GOALS stands for Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. Having and developing my goals is not only important for a scholars student, but for any student here at Ohio State or elsewhere.

• Global Awareness: Being globally educated and having an understanding of what is going on around the world (and not just in the USA, in Ohio) is very important to me, and I believe it should be important to others. To expand my global awareness, I plan to study abroad to really get to learn more about history and understand how I, and everyone else, got to where I/we are today. Traveling and studying abroad can be expensive, so I also think putting a little “global awareness” into daily life is important as well. To elaborate, Ohio State is a very diverse school. Students come from around the country and the world. Just walking around campus one is bound to see many different students with varying ethnicities. Taking the time to educated oneself on different cultures, whether it be on your own time or by attending a success session, is essential to being an understanding, educated human being.
• Original Inquiry: Research is a great way to explore and pursue one’s interests. I know I am very interested in Obstetrics, and hope to someday be able to research with an obstetrician or gynecologist. Research can be very academic and may even be required for majors. Getting involved in clubs or extra-curriculars can also allow one to explore their interests. I know I love to act and was involved in theatre in high school. I decided to take an acting class at OSU and am loving it so much I hope to be able to audition and be a part of a production here at OSU. Theatre allows me to express my love of acting and explore who I truly am by “being” other people. Being a biology major requires a lot of outside-the-classroom work and studying, but I know I have to continue to be creative and innovative. Theatre and research are great ways for anyone to pursue their interests and be themselves.
• Academic Enrichment: I chose Biology as my major because it allows me to get the education and experiences I will need for graduate/PA/medical school. I will get to further my understanding of life by taking biology and chemistry courses. Aside from my major courses, I will also get to take general education courses that will help me become a more well-rounded student. I am currently in an acting class that allows me to be creative and express myself outside the laboratory/science classroom. I also plan to take many Psychology courses as I declare my minor in Psychology. I became very interested in Psychology in high school, so much that I tested out of taking any psychology courses in college. I found myself actually disappointed and realized I truly had a passion and interest in psychology and understanding the human brain. Thus, I am declaring a minor in psychology. Biology is, by definition, the study of life. Psychology is the study of the human mind and behavior. Both my major and my minor complement each other and will further my knowledge of life and people. I plan on having a career where I get to work with and alongside people. Pursuing a career in medicine by having a major in Biology allows me to do so, while Psychology enables me to further my understanding of life and people.
• Leadership Development: To grow and develop as a leader during my first year of college, I have joined a club at Ohio State; Pre-Health Students for Change. This club is very informative on how to apply for medical/health related graduate school, has guest speakers (CEO of Wexner Center, the Dean of Vanderbilt’s Medical School, etc), and it’s members are interested in the same things I am career wise. The club allows for me to communicate and make friends with people who are in the same boat as I am, a student just trying to make it through undergrad school into medical/PA school. A goal of mine is to become a chairmen of this club eventually.
• Service Engagement: Although I have not participated in much community service here at OSU yet, involvement in service is very important to me. I am from New Richmond, OH, a very small town outside of Cincinnati, located on the Ohio River. Last winter the river flooded more than it had in decades. Most of our town was completely devastated. I, as the National Honor Society President of my high school, organized groups to go down and help evacuate, and later clean up, our town. We were off several days of school due to students having to be evacuated. I had firsthandedly seen our whole community, and neighboring towns, come together to help out our village. I had never seen such devastation or suffering before this flood, and it was then I understood the importance of helping out your own community, and others, in a time of need.