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.
goals
Leadership Development
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
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
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
“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.