Global Awareness: Considering that I am a Molecular Genetics major, it is sometimes hard to stray from my studies of core science classes and gain an appreciation of other cultures and ideas. I have attempted to gain a stronger global awareness, however, through my general education classes. I particularly enjoyed an international studies course that focused on understanding terrorism groups such as how they function and their core beliefs. I admittedly was ignorant on this topic, but this class allowed me to understand this phenomenon through a different perspective. For example, I learned that terrorism comes in many different forms and that the stereotypical Muslim extremist terrorist group only makes up a small portion of the terrorism groups throughout history; contrarily, terrorist groups have arisen throughout several countries as forms of retaliation against government repression. Learning about the diversity of terrorism and their points of view was very enlightening, and I appreciate the knowledge that I have gained from this course. Likewise, I hope that I can use my remaining GE’s to continue to learn about different cultures and societies. In addition, I am minoring in French. With this minor, I am learning about French and Francophone cultures and how French colonialism has affected the cultures of other countries throughout the world. I would like to participate in a summer study abroad program in Quebec to practice speaking French and observe first-hand cultural aspects of this area.
Original Inquiry: I believe that the classes that I have taken so far have allowed me to develop original inquiry skills on a multitude of different levels. I have especially noticed my development of original inquiry in my organic chemistry classes. After every organic chemistry class, I review my notes, practice the content, and read the textbook; as I continue my organic chemistry learning, I fill my notebook with different questions as to how and why these processes function. I regularly attend my TA and professor’s office hours to explore these concepts, and I have surprised myself on how I can begin to question scholarly articles and begin to make my own judgements on these complicated concepts. I hope to continue developing these skills as I plan to start research at the University of Pittsburgh over the summer. Likewise, I am currently taking Molgen 2202H, a class that introduces students to different professors in hopes that they can build relationships and find opportunities to work with them in their research projects. I hope to use these resources to find a research opportunity next year.
Academic Enrichment: I think that my schedule so far has greatly challenged me academically. I have learned to juggle several science classes in one semester, and my studying skills have improved substantially since my first semester at Ohio State University. I hope to continue challenging myself in the upcoming semesters as well; for example, I plan to take graduate level classes as Molecular Genetics electives as well as taking other courses such as Anatomy and Physiology solely for my own academic enrichment. I am especially excited to take a graduate level class on cancer genetics because advancing the knowledge of genetics could play a large role in finding cures for cancer, and I am interested in pairing genetics and cancer studies as a possible future occupation. I think that choosing Molecular Genetics was a great choice for me because I find the study of genetics to be fascinating, and I am excited to see how the advancement of this knowledge will affect life in the future, specifically in the health sector. Molecular Genetics relates perfectly to my future aspirations to go to medical school because it offers challenging preparatory classes, an involvement in the medical field, and a way for me to become excited about my studies. Likewise, I am minoring in French. I have chosen this minor because it allows me to study something entirely different as well as continue with my academic interests. I studied French throughout high school and had the opportunity to live with a family in Toulouse. This experience encouraged me to continue studying French and develop my abilities to consider difficult concepts in a different language. Minoring in French also appealed to me because it is vastly different from Molecular Genetics; instead of minoring in another science class, I thought it would be more academically challenging and interesting to advance other intellectual skills.
Leadership Development/Service Engagement – I have had the opportunity to participate in the group 4 Paws for Ability, an organization on campus that works to socialize puppies training to become service dogs as well as continue basic training. This club has been very rewarding so far. For example, I have learned skills to be a proper leader in working with dogs to maintain their training. Likewise, working with these dogs and club fundraising greatly affect many people. These dogs train to become service dogs for veterans or children with disabilities, and our club has started donating money that we fundraise to assist families in paying for a service dog. I hope to become more active in this group and take on more leadership positions. Likewise, I hope to join another service group that will allow me to interact more closely with people and encourage me to take on more responsibilities in different leadership positions. Pursuing leadership roles in these clubs will help me in my future occupation by learning to communicate with people and develop skills to be able to relate to people of different backgrounds.