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”  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.]