G.O.A.L.S.

Several of my personal interests and the activities that I have been involved with during my first two years here at Ohio State correspond with the GOALS of other OSU’s Honors and Scholars students. The one I feel is most applicable to my time so far is leadership development.

Throughout the past year and half, I have seen an immense improvement in my personal leadership skills. Mount Leadership Society Scholars has given me the opportunities and tools needed to build upon my leadership abilities. I have had the chance to acknowledge and improve my strengths and weaknesses. I have learned what kind of leader I am and how my leadership skills align with others. I have the ability to work with others of different cultures and backgrounds to gain knowledge and awareness of those around me. Through this knowledge, I am able to see how I can work with others to produce the best results to better myself and the community. With my scholars program, I am able to dedicate several community service hours to one organization and utilize my time and strength to help improve the lives of those in my community. With what I have learned and will continue to learn, I am able to apply my abilities inside the classroom as well as in my community. I am excited to see what more I can do for my myself and my community in the next few years.

Artifact 3

Every Thanksgiving, my mom and I go Black Friday shopping together. The past few years it has become tradition that we go with the people I consider my second family, including my second mother, cousin, aunt and grandma. In the picture it shows the six of us together at five in the morning on our way to Target. Every year is a different and fun experience that I get to share with them and it has become one of my favorite traditions. The past few months have made me realize how blessed I am. I am truly blessed that I have these wonderful women as well as so many others in my life. These women have been in my life since I was eight years old and I cannot put into words how much I have grown with them. The experiences I have had with them have shaped me into the person I am today.

My immediate family is not very close with our extended family as they do not live close by, therefore we do not often see them during holidays. For many years, I envied the kids who came home from breaks and talked about how good it was to see their entire family for the holidays. They always talked about how they have huge family parties and how fun and exciting their break is. It used to anger me how I’ve never had that kind of experience. But, over the years I have grown to appreciate it. I am thankful for how close I have become to my immediate family. I am thankful for how it has lead to me to a more intimate relationship with our family friends. Without the experiences I have had, I might not value the things I value and I might not be the same person I am today. I like the person I have become and I have my family and friends to thank for that.

Artifact 2

Before coming to school, one of my biggest fears was that I would not be able to make friends. After moving in and getting to know other Mounties, I knew this wouldn’t be a problem. This Polaroid was taken just a few weeks ago and captures a moment I shared with some of my most favorite people. Early on I developed a relationship with Deepthi. She was good friends with my roommate as well as one of the other members in my Connection Group. It took me a couple of weeks to develop a friendship with Cole and a little under a month to actually meet Zack. When first meeting and developing friendships with these three, I didn’t know that they would turn out to be a few of the most important people to me. They have made my acclimation to campus so much easier. I have had a lot of other friends that are first years that have felt alone and lost the first couple of months after starting school. But, with the great opportunity Mount offers it has been very easy to find people with similar interests. These three have come to be my best friends here at Ohio State and I am so thankful for them. They have made my first semester here amazing and I hope they are my friends for the rest of my time here and many years to come.

Artifact 1

Something that holds a lot of meaning to me is a present I received on my eighteen birthday from my parents. I was given a silver heart necklace with a smaller gold heart in the center. The biggest reason why this is so important to me is because my parents are the most important people in my life. Throughout the last eighteen years, they have been nothing but amazing. They have given me the most important gifts of life and love. The two of them have provided me with more than enough and I could never truly thank them enough for that. Not everyone is given the same opportunities as I am and I am truly grateful that my parents have worked hard and made sacrifices for me to have the experiences I have had. Although we might argue over little things, they have always been there for me and encouraged me. My mom and dad have been the ones that have taught me the most important lessons in life and I continue to learn more and more from them every dayEven when I have felt alone and insignificant, my parents have always been the reminder that I am loved. It has been hard being away from them here at Ohio State. But, this necklace is always a reminder that I will always be a big piece of their heart and they will be a big piece of mine. Regardless of what happens, it’s nice to know they have always been and always will be my biggest cheerleaders as well as my best friends. 

About Me

Hello! My name is Kaela James and I am from Miamisburg, Ohio. I am currently a freshman with a Pre-Nursing major in hopes of becoming a nurse practitioner in the future. I am an active member of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars program. In high school, I was involved in Student Government, Interact Club, Lady Vikings Tennis, and National Honors Society. Over the summer, I volunteered my time at Dayton Children’s Hospital as well as several other smaller organizations. I hope to get involved in many different clubs, organizations and extracurricular activities throughout the next four years. When not in the classroom, I enjoy reading, swimming, watching movies and volunteering. I am so excited to take on freshman year with my fellow mounties and really get involved in the community! If you have any questions about me, feel free to ask!

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “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.]

Career

I am currently in my second year of nursing school at The Ohio State University. Over the last year and a half, I have worked closely with my peers, instructors, and mentors in lab and clinical to build a strong foundation of nursing skills and provide efficient patient care. With my experience in school thus far, I have gained skills and knowledge that will aid me in my future healthcare endeavors. In addition to this, I have had the pleasure of working at a children’s hospital in my hometown for almost a year. As a Patient Care Assistant at this hospital, I had the opportunity to build a solid foundation of hands on patient-centered care. As a float staff member, I have been able to gain experience on several different units and work with many different staff members on a regular basis. Because of this, I have broadened my learning experiences and diversified my nursing practices. I have worked diligently over the past year to strengthen my patient care skills and gain confidence in my abilities. I have had the pleasure of being able to build upon my strengths and work on my weaknesses. Although I still have a long way to go and a lot of knowledge to gain, I continue to take every opportunity given to me to advance my practice.

Resume Kaela James-1zs2fsj

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]