Centering my focus towards a career in dentistry, my Sophomore year has been a period of rapid growth and development in my life, especially in cultivating skills and experiences that broaden my knowledge and understanding of both other people and myself. The following reflection will delve into 5 key categories where I will briefly talk about progress I’ve made in realizing or working on the subject of the paragraph.

To begin, I would like to comment on my expansion of awareness in global affairs and cultures of other people. Specifically, my most in-depth experience came about during my service outings to My Family Pantry through the Pre-Dental Club, which will continue into the foreseeable future until I graduate. At My Family Pantry, groceries are prepared and given to a diverse local community of Hispanic, African American, and Somali citizens that require assistance through meal plans. Most importantly, we get to live through the manner in which different cultures communicate with each other. I value these chances to talk and watch these different cultures deal with their own lives and adapt to the localities, and I plan to continue to learn about the values and interests of these people through service.

Next, I will discuss some of the inquiry-based efforts I have made throughout the school year to enrich my educational experiences. Primarily, my ability to explore topics through independent research has come through my time in Biology 3401 in my first semester, where we were tasked with exploring different symbioses and species of animals which could be used as mediums for delivering a more general and meaningful presentation about biological terms. In one example, my group investigated the validity of the claim that Airborne, the commonly advertised treatment for the cold, flu, or general immune system boosting, is actually effective. It was valuable to practice our research techniques and implement them in a way that will convince others of our conclusion.

At this point, I will very briefly discuss (as it is evidenced in my Honors Contract) my attempt to challenge myself thoroughly my academics and pursue excellence through coursework. Due to my goal of completing a Biology major and Business minor, I have incorporated plentiful 3000-level courses and above to meet requirements that will naturally challenge my ability to successfully understand and use difficult material.

Next, I will mention some of the activities that I have participated in to advance my leadership abilities from things as small as driving others to volunteering to something as important as running for leadership abilities in a club. Specifically, I am currently involved in the Pre-Dental Club at OSU and SEAD, which is a more service-based and minority representation-based club. Recently, I ran for the position of treasurer for the Pre-Dent Club, which is the largest undergraduate dental club at OSU, and while I was not successful, I was told by the current leadership and Graduate School Adviser Terry Porter that I gave an amazing speech and response to the questions. I was encouraged to continue my involvement in the club and run again after more than a year in the club so that I can have club experiences to back my passion. Furthermore, I am still in consideration for a position in SEAD, and even if I am not accepted for a leadership position, I plan to continue helping others and acting in a way that a leader would regardless of a specific title in a club.

Finally, as both SEAD and the Pre-Dental Club have an abundance of volunteering opportunities, I have been very involved in the local community. I have volunteered at OSU Dental Alumni Tailgate, My Family Pantry, Starhouse (another food pantry and clothing store for under-served communities), and the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus. Through these locations, I constantly strive to provide struggling people with an outlet to communicate and talk to others about their lives in any way they are comfortable, and to give back to the community through groceries, clothing, or simply my work and conversation.

Recollecting all of the memories and experiences of my time at OSU during my first year, I have realized a heightened characterization of myself that expands upon previous preconceptions I had toward my own capabilities and future prospects. First and foremost, it is important to establish the foundation of my academic journey at OSU, which was primarily focused on an arrogant headfirst dive into mathematics, a strategy, that in hindsight, cleared my vision of my true interests in biology (more specifically dentistry). However, at the time, my commitment into advancing my knowledge of different fields and aspects of mathematics compelled me to visit several Reading Classics sessions hosted by Dr. Vitaly Bergelson, which were short lessons given my students and teachers about the historical context, as well as definitions and explanations, of popular mathematics theories and conjectures. Furthermore, I attended several Radical Pi meetings, which were guest lectures sponsored by the math department that taught interesting topics not covered by most university classes. Unfortunately, my effort to delve into mathematics quickly allowed me to realize that I didn’t feel a sincere connection with the content and applicability of what I was learning, and instead became enamored with the inquiry and experimental level knowledge required for my chemistry classes.

While mathematics was usually my most highly cherished academic subject, biology and chemistry had always been a close second only due to the restrictions on high school curricula with regard to the sciences. Although I was intently focused on academics and educational extracurriculars, I made time for a club called “OSU Tough Mudder”, which was an obstacle course racing club that allowed me to accomplish one of my goals of staying fit, as well as enjoying an opportunity to run a race in North Carolina. (Picture below shows me going through one of the obstacles)

Returning to my development of interest in dentistry, it was actually a conversation I had with my parents, one of which is a dental hygienist, after completing my research project for Chemistry 1920H (please refer to the experience tab for more information) that allowed me to definitely decide upon my ideal future in dentistry. The research I began to conduct at the end of the year, which included medicine and law at the time, spurred me to pursue my addition to the Honors Collegium, a group that I believed could enhance my ability to make up for a year of purely exploratory education and begin working towards my career prospects. Learning of my acceptance over the summer, the strenuous journey of my first year came full circle, and I truly basked in the wide array of possibilities that I opened up by finally committing to a career that had been slowly gaining ground through my upbringing and experiences in volunteering. At this point, the focus now shifts to applying my newly developed drive towards dentistry in the specific course work I complete, the volunteering experiences I do, and the offices I seek to shadow and intern with during the summer and school season.