During my first semester of college, I got to canoe down the Olentangy River with some of my friends from the Biological Sciences Scholars program and from the Outdoor Adventure Center — a place that has become a second home to me at Ohio State. However, this trip was very different from rock climbing and hiking that I usually associate with the Outdoor Adventure Center. This was actually my first time seeing downtown Columbus and it was an extremely unique way to see it. Coming from New York City, I felt at home seeing the urban landscape. It was a familiar, yet foreign experience (mainly because I have never canoed down the Hudson River). I am excited to continue to explore this new city for the next three-and-a-half years.
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.
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.