Service Engagement

As an undergraduate student and a Health Sciences Scholar I have spent many hours volunteering with the university for MLK Day of Service, Welcome Week, and admitted student visits during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 academic years. Also, I have served with the Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, the Veterans Hospital, and the Freshwater Land Trust of Birmingham, AL.

Leadership Development

As part of the Visits and Events team at OSU, I helped lead and guide admitted applicants and prospective students along with their families throughout their Admitted Students Visit at the end of the Fall 2015 semester.

Academic Enrichment

As a second semester Sophmore I switched to Sport Industry from Exercise Science. During the first semester of that academic year (2015-2016) I took a wide variety of courses in order to find a major or career plan that follows my interests and goals. Since switching, I am currently taking a semester of classes that align not only with my major but with my specific interests for my future career, such as the Psychology of Sports. I also attended Dr. Stephen Ross’s lecture on psychedelics in medicine as well as Dr. Bennett Omaul’s presentation about his own life and the discovery of CTE.

 

Original Inquiry

As required by one of my Psychology courses in Fall of 2015, I participated in 8 hours of the Research Experience Program in which I signed up for and completed numerous studies provided by graduate students.

 

Major Service Project

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Project Title: Preserving the Natural Environment Across Central Alabama

Service Site Name: Freshwater Land Trust of Birmingham, AL

As a volunteer for the Freshwater Land Trust I worked in Central Alabama, primarily in Jefferson and Shelby county, to help expand the organization’s focus to multiple locations across the region. The organization strives to protect and conserve nature in the form of farms, parks, historic areas, and the vast amount of waterways throughout the state. During the 40 hours that I served, I spent most of my time focused on the Cahaba River Watershed. I assisted by cleaning up the protected areas and promoting events that helped spread awareness of the organization’s goal. I grew up playing in the Cahaba River and its diversity of fish species and opportunities for recreation make it a very important place to those who live in Central Alabama, including myself. Aside from preserving this area, I spent a very long day helping set up and tearing down all of the necessary materials that went into conducting one of the organization’s annual concerts. The concerts aim to increase awareness and raise funds for further conservation as well as expanding the non-profit’s reach to other areas in need.

By volunteering with the Freshwater Land Trust, I was able to give back to my community and gain a better understanding of the importance of protecting and conserving our natural environment, not just in Central Alabama, but all over the world. I was also able to learn about the many aspects of non-profit organizations and develop new skills as a result.

Year in Review

Over the past school year, a lot has changed. Last spring I found myself completely overwhelmed and unsure about my major and career goals. After taking a semester to explore various options and doing some reading and research of my own, I believe I have found my true calling. The sport industry is a field in which I feel both at home and excited to succeed. I no longer worry about the possibility of not enjoying being a doctor or the or the debt associated with the immense amount of schooling required, but instead, I think I have found an industry in which going to work will not feel like a job.

Throughout the past year, I have also finished the requirements for completing the Health Sciences Scholars program including a major service project, a career profile, a list of H-Goals, attending HSS events, and much more. In my second year, I have continued serving as a University Host and hope to expand my help to the Athletic Host team. Through this opportunity, I would be able to meet with football recruits and their families in order to introduce them to the Ohio State tradition, show them around during events and games, and help influence their decision to attend the university. In addition, I have recently applied to numerous jobs within several Columbus sports organizations including the Blue Jackets, the Crew, the Clippers, and OSULife Sports, a summer sports program for underprivileged children in the greater Columbus area.

I have continuously met my expectations including grade achievement, maintaining my track to graduate on time, expanding my knowledge of the sport industry as a whole, and developing myself through extracurricular activities and school associated organizations. I will continue fulfilling these expectations and expect to graduate in May of 2018 and plan to get a Master’s degree in Sport Management. I hope to return to my birthplace of San Francisco and make an impact in the sports scene of the Bay Area. I am extremely excited to see what the future holds and I believe the opportunities available to me through OSU are key in helping me achieve my goals.

 

Health & Wellness

As an undergraduate student I have taken courses in both Food Sciences and Health Promotion and Nutrition, with more to come, that have provided me with the knowledge to develop and follow a healthy diet and exercise program designed specifically for me.

 

Informational Interview

For this assignment, I chose to interview my Applied Sports Psychology professor, Leif Smith, Psy. D. because of my interests for anything related to sports and health. I began by asking Dr. Smith how he decided to enter the field of sports psychology. As a former college basketball player, Smith’s entire life had been dedicated to sports. When he had the realization that his basketball career was coming to an end, he began to weigh his options and a career in sports psychology seemed to be the best fit for his interests and skills.

Next, I asked Dr. Smith what job path led him to create his own consulting firm, Personal Best Consulting. After graduating from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, he worked as an Adjunct Graduate Faculty member at the University of Dayton where he taught for the next 10 years. During his time at the University of Dayton, Dr. Smith knew he eventually wanted to open up his own practice, and after leaving the university he was finally able to do so.

When discussing the steps leading up to his current position as the President and Founder of Personal Best Consulting, I also asked him what important steps he took to make a name for himself in the field. Dr. Smith informed me that by joining the American Psychological Association, he was placed in a community full of other experts and peers. Through his membership, he was able to be cited and recognized in multiple scientific journals, magazines, and other publications. Another huge step in his success came from his work in co-authoring a book that would be a part of the books for dummies series, Sports Psychology for Dummies.

Dr. Smith’s typical day involves teaching courses at The Ohio State University, where he also works with athletes from every one of the school’s 31 Division 1 sports, and working at his private practice in Dublin, OH. During his career to date, Smith has worked with thousands of athletes and coaches at all levels of sports competition. However, he also works individuals who do not play sports. He practice also focuses on depression, anxiety, addiction, coping skills, and other clinical issues that affect overall performance in sports, the workplace, and all aspects of life.

When asking Dr. Smith about the most challenging part of his job, he seemed to have an easy answer. The combination of the strict ethics, that vary from client to client, and the huge variety of issues make it difficult to rely on previous experiences in order to help solve a clinical problem. This is because individuals react differently to different types of treatment so the solution often takes a lot of time and repetitive enforcement before any signs of progress are seen.

As the interview came to a close, I asked Dr. Smith if he would do it the same way if he had to start again. After a few moments of consideration, he said he believed that he would follow the same path and he feels at home in his position. He said he thoroughly enjoys helping people remove obstacles and other issues that prevent them from being the best they can be and performing to the best of their ability. To Dr. Smith, this is the most satisfying part of his job and without the personal satisfaction gained, being a consultant would be a much more challenging job.