programs that really helped me solidify my passion for engineering and gave me hands on experience. I participated in two NASA online academies and was accepted to their summer week long academies at NASA Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center. Both of these academies helped me to build team building skills as well as get up close and personal with aerospace engineering, which I was considering as a major. Additionally, I attended an Engineering and Construction Camp from Vicksburg, Mississippi through the Society of American Military Engineers. This camp really sparked my passion for civil engineering and is ultimately why I decided on that as a major. While I do love math and science, I also have been involved in various activities throughout high school. I played field hockey as a forward for three years. Field hockey was such a fun experience and helped me forge so many friendships that I still have today. I also was involved in National Honor Society as well as Student Council as junior class president and senior class representative. I also was a member of the Astronomy Club.
At THE Ohio State University, the opportunities are endless especially being involved in STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars. Scholars allows me to be surrounded by people with similar interests and majors. I have already started to get involved in various activities at Ohio State. I am currently trying out for club field hockey and I plan on being involved with the Society of Women Engineers. I plan on majoring in civil engineering and minoring in Russian. I also hope to partake in various internships and research opportunities. In regards to my career goals, I visit Disney World ever year and I plan to be an Imagineer for Disney World and design various rides and infrastructure. If this does not work out, I also would like to work for NASA designing various spacecraft.