Posts

Career

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During my first year, I was a member of a behavioral ecology lab. I assisted as a video “scorer” on a study of the changes in behavior of vampire bats infected with rabies.

During my second year, I became a member of Hamilton Lab which focuses on the behavior of Cichlid fish. I am partly responsible for caring for the animals and I using a software called BORIS to observe the behaviors of fish within their social groups.

During my third year I was employed as a surgery assistant at University Laboratory Animal Resources.

I am in the process of completing my undergraduate research thesis which will focus on the group dynamics and behavior of Cichlid fish.

I am currently in the process of applying to veterinary school

Artifacts

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University Laboratory Animal Resources – Student Assistant

As a surgery assistant, I help prepare animals for surgery and monitor anesthesia throughout their procedures.

Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center – Intern

This summer, I completed a 200 hour internship at WWCC. As an intern, I helped with day to day animal care that extended beyond my volunteering tasks: I administered and logged medication, hand-fed sick or injured animals that could not feed themselves, and helped with full body exams of animals brought in to the shelter. I was also able to work along side the center’s veterinarian: I performed x-rays and check-ups on previously treated patients and helped asses the success of their treatments, I assisted during surgeries by ensuring the animal stayed stable under anesthesia, and learned how to properly log and keep track of all medical documents.

Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center – animal caretaker volunteer

Since my sophomore year of high school, I have volunteered at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) in Huntington Beach, California.  The WWCC is a nonprofit wildlife shelter dedicated to restoring the health of injured or orphaned local wild animals and protecting their environment. As a volunteer, I was able to assist in a range of medical procedures such as full-body exams of rescued animals, tube- and syringe-feeding, subcutaneous injections, as well as CPR and euthanasia. I also performed day-to-day husbandry tasks, prepared diets for the animals and helped train and mentor new volunteers.

Guide Dogs for the Blind – volunteer puppy raiser

Throughout high school I raised and trained 3 puppies for the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization. As a puppy raiser, I gave the puppy basic obedience training and exposed the puppy to a variety of environments in order to prepare it for professional guide dog training. I also attended monthly meetings and organization wide events. One of the puppies, Corky, is now working at a seeing-eye dog in Arizona, the second, Summit, is a breeder, and the third, Vroom, was dropped from the program and adopted as a pet due to medical reasons.

 

 

About Me

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Hello! My name is Olivia Kalczynski, and I am a fourth year Animal Sciences major with an Animal Biosciences specialization on the pre-veterinary track. I was born in Toledo, Ohio but I grew up in Orange County, California. My parents are also immigrants from Poland and I travel there to visit the rest of my family every summer. I am currently in the process of applying to veterinary school and I eventually hope to become a professor of practice. I am mainly interested in wildlife and large animals as well as pathology, immunology, and epidemiology.

Throughout high school, I volunteered at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, CA which is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center. My experiences at WWCC solidified my passion for veterinary medicine. I was also a volunteer puppy raiser for the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization and I have raised 3 puppies. At Ohio State, I am a member of the Pre-veterinary Medical Association, the Buckeye Catholic club and the Experience Ohio state For a Day program. I am also co-president of the Main Menu Project and vice president of the Towers Agricultural Honorary club at CFAES. Some of my hobbies include baking, knitting, and hiking.

Year in Review

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My first year at OSU was full of lessons and many ups and downs. Throughout this year, I learned how to manage my time better, balance work and fun, and learned how to make connections with people and take advantage of opportunities. As an out of state student I was nervous about entering a school far from home, where I knew no one. However, I surprised myself with how quickly I adapted to the the new environment, made friends, and found my place at the university. I joined clubs on campus and participated in undergraduate research. I learned so much in only my first two semesters and I am beyond excited to see what the next years of my time at OSU will bring. This summer I am excited to begin my internship at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center.

My second year at OSU was much different from the first. I took more advanced courses and had to adjust to a new dorm and a new schedule all over again. I definitely learned at lot since my first year so I generally felt better equipped throughout this year.  Although it wasn’t entirely what I expected, I am proud of how I completed my courses and got through each semester. I continued most of my involvements and I am excited to continue to see what is in store for me. This summer I will travel to Poland to visit my family and continue to score behavior observation videos for my research lab.

My third year at OSU was full of learning experiences and realizations. It was my first year living off campus which was a new adjustment. After the academic challenges of my second year I felt more confident in my abilities to succeed in my more difficult courses. I have begun working on my undergraduate thesis and I have already had to overcome some hurdles, but I am grateful for the experience it gives me. I also have begun working as a student assistant at ULAR and I have learned a great deal. This year, I also began to seriously reflect on my career goals and there were a few moments where I questioned whether veterinary medicine was my true passion. Despite my doubts, I am still on track to apply to veterinary school which will be my main focus this summer. I will also continue working on my thesis and I will be taking the Physics 1201 course at OSU. I can’t believe I am nearing my final year as an undergraduate but I am beyond excited to see what the future holds for me.

G.O.A.L.S.

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Global Awareness:

I have taken a variety of courses in various subjects including History of Art and Classic Literature. I have also passed a Polish language proficiency exam and received credit for three levels of Polish language courses.

Original Inquiry:

I have joined research labs focusing on animal behavior.

Academic Enrichment:

I am excelling in my courses and I am completing all the perquisites needed for veterinary school.

Leadership:

I was a host for prospective CFAES students through the Experience Ohio State for a Day program. I am also co president of the Main Menu Project and vice president of Towers Agricultural Honorary

Service:

I have continued to volunteer at the Wetlands and Wildlife care enter when I return home for breaks. I have also been involved with the Ohio School for the Blind through the Main Menu Club and I have helped organize and participated in multiple service projects through Towers Agricultural Honorary.