About Me

About Me

| Jocelyn Hsu

Jocelyn is a senior Biochemistry major with an interest in youth empowerment and cancer biology. After graduating in Spring 2022, Jocelyn plans on pursuing her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology or Molecular and Cellular Biology to become a professor and researcher. Jocelyn currently conducts research with Drs. James Chen and John Hays at the James Cancer Hospital Solove Research Institute. Her current research identifies biomarkers of CDK4-inhibitor resistance in patients with dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Her past research with the College of Arts & Sciences aimed to strengthen core chemistry skills in General Chemistry students by developing an online website with practice problems. This summer, Jocelyn will partake in the NCI Systems Biology and Physical Oncology Summer Undergraduate Research Program and conduct research with Dr. Denis Wirtz at Johns Hopkins University investigating pancreatic cancer metastasis.

Jocelyn’s passion for teaching has accumulated through her experience working with children who have been affected by a parent’s cancer with Camp Kesem at OSU, volunteering to conduct science experiments with elementary students in Columbus City Schools with Wonders of Our World (WOW), and working with college students as a General Chemistry Lab Teaching Associate. 

Beyond teaching, Jocelyn also strives to advocate for students by serving on the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Board and College of Arts & Sciences Student Council where she developed solutions to address mental wellness, COVID-19, the grading system, and international student representation. She also supports Ohio State residents as the Director of Programming of the Residence Halls Advisory Council (RHAC) which aims to create a safe living environment by hosting events, meetings with Directors of Student Life, advocacy initiatives, and leadership opportunities. In this position, Jocelyn also works with the Senior Vice President for Student Life and a team of student leaders to communicate common concerns seen in the community. She is a member and Co-Marking Chair of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers chapter at Ohio State to support the Asian American community through and beyond their college career.

In her free time, Jocelyn also performs in the Ohio State University Athletic Band, enjoys nut-free baking, and dancing.

Lesson 2: Olentangy Model United Nations

| Jocelyn Hsu

February 24, 2019 || Olentangy Model UN 2019 Summit Visit

In June 2017, a few of my classmates and I founded the Olentangy Model United Nations program in our school district. Olentangy Model UN is one of the works that I pride myself most on solely because of how I have grown from the creation of the program and how I have developed the program, itself. In a way, this symbiotic relationship has led me to address my fears by directly contacting people and improving my public speaking skills, managing my time and workload, and educating myself on global issues and foreign relations. Not only has this program influenced me to make a change–in the world and myself–nor improved my leadership abilities, but it has motivated me to pursue greater challenges. The fact that a mere 8 students created a district-wide program that 200 other students invested their time into has inspired me to approach difficult situations in an optimistic and well managed manner. This program has given me a work cycle of creating healthy goals and accomplishing them appropriately. I cannot credit Model UN enough for providing the opportunity to improve my organization and communication skills, but namely for giving me the motivation to accomplish greater challenges that will ensue.

As a high school graduate, I did not attend the 2019 summit as an officer or a nation representative, but I came back as an alumni and a proud supporter.  The continuous growth I’ve witnessed in the organization, in the officers, and in myself is what motivates me to do what I do now and what I plan to accomplish in the future.

Senior Officers at the 1st Annual Olentangy Model UN Summit in 2018

Lesson 1: #ForEveryChild, Motherly Love, and Career Changes

| Jocelyn Hsu

October 4, 2018 || #ForEveryChild with Benjamin Perks

It was 8:00 pm and, like most of the events I attend in college, I spontaneously walked across campus to a unknown building for a possible speech/activity, and–like always–I was not disappointed. I spent an hour learning from Mr. Benjamin Perks, a UNICEF Representative currently based in Macedonia, as he taught a group of 20-some strangers about children’s standards of living and the lack of care they were given. With this, I had 3 main takeaways:

  1. As of 2019, I plan to pursue a career in infectious disease prevention in children,
  2. I am immensely grateful for the people who surround me and provide support that many other people don’t receive, and
  3. You learn best from those you love because you can respect them. These were Mr. Perks closing words as he recounted his experience growing up as a juvenile delinquent and the process of becoming the person he was that day with the help of his school teacher. That night, as I walked back to my dorm, I impulsively called my mother (this was the first time I called anyone since I arrived at college in August) to tell her about what I learned. It went something like this: “Don’t worry, I’m not in danger,” I prefaced as it was very late and the first time I’d called her, “I just came from a lecture about mistreated children.” At this point, she was probably wondering why her eldest child called to discuss mistreated children… but I quickly assured her, “I’m not saying I was abused or ever felt mistreated, but I actually felt the opposite.” I went on to tell her about what Mr. Perks told me, “I wanted to tell you that you are one of the most impactful people I have ever known. I have learned so much from you and I see you as my greatest role model. I was told that we learn best from those we love… and I wanted to let you know I learn the most from you.” I can’t remember the last time I told anyone I loved them and, technically, I still haven’t let those words come from my mouth. But the implied meaning of my final statement let her known how much I love her.

