Do.

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For the “Do.” portion of the “Eat.Go.Do.” project, I visited The Candle Lab in the short north. I wanted my candle to be cute and fun, so rather than using a normal glass jar that I could buy at the store, I visited a local shop right down the street where I purchased a handcrafted jar that made the experience even better. I got to pick my favorite smells out of practically any scent you could think of, and then create my own signature candle scent by combining my favorites (honey crisp, chai tea, and buckeye). It was very relaxing to take a moment for myself and just enjoy doing something other than school or work for a bit in such a calming atmosphere; plus I also have a fun new candle to remember it by.

Go.

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For the “Go.” portion of the “Eat.Go.Do.” project, I visited a toy store called “Big Fun.” I was exploring the short north for dinner one evening and came across this fun little store like no other I had ever seen. It was full of toys, but was no Toys R’Us. It had toys that I remember playing with from my childhood, seeing in my parents old photos, and hearing my grandparents reminisce about. This place was a walk down memory lane and I thoroughly enjoyed taking a minute to explore all of its content. This experience reminded me that it is okay to not be so serious all of the time and take some time to have fun even when life seems to be completely overwhelming, which is so necessary to realize every once in a while. I would recommend this place to others that need a little pick-me-up and plan to go back sometime myself.

Eat.

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For the “Eat.” portion of the Eat.Go.Do. project, I ate dinner at Thurman’s Cafe. Thurman’s Cafe is a small, family-owned hamburger restaurant located in Columbus, OH. A small burger joint may seem like an odd selection to put in the spotlight; however, it was much more than that. Thurman’s was not just a burger and fries for dinner; it was an experience.  The well-known burger, the Thurmanator, was featured on the television show “Man Vs. Food” as professional eaters tried to stomach a sandwich that is probably big enough to feed at least three people. Although I ordered a much smaller burger (the size of my face nonetheless), I got to see numerous other restaurant patrons enjoying the beast. Aside from the huge, delicious portions of food I got to experience there, the place itself was an amazing sight. There were dollar bills and currency from all around the world pinned to the walls for viewing, some signed with nice reviews or a little note to leave behind. There were old arcade games in the entrance, so I enjoyed a throwback game of pacman and pinball as I waited to be seated, and there were little pieces of history and people from past and present covering the walls. I am so glad I got to enjoy a nice meal at Thurman’s and hope to venture out to more small businesses in the area.

Year in Review

I was a nervous wreck anticipating my college years. There was not a day I did not think about my decision to attend Ohio State or my career path or my choice of major. I would second guess myself constantly and question if I was headed in the right direction. However, after attending The Ohio State University for almost one academic year, I am confident that I made the right decision. I have gained so much life experience and knowledge thus far by taking advantage of all the opportunities that the university has to offer, and I cannot image doing it anywhere else.

I have built many relationships and truly grown as a person through student organizations, my scholars program, classes, and dorm life this year. My best friend is my roommate–which is such a relief. Since we get along so well, I have learned that dorm life isn’t so bad and it’s really what you make of it. I have become an active member of American Red Cross club, which has come to be my passion so far at college. I dedicate most of my free time and volunteer hours to red cross and I hope to have a position on the executive board in the future. I have also taken advantage of a job opportunity caring for a five-year old girl that has down syndrome. This has been the most rewarding and challenging experience and I have loved every minute of it. I have also had many fun and exciting experiences with the Health Sciences Scholars program that have helped me grow, whether it be through useful seminar topics or fun group activities.

Although there have definitely been bad experience with the good, this year has been life-changing. Getting acclimated to living away from home, being a full-time student, staying involved in extracurricular activities, working in the evenings, and maintaining my sanity have been a struggle; however, looking back at the memories I have made and the progress towards my goals that I have accomplished makes it all so worth it. I have learned to handle rejection and accepted the fact that I cannot be perfect at everything. I am constantly learning ways to be the best I can be, and know that I can only improve in the years to come.

G.O.A.L.S.

My long-term goal is to become an occupational therapist. Ever since I shadowed an OT sophomore year of high school, I fell in love with the occupation and have been pouring my heart into the goal of getting into OT school in the coming years. Interviewing an upperclassman with the same goal in mind was a very helpful step toward reaching this goal. In this interview, we discussed the steps to take in order to make yourself a marketable candidate for the program. Extracurricular involvement, GRE scores, GPA, prerequisites, and the application process were useful topics of discussion that have made me less worried about preparation and aware of the whole process. Since this student will be attending OT school this summer, I found it beneficial to hear about the profile of an accepted student and how to form a similar competitive application. It is comforting to know where I stand in comparison to her timeline and experiences, even though every applicant has their own strengths and weaknesses. I am very excited to embark upon my journey through the application process this summer and get one step closer to having a career in occupational therapy.

Career

 

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The many sections leading up to the final portion of the Health Science Scholars Seminar have provided me with a plethora of skills and strategies to utilize as I embark upon future endeavors. I have known for a while that I would like to become an occupational therapist in the future, so the plan B assignment reassured this decision for me after researching many other career options that are out there. Although I have a back-up plan now, becoming an occupational therapist is still my number one goal.

I also had the opportunity to sit down, take a deep breath, and think about my vision for life and what I hope to become. I realized that along with my career goals, I have other dreams and ambitions that I hope to achieve throughout life, which I believe comes in part from being a well-rounded human being. I want to make a difference in other peoples’ lives through my career and my service, which can begin now as an undergraduate college student. I have learned to become involved in activities outside the classroom that are important to me and provide a sense of belonging, but not so many that I am overwhelmed.

The Health Science Scholars program has also made me realize that being a successful student requires being a healthy individual and making an effort to stick with a good routine. HSS has provided me with necessary tips and skills to be successful at Ohio State and in the future in general. Overall, the advice I have received from the faculty and upperclassmen have been extremely helpful. I hope to continue utilizing that wisdom in future semesters and pass it on to future students as I continue my time here as a buckeye.

Artifacts

For the second year HSS service project, I volunteered my time to the American Red Cross through American Red Cross Club at OSU. Over the 2016-17 school year I spent nearly 300 hours working toward the goals of the Red Cross and promoting life-saving efforts through blood donation and disaster preparedness. I began as a club member my freshman year, spent this year as a blood services intern, became Vice President of Blood Services in the club, and was recently elected as the 2017-18 Red Cross Club President. I have gained many of these hours through my time as an intern/volunteer at blood drives. In this aspect of my project I organized, promoted, and made sure blood drives across campus run smoothly. I have become a frequent donor myself and realize the life-saving potential each donation has. On the chapter side, I also gained some of these hours by promoting disaster preparedness across campus in the form of Storm the Dorms, Zombie Apocalypse Party, or Holiday Mail for Heroes. Through these volunteer experiences I have learned that every side of the American Red Cross is extremely important and provides effective life-saving opportunities to those in need. It has been an enriching experience thus far and I look forward to my involvement with Red Cross in years to come.

About Me

Hello! I am Brandi Johnson, a freshman from Newport, OH. I attended Frontier High School; however, the last two years I took classes at Washington State Community College through the post secondary program. I graduated high school with my diploma and two associates degrees and am now pursuing a bachelor’s in Health Sciences here at The Ohio State University. I was always very involved with high school activities and a few clubs at the community college, so I plan to continue to be involved as I begin to get settled into OSU. I hope to be a part of Circle K, the food science club, and possibly some others. I am a Health Sciences major on the pre-occupational therapy track and plan to minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. I believe these fields of study will help me reach my long term goal of becoming an occupational therapist.

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