My active involvement in internships, research, and campus organizations has allowed me to develop and refine my leadership skills this year. Within my club Boo Radley Society, I spent the year as a captain in charge of coordinating events and submitting financial request forms for such events. I also was a TA for Health Science Scholars Seminar and took a leadership role in helping my group navigate their first year at OSU as scholar students. This included providing them with information about their major, leading discussions, and answering questions about coursework and experiences. Finally, I took initiative within my Red Cross internship and research lab which developed my group working skills and natural desire to lead projects.

This year was my first experience working in a research lab. I had the amazing opportunity to be an RA in the CAIDe Lab that researching cognitive and affective influences on decision making. Within this role, I learned how to effectively work with SPSS, code data, and clean data- skills I had not developed before. I also learned more about cognitive psychology through literature reviews and research on manipulations that increase math achievement. This area was very new and different from my comfort area of clinical psychology. This new perspective helped me develop a new knowledge base and expand my knowledge of psychology. Overall, this lab challenged me with new experiences and helped me grow as a well-rounded student willing to explore and learn more.

Within my role as a Client Casework Intern at the American Red Cross, I interacted with people from all different backgrounds. Despite their differences, I treated every client of ours with the same care and willingness to help. This looked like providing translator services for Spanish-speaking clients, researching programs benefitting certain demographics, and making sure that every single person experiencing a disaster feels completely cared for and supported. My job was simple; provide aid and support to all who need it, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or SSE.

In my interview with counselor Katie Collins, we discussed the various routes to being a counselor and the ups and downs of her position. In particular, I asked about the best major to pursue and she further promoted psychology as it focuses on the individual mind. As for the ups and downs, Katie said her favorite part of the job was seeing her clients progress and improve in their mental health. The hardest part, however, is the long hours and emotionally taxing nature of the job. For this, Katie suggests becoming good at self care because it can be hard to take care of yourself while helping others through difficult times. Overall, this interview was very informative and further proved that this career path is the right one for me.

This year I participated in many amazing service opportunities that ranged from cleaning up flower beds to investing in the foster care community in my town. Through my experiences I got to invest in relationships with those I served and was able to contribute to the good works done by many on a daily basis. Perhaps one of my favorite opportunities was my day of service at Scioto Community. Though we arrived to create crafts with the residents, the flu season made it so that was no longer possible. Instead, we all gathered to create cards and cheerful gifts for them during this scary time. Something so simple thus had a major impact on the mood of the residents and was really amazing to see. I am grateful for all my service experiences this semester as they allowed me to focus on the world and community around me.

[ “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.]