Year in Review

Global Awareness: After my first year and a half at OSU, I feel as if I have had the opportunity to be immersed in the dense, diverse campus present here at OSU. Columbus is the most diverse location I have ever lived. I grew up in a community that was not necessarily sprawling with diversity, so I thought it was so exciting when I came to campus and was exposed to many different people, coming from all kinds of different backgrounds and cultural traditions. In order to help develop this Global Awareness, I have taken a Service Learning class that has a couple of components from the Multicultural Center in which I have learned about diversity in service and its importance. We discuss topics such as privilege and diversity across a college campus. This class has greatly influenced my development in Global Awareness. Additionally, I plan to continue to fulfill this goal by making a conscious effort to continue to learn about other people’s cultures through food, traditional gatherings, and so on. It is important to be conscious of others people’s values and traditions and to respect these traditions, respectively. I also would like to immerse myself in a culture of my choosing, more than likely Spanish culture, through study abroad and experience the terrain and culture for myself.

Original Inquiry: I have built upon my original inquiry by joining Fischer lab which is affiliated in the Neuroscience department. The key aspects of the lab study Muller glia progenitor cells which are a type of cell found in the retina that are responsible for aspects of vision and the regeneration of it. The lab has given me firsthand experience at wet lab benchwork and numerous microbiology techniques such as staining and reading slides under a microscope. Additionally, the lab has given me the opportunity to work under a  PhD. Dr. Fischer and his post-greaduate understudies that are full of a plethora of information about science and the scientific path as a whole. I continue to work towards this goal of fulfilling original inquiry by beginning my own individual research projects in the lab and working towards getting my name publishing on one of the postgraduate’s research papers.

Academic Enrichment: My Honors contract demonstrates a commitment to the goal of Academic Enrichment by taking rigorous and challenging coursework that keeps me busy and challenges me on a daily basis. I have most definitely noticed the difference between the rigor of high school and collegiate level coursework. With that in mind, I have made it my goal and put a lot of energy and efforts into my studies whether it be from learning course material to going to office hours to studying with classmates. My planned curriculum relates to my future aspirations by taking the medicine pre-requisites Besides these heavily science-based courses, though, I appreciate the curriculum of the Honors curriculum because the general education requirements fulfill a liberal arts education and ensure that I am receiving a well-rounded collegiate education. I chose Neuroscience because the nervous system is the central control system of the body and is all-around a fascinating structure. On the other hand, my general education requirements are going to help me fulfill my liberal arts education. I look forward to taking Sociology classes with a criminology infiltration in addition to theatre classes. Since my course selection fulfills a liberal arts education, medical prerequisites, and a Neuroscience major, I feel as if I am fully encompassing higher education.

Leadership Development: I am involved in a couple of organizations here on campus. Firstly, I am leader for Swim for Life Ohio which is a not-for-profit organization in central Ohio that gives swim lessons to government-subsidized preschool programs. I have met some really bright and exciting young children through this program which makes me excited and puts faith in our future generations. Additionally, I hold an advisor position through the undergraduate Neuroscience internship program. I help to coordinate and teach each semester of students going through the internship. Each week we reflect on the students’ experiences at the shadowing site and we discuss effective patient-provider healthcare interactions. I m also a coordinator for Pay It Forward on Ohio State’s campus which puts on service events across campus for Ohio State students. I am helping to plan Community Commitment day which is a campus-wide service event  in which thousands of Ohio State students get together to help and volunteer across the greater Columbus area. These involvements help contribute to my development as a leader because they give me experience with all different age groups: youth, college-aged students, and adults and large corporations due to the sponsorship needed for Pay It Forward events. These involvements relate to my personal career goals because in hopes of practicing medicine one day, I will be interacting with all sorts of people all of the time. These organizations and leadership positions give me the opportunity to practice and strengthen my interpersonal skills.

Service Engagement:  Service-oriented activities that I have gotten involved in across Ohio State’s campus and the greater Columbus area include: Swim for Life Ohio, Pay it Forward,  volunteering at Nationwide Children’s hospital, and service-oriented activites through my sorority’s philanthropy CHOICES. I continue to be involved in these activities and I plan to continue community service wherever it takes me. I have participated in a Buck-I-Serv trip before, and I would like to do that again.

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

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]