I realized the amount of love I received as a child is not a common treatment for children around the world. #ForEveryChild unites people around the world to share their stories on the theme: What I want for every Child. Every child has the right to receive a disease-free childhood and a life full of love and respect, and I hope to make an impact on those around me to uphold this belief.

The UNICEF-OSU Presentation with Benjamin Perks. I am standing in the middle with Mr. Perks to my left.

Service Engagement

| Jocelyn Hsu

Despite OSU’s seemingly large campus, the community we build is local and strong, and that is because of those who engage in service opportunities to give back to their supporters and aid those in need. It is important to realize the impact one has on the people that surround them and the best way to introduce this feeling is through service engagement. As the Executive Coordinator of OSU’s Residence Hall Advisory Council, I wish to bring people together to give back to their community by cleaning it, bringing awareness to the people who make it up, and creating a positive change in the environment while maintaining the traditions of the land. As an individual, I hope to give back by teaching young individuals through interactive and educational science experiments. I’ve mentioned the Wonders of Our World program (WOW) in almost all of my posts because of the impact it has made on my life. In this case, as I converse with students and share my ideas with them as they do with me, I am not only giving back to my general community for the education I was given, but I am hoping to give back to the children who’ve impacted my life.

Leadership Development

| Jocelyn Hsu

Leader: /ˈlēdər/ noun: A person of the utmost importance, who oversees a situation, holds the highest position of a community, or the most outstanding character with regards to intelligence or extrovert-like-qualities. This definition is something I find that many people associate with the term ‘leadership’, and something I am strongly opposed to. In recent generations, children are taught to be leaders: to take control of situations, to be the bigger person and not let others tell you what to do, and to be the best at everything. These are not only unrealistic but also not the best ideas to implement into people’s minds. If children are taught to be leaders, then who leads the leaders? This means that leaders must also possess “follower” qualities and this is something I would like to explore. I would like to step out of my comfort zone and learn to empathize with others. Leadership is not about taking charge or telling people what to do. Leadership is being able to engage a community, unite people, recognize every person’s unique opinions and experiences, and be able to create new discussions that advance current ideas. As the topic suggests, leadership is a work in progress and I hope to develop my communication skills by volunteering in my community and attending leadership workshops at OSU by distinguished faculty and guests.

Academic Enrichment

| Jocelyn Hsu

This past year, I have been given the opportunity to teach young individuals, to learn from highly-qualified professors, and to experience hands-on practices through academic and research labs. I am genuinely grateful for these opportunities and I hope to see both academic growth and mental growth from these learning positions. Being able to teach is one of the most challenging skills someone can face because you must be able to understand the subject from other people’s perspectives, know the ins and outs of the topic and other related subjects, and have the patience and qualifications to communicate with young people. I have probably learned most about a subject by teaching young students and I admire their curiosity and drive to learn. They are the ones who motivate me to learn so I can teach others.

As a new member of a research lab through the Wexner Medical Center, I have been mentally challenged to absorb as much information as I can in my field while carrying out my own experiments. This has been one of the steepest learning peaks I’ve ever experienced but I am excited to continue to learn, to make my own discoveries, and to continue on this journey of growth.

Original Inquiry

| Jocelyn Hsu

There’s a new game my friend taught me called “Wiki-link” where everyone starts on the same random Wikipedia page (George Washington, for example) and, using the blue links throughout the article, we would have to get to a predetermined page (Beats headphones, for example) and whoever got there the fastest or in the least amount of clicks would win. The reason I bring this up is not only to suggest a fun game, but it’s to demonstrate how everything is related, yet there’s still so much to discover. Learning is a never-ending process and it is not limited to academics.

This year I will be asking the question, “How do I see myself vs. How do I want to portray myself?” It’s a difficult scenario to task oneself with. Think about how you answer personality tests… are you answering truthfully or are you providing answers that you tell yourself are true? Do you even realize you do this? Can you even tell the difference between who you really are and who you want to be seen as? I hope to focus on these types of questions this year as I dive deeper into what I’m genuinely curious about right now.

Global Awareness

| Jocelyn Hsu

“Global Awareness” is a mighty heavy word. Understanding the way people interact with others and their surroundings is beyond complicated and being able to address the similarities and differences between people also allows us to see the importance everyone plays in the world. After a year at OSU, I genuinely notice the diversity this campus holds. Beyond skin color and sexual orientation, diversity is also inclusive to a wider range of components from introverts to extroverts to short people to tall people and everyone in between. These categories that we use to describe people also impact their story and their life. As much as I would adore traveling the world, there are always opportunities in the community to talk/listen to people to understand the different backgrounds and lives of people and increase my awareness of the differences that make each person unique as well as the commonalities of everyone as we’re all human.

This year, I won’t ignore organization representatives who take their time to stand in the Oval. This year, during my free time, I will have a conversation with these individuals and learn about what they’re passionate about. This year, I will focus on the awareness aspect of “Global Awareness” and continue to learn about other people, their passions, and their community as I build upon my awareness of the people who surround me.