Year in Review

  1. The first major thing that I did to help improve my global awareness was to take a service trip to Guatamala the summer of my freshmen year. During this trip I volunteered at a free clinic where I was forced to use the minimal Spanish I knew to communicate with the locals and perform tasks such as taking their vitals, history, and distributing necessary medications. This was the first time I had ever been out of the country (if you don’t count Canada) and it was an amazing experience for me. In the future I plan to increase my global awareness by taking classes such as Religious Studies 2370H and International Studies 2250H.
  2. With regards to original inquiry I have been doing research for the past two years. At the moment I am studying Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia at Dr. Bird’s Lab and the various downstream mechanisms associated with this disease. I find my research especially exciting because, due to the our connection with the Jame Cancer Hospital, we have great access to patient samples and specifically neutrophils which most labs do not have access too. Right now we are specifically attempting to determine the role of neutrophiles in helping establish an anti-CLL micro environment when patients are treated with BTK inhibitors (specifically ibrutinib). I hope to continue working at the lab for the following years and help contribute to this pioneering research.
  3. The reason why I chose the biology major is because I believe that it is best suited to prepare me for medical school. Through biology I am able to gain a broad perspective on the world of living organisms and make connections between that world and the human physiology. I believe that the courses I have chosen to take are challenging in their own right and will help me to understand the material I am studying to a greater extent. I have already shown an ability to handle challenging coursework by taking Honors General Chemistry 1 and 2. While I have also taken Organic Chemistry 1 and 2, Honors General Chemistry 2 is still the hardest class I have ever taken in my life. This class really challenged me to think beyond what I was used to. While this class was often frustratingly difficult and I ended up getting a 45% on the final exam which was apparently designed so that we could not finish it, I am glad I took the course. I think it is important that I continue to challenge myself with honors courses. I have also taken many honors GEs and plan on taking more in the future. I love the small classroom environment which allows me to be more engaged with the professor and my fellow students. I look forward to taking more challenging courses in the future.
  4. There are several activities that I am involved with that have helped me to develop as a leader. As the head of marketing at the organization, Crosswalk Outreach to the Homeless, I have been able to use my abilities with regards to design as well as communication to effectively publicize the organization. I manage the organization social media and email and I serve as an important intermediary between students and the organization. I am also an ESL teacher for refugee women at the organization Students for Refugees. I help teach refugee women English and help them to feel more confident in their language speaking skills. I really enjoy the challenge of teaching someone else English, and I believe that this activity has allowed me to develop my teaching skills. Finally, I am a student mentor at the TED-ed club. At this club, I mentor two high school students at East High High school so that they may learn to articulate their passions and grow in confidence. The ultimate goal of the program is that they feel more inclined to pursue a college education in the future.
  5. I have been very involved in service so far. I serve the homeless community of Columbus through Crosswalk Outreach to the Homeless, I serve the refugee community by helping out as an ESL teacher, and I also help out at the inner city school through the TED-ed club. In addition, I volunteer at the hospital every week where I visit patient’s rooms and try to make them feel more welcomed by providing them with various amenities and making conversation with them.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

GOALS

Parviz Kanga

I plan to become involved in global studies in multiple different ways. The first way is through coursework. I will take courses such as “Russian 2250H” and “International Studies 2100H” to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of the great diversity in our world. I am also considering studying abroad for one semester, although it may be difficult as a pre-med student. I do understand, however, the value in studying abroad. Studying abroad will allow me to gain a new perspective on the world and help me to learn not only about the views and beliefs of others but also to reevaluate my own.

I plan on participating in original inquiry through both research and advance coursework. I hope to be involved with research next semester. I am very interested in genetic disorders, and I will be looking for research opportunities regarding this subject. Through research, I will be able to apply what I have learned in school as well as learn new ideas and concepts. Most importantly, I will be able to contribute to new discoveries and advances in the scientific field and learn what exactly that entails. Advance coursework will also help push me intellectually. Most of my advance classes will be different courses in my biology major such as “Micro 4000” and “Biochem 5613.” These courses will certainly be challenging and, as a result, will help me grow intellectually and think in new and different ways.

I plan on participating in academic enrichment through the variety of coursework I will take. I chose the biology major because I am very interested in the mechanisms of life and I want to learn more about how nature works. I also chose the biology major because I believe that it will prepare me well for medical school and provide me with a firm foundation. I chose my general education courses carefully in order help optimize my academic enrichment. I am most excited about “Linguistics 2367.01H” and “Psychology 1100H.” With regards to linguistics, I am very excited by the opportunity to learn more about language and the various facets to the development of language. I have always been fascinated by words and their construction and I believe that linguistics is the logical class to take. With regards to psychology, I am looking forward to learning more about how the minds of others function. I am a person who is always interested in trying to figure out what others are thinking and their rationale, therefore psychology seems like the perfect course for me. I believe that my course selections go beyond the minimum requirements. While I do not plan on doing two majors or even a minor, I believe that the GE courses I have selected provide me with a good foundation in all the different academic categories. I could have chosen to stick solely with more science related courses, but I chose some humanities courses to help expand my knowledge and add diversity to my schedule.

At the moment, I am involved in the club “Volunteers Around the World (VAW).” This club is meant to help prepare students for a trip to either Guatemala or the Dominican Republic where students will get the opportunity to work alongside various volunteer doctors. On the trip, students perform tasks such as taking vitals and instructing the patients on their prescriptions in Spanish. I believe that this opportunity will help me to develop more as a leader and to hopefully grow in confidence when it comes to reaching out to others and providing guidance. In the future, I hope to get involved in hospital internships and possibly even jobs. My brother, for instance, attends the University of Kentucky and is a “scribe” at the local hospital. A scribe is someone who is payed to assist with the medical reports. An opportunity like this would help me to become more comfortable with the hospital environment and to grow in my leadership ability.

I am very passionate about service and hope to become more involved with it in in the future. At the moment, as previously stated, I am involved with VAW. In the future, I hope to become involved with “Global Health Initiative (GHI)” as well as “Pay it Forward.” With regards to GHI, I am excited by the opportunity of a more localized form of health-care-related volunteering. GHI provides many opportunities for volunteering at a variety of different locations including: hospitals, food shelters, and schools. With regards to Pay it Forward, I am excited by the multifarious opportunities and service connections available through the student cohort. Involvement in this student organization will open up many desirable service opportunities which will help me to grow as a citizen and person in general.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]