Third Year in Review || 2020-2021

Autumn 2020

  • Moved into Jones Tower (a single room): with COVID and the start of my third year in college, it was nice to have space for myself while keeping the company of neighboring students in the residence hall.
  • Virtual Event Planning with the Residence Halls Advisory Council: this was the first time I had to plan virtual events, but with the help of the newly formed Programming Committee, my Executive Board members, and other Universities, we planned a diverse range of online events.

September – October 2020

  • Joined College of Arts & Sciences Student Council: as my interest in supporting and advocating for the student body increased, I found the Student Advisory Board for my college which also introduced me to the Dean’s Student Advisory Board where we discussed solutions to manage mental wellness, COVID-19, the grading system, and international student representation.
  • Joined the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) at Ohio State: because of my own insecurities, I made a conscious effort to stray away from other Asians or Asian Americans, but after reflecting, I joined SASE where I met other students with similar upbringing and passions.
  • Online adjustment with Wonders of Our World (WOW): originally, WOW would visit Columbus City Elementary Schools to conduct experiments with the students, but we transitioned into a virtual organization since we could not visit the schools and I became one of the heads of our social media team.
  • Met with other student leaders with Senior Vice President of Student Life: as one of the Executive Board members of RHAC, I was given the opportunity to work with Dr. Melissa Shivers and student leaders from other organizations to discuss our approach to University COVID testing and other safety precautions the University should take.
  • Intro to Forensic Science and Career Changes: despite the interesting careers and theories introduced in this course, I realized that a career in forensic science is not for me. My professor brought in individuals from a range of forensic fields and none of them seemed quite content with their jobs, and I don’t believe I would be either. I originally wished to prevent innocent incarceration using science, but I realized that a forensic scientist does not have that ability. I crave continuous learning and interaction with people I impact, so I have pursued a career in academia, instead. See Resume (updated 5/11/2021) and Research Resume (updated 5/11/2021).
  • Teaching General Chemistry Labs during COVID-19: during Spring 2020, we transitioned from fully in-person labs to fully online labs. During Autumn 2020, we split students into smaller groups so they could still experience in-person labs, but it would be less often to accommodate all groups. Despite the challenges, my students excelled and made an effort to participate during class and ask questions. Chemistry 1210 is one of the hardest courses, in my opinion, and I know that the base skills they have developed in this course will help them in the future.

November – December 2020

  • Black Lives Matter and RHAC Support: RHAC’s Director of Student Advocacy, Teya LeBlanc-Hill, and her advocacy committee developed an Anti-Racism Statement that was approved and edited by our Executive Board. To support our Black students and the Black community, we are making conscious efforts to prioritize Black representation across all RHAC systems, host educational support/development opportunities, and promote collaboration with businesses that comply with our anti-racist guidelines.
  • Athletic Band Recording: despite COVID-19, the athletic band was able to practice in small groups and with proper PPE. We had a recording session in the stadium at the end of the semester where I got to see my old friends and make music once again.
  • Classes end: with a focus on how students learn and how I learn best, I’ve gained an appreciation for exceptional professors. Dr. Gopalan (Biochemistry 5613) and Dr. Soory (Physics 1250) made an effort to organize their Carmen page, adjust their teaching methods using screen sharing, asking questions to engage students and promote discussion, and created assessments that accurately covered material.

January – April 2021

  • Classes begin: I took the semester a little easier to focus on finishing my language General Education course, Korean. This was one of my best semesters and had my favorite classes so far. Biochemistry 3 covered the central dogma of biology and I found myself engaged in discussions and ready to learn. Both studying and taking the assessments were enjoyable. Biochemistry Lab was also one of my favorite classes. We worked individually due to COVID restrictions, but I got to complete experiments such as protein purification and site-directed mutagenesis PCR which is similar to what I hope to do in future research labs.
  • Research Lab is finally making some progress: for the past two years, I have been developing drug-resistant cells in my lab so we can compare protein concentrations in parent and resistant cells so we can create a protein profile for patients who may be prone to drug resistance. We’ve had to freeze down the cells because of COVID and now they are up and running so progress is being made.
  • Athletic Band performance at Spring Game: the A-band had the opportunity to perform for the first time in over a year at a live athletic event. We practiced for a month prior to the game and were able to march and play outdoors with the football team and fans around us.
  • Got fully vaccinated! Still got to wear that mask, though 🙂

May 2021

  • Received STEP Scholarship: to support my summer research with my current lab, I will be using my Second-Year Transformational Experience Program (STEP) funding.
  • Accepted as the Co-Marketing Chair for SASE: I am so appreciative of the community of Asian Scientists and Engineers. I knew I had to be more involved in the organization and am pleased to be on the Marketing Chairs for SASE. As an Executive Member, I will also be able to emphasize the recruitment and retention of scientists, as I am currently the only non-engineering major
  • Accepted into the NCI Systems Biology and Physical Oncology Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Johns Hopkins University to further develop a new imaging method of tumors in 3D at single-cell resolution to study venous invasion in pancreatic cancer
  • Looking onwards to Graduate School: I’m planning on attending graduate school for a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology to become a professor and researcher. Looking at faculty members’ research ignites new interests that I would have never looked into on my own.

Summer Plans

  • Continue research with my current lab at The James Cancer Hospital Solove Research Center with the CDK4-inhibitor-resistant dedifferentiated liposarcoma cell lines
  • Teach Session 2 General Chemistry lab
  • Start the NCI Summer Research Program at Johns Hopkins University
  • Continue planning events for residents at Ohio State. We can now have in-person events and off-campus events, so it’s very exciting!
  • I’ve been obsessed with polymer clay earrings, so I am going to try to make my own. Cross our fingers!
Arts & Sciences Student Council Photo for 2020-2021. Jocelyn is the 3rd person from the left in the 2nd row
Arts & Sciences Student Council 2021-2022
RHAC Group Photo for 2020-2021. Jocelyn is the 4th person from the left. Group is standing outside of Mirror Lake.
Residence Halls Advisory Council 2020-2021

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *