- Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences.
- I plan on studying abroad in Greece my Sophmore year of college and participating in Birthright that year as well. I also want to intern at a startup company in Israel for a summer during my college career.
- 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.
- I will be able to explore this side of Honors & Scholars when I do my engineering capstone project.
- Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
- Despite majoring in an engineering discipline, I plan on minoring in communications — specifically, Health, Environment, Risk, and Science Communication. This minor will push me to view the world in a completely different way than in engineering.
- 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.
- I currently hold leadership positions in my sorority and constantly challenge myself to be a better leader in and out of the classroom.
- Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.
- I am a part of Phi Sigma Rho’s Buckeye-thon team so that I can fundraise to help end childhood cancers. I am also an active member of the Alzheimer’s Association where I raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia. Finally, I am a therapy dog handler for New York Therapy Animals.
Month: August 2018
Career
Model of the Kidney
During high school, I took a class called Advanced Immunology where I studied the inner workings of the immune system and how it responds to threats. For our final project, each group was assigned a different case study and was tasked with determining what the disease was, how it interacted with the immune system, what parts of the body was involved in fighting the disease, treatments, and more. We were also tasked with creating a model of the primary organ system that was affected by the disease. My lab group was assigned a case study involving a urinary tract infection in a ninety-year-old woman that was caused by her catheter. Naturally, I volunteered to make the model. At first, it was just meant to be a clay model of the urinary system, but I got excited. I designed and built a model that allowed tinted water to flow through the kidneys, pick up bacteria, and dispose of it through the bladder. My group also helped me label the different types of cells and tissues involved in the process, as well. I was infatuated with designing and building functioning models of the human body. This only fueled my fascination with engineering as it relates to the human body and encouraged me to pursue my passion in college.
About Me
My name is Cali Halperin, and I am a freshman at The Ohio State University. I am from New York City, where I graduated from The Beacon School in mid-2018. There, I was a founding member/the President of a Bnai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) chapter, as well as an active fundraiser and advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. I was also an intern at Gift of Life, a bone marrow registry. I plan on returning to Gift of Life during my college career to become a Campus Ambassador. I love working with and helping other people, which is something I plan on continuing to do throughout my college career.
I am studying electrical engineering. My dream is to develop diagnostic imaging devices for neurodegenerative diseases – specifically, Alzheimer’s Disease. I plan on joining Buckeye’s Against Alzheimer’s so that I can continue to be an advocate. I also want to be a part of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and Hillel. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing at the Outdoor Adventure Center.
I am so excited for the year to come and cannot wait to see what it means to be a Buckeye.
Hocking Hills Wilderness Welcome
The first experience that I had with camping was through a Wilderness Welcome trip. The Honors and Scholars trip took us to Hocking Hills, Ohio to camp, horseback ride, zip line, stand-up paddleboard, and hike. As a kid growing up in Manhatten, I never played in the “real” outdoors. I went to playgrounds where the ground was concrete or stayed inside when I wanted to see my friends. My high school’s soccer team even had to travel to other boroughs to practice because very few were available where our school was located (Times Square). So I signed up for the trip to push myself out of my comfort zone because college is supposed to be about leaving behind the known and going toward the unknown. I ended up learning so much about who I am and about outdoor adventure. Even though I fell a lot, I got back up again and enjoyed every moment. I made friends for life and discovered something new that I love.