My name is Courtney Johnson, and I am a Second Year student majoring in Strategic Communications and History of Art, with a minor in South Asian Studies. I am a member of both the Honors and International Affairs Scholars programs at Ohio State. Additionally, I am Vice President of the Mirrors Sophomore Class Honorary, a volunteer at the James Cancer Research Hospital, a reporter for the Ohio State student newspaper, The Lantern, and a member of Alpha Chi Omega. I participated in the IA Scholars 2015 trip to India, and as a member of STEP plan to work at the non-profit Enjoy the Arts as a Marketing and Communications Intern this summer. After graduation, I wish to enter a graduate program and obtain a Master’s Degree in Art History. Professionally I plan to work either in curation or publishing.

While I will always be a Cincinnati girl at heart, I have always had a passion for travel and strong interest in global issues. When I reflect on my life, some of the most pivotal and perspective-shifting experiences I have undergone have been when I have been pushed out of my Ohioan bubble, and into realms beyond my comfort zone. These early travels – to British Columbia, England, Scotland, France, Mexico, etc. – helped me to gain perspective into my place in the world, and my role in larger global forces.

These past experiences and passions were among the factors which initially drew me to the International Affairs Scholars program at OSU. The opportunity to connect my academic focus with my extracurricular interests, in addition to the connectedness offered vis-à-vis the group of student-scholars, was an exciting proposition, and helped cement my decision to attend the university. When I think of IA Scholars, I think of a group of diverse and intelligent students – whose majors range from chemical engineering to art history – all tied together in a community which fosters international exploration, multicultural exposure, and life-changing academic inquiry.