E-Portfolio Artifact 2

I have been playing soccer since I was 7 years old. I can’t remember exactly why I wanted to play this sport, but it was just something about it that drew me in. It is very meaningful to me being that I dedicated so much time into it. As time went on, I became more serious about soccer and began playing for my local club team. After that, I played soccer for all four years in high school. Over the years, soccer had taught me multiple life lessons and essential skills.

Through soccer, I was taught the importance of commitment and perseverance. There were many, many, many days in the summer when I did not want to go to conditioning. I simply enjoyed playing the game, not doing the extra running that is required to reach game fitness. But, I knew that if I did not commit to going to summer practices, I would be letting my team down. With that being said, when going to the summer conditionings I really had to push myself and persevere through those hot and sweaty afternoons. I was also able to gain a sense of teamwork through playing soccer. Obviously, you play soccer on teams, however being able to work with a team and cooperate with them can’t be taught.

All the lessons I have acquired from soccer are able to be applied in learning or work situations. Through the wins and the losses, I was able to gain knowledge about myself and about being on a team. Being committed is very important to me as a learner. At times, I will not be in the mood to learn or study, but that is when the perseverance quality should kick in. Also, having a job may sometimes require you to brainstorm with a team or cooperate with them. All these reasons are why I am so grateful for devoting my life to soccer for almost 11 years. These life values and lessons are skills I will cherish forever.

 

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio

My artifacts are pictures from the annual 5K walk my church holds for our organization. The organization is called Enendeni, which translates to “Go Ye” in Kiswahili. This organization was founded in 2002 by my church, Go Ye Outreach Ministries here in Columbus. My church is mostly composed of Kenyan immigrants. The mission of Enendeni is to aid orphaned children in Machakos, Kenya through providing funds for school fees, food, and shelter. We raise money through holding these walks every year, hosting fundraisers, and making donations.

I selected this artifact because this organization has really strengthened my connection to my Kenyan heritage. Both of my parents came to America from Kenya in 1999 and decided to raise me here, in Ohio. While I already have a direct line to Kenya, I have never actually been there to experience the different lifestyle. Also, the fact that we are making a difference in someone’s life means the world to me. Being a part of Enendeni, has allowed me to see the Kenyan lifestyle through these children. Something that I did not know about Kenya was how the currency operated. Because we have been sending money to these children, we often had to transfer the money in Kenyan shillings rather than American dollars. I also learned how the schooling system works and how different it is compared to America’s. I know this because some of the children who started in Enendeni have grown up to be exemplary men and women by attending some of the top Kenyan universities.

This organization has really taught expanded my knowledge. Not just about Kenya, but about myself too. I learned how to be grateful of the things that I have and to not take things for granted. I know this is a common lesson that everyone is always told, but I believe it is easier said than done, and actually seeing what time of these children go through on a daily basis humbled me greatly. Through preparing the 5K walks and volunteering at different events, I have learned how to communicate with people about the organization. Some lessons that I will bring into other learning situations include how to communicate concisely in order to get your point across and to do everything with a well-known purpose that is important to you and what you stand for. I will carry these strategies and approaches throughout my time in college.

 

Year in Review

I cannot believe that in just one month my first year at The Ohio State University will be over. In the past year, I have learned a lot about myself as a person and a student. I was provided plenty of opportunities to help me flourish into the best person I can be.

The first area of growth I would like to talk about is my growth as a leader. Mount has provided me with great opportunities to grow as a leader. I was a Lead Builder for my legacy week team. Holding this position tested my sense of leadership and challenged me to learn new ways to work with my team. There were a lot of bumps in the road for our projects and I think my leadership skills were challenged. But, through it all my team and I prevailed and completed successful projects. Through Mount, I was able to see all facets of being a leader.

The second area of growth I would like to talk about is my growth as a student. At Ohio State, there are so many resources for students who need help in specific classes. Whether it be a research learning center, office hours with a professor, or a tutor, there are so many services that can be provided to benefit your growth as a student. As a high school student, I never really needed any academic help. However, in college, I have seen it is a totally different world and that it is okay to seek help in areas that you are struggling in. I definitely utilized office hours and learning centers for almost all of my classes and it has helped me become a better student.

Although my experience got cut short, I still had an excellent first year. I can’t wait for what my second year has to offer.

G.O.A.L.S.

  • Global Awareness: Ohio State does a great job in having multiple outlets to raise global awareness. One of the reasons I came to Ohio State was to potentially study abroad, and through STEP I can make that happen. I have also been exposed to many global and cultural organizations across campus. I am a member of the African Youth League where we learn about the different cultures and diverse that make up the continent of Africa.
  • Original Inquiry: While I haven’t explored this option yet personally, I know many people who have done research projects through Ohio State. As a Health Sciences major, original inquiry through research is in my near future. My professors and advisors have given my great advice on how to get those experiences with researches in the community.
  • Academic Enrichment: If there is one thing I learned from my freshman year, its that pursuing academic excellence does not stop in the classroom. Ohio State has so many resources to aid in academics, whether it be through online tutoring or visiting your professor in office hours. All of these resources have benefitted me in some way or form.
  • 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.
  • Being a member of the Mount Leadership Society, my leadership skills are always developing. In a society where everyone is a leader, you are constantly learning from one another and constantly growing. These skills will be very useful in my future endeavors, as well as my every day classroom and community roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: This year, through and ESHESA course, I am service-learning at Broad Street Achievement Program. In this after school program, I along with other coaches, are tutoring young students to help them along their academic careers. This is just my current status on service engagement, but I have always been engaged in the community, and now the OSU community.

Career

After completing undergrad, I plan on attending optometry school to become an optometrist. In order to help prepare me for my future career, I have shadowed at a couple of optometrists in the Columbus area. Each shadowing experience is different than the other and it is so great to see the actual day to day schedule of the my future profession.

When I become an optometrist, I will need excellent conversational skills in order to build a conversation with patients or workmates. I think my job in the food and retail business has certainly helped me strengthen my communication skills with everyday customers and my workmates.

Lastly, I think volunteering in the community is a great way to prepare for my career. For example, last semester I volunteered at the Broad Street Achievement Program which is an after school tutoring program. It was so great building relationship with the students as well as helping them further their academic careers. The art of being a helping hand in the community and building relationships will be key skills needed in my future career.

E-Portfolio Artifact 3

This year, I had the honor to serve as a Summit Committee Chair for the Mount Scholars Program. The Summit Committee is in charge of organizing an annual leadership conference uniting leaders with all years of Mount Scholars. My fellow committee chairs and I had a tough task this year for organizing the first virtual Summit Leadership Conference due to Covid-19. The picture above is our lovely committee posing as a “Mount”ain Summit. This is a picture embodying a play on words us members of the Summit committee came up with to incorporate both our scholars program and our team.

Being a Summit Chair was really important to me because it provided me with on of a kind experience. Transforming an entirely in person leadership conference into a virtual format was not easy. It was very challenging to coordinate and find the means to make sure this event was as successful as it can be. I definitely learned skills revolving around organization when we had to come up with ideas for the event. My communication skills were enhanced as I talked to several professors and Mount alumni to inform them about the event. These skills are very important to live after college, especially in the career I intend to have. I plan on attending optometry school and becoming an optometrist with my own private practice. Skills revolving around leadership, communication, and organization skills are essential in this field.

About Me

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]