Hello! My name is Madeline Karolak, and I am an Animal Science Pre-Vet Major as well as an ENR Scholar. All my life, I have had an affinity for animals and now want to focus on conserving wildlife as a Conservation Geneticist with a liscence to practice Veterinary Medicine. At The Ohio State University, I plan to obtain an Undergraduate degree in Animal Science and in Genetics to better prepare me for Veterinary School, and later Post-Graduate work at either The University of California, Davis, or an international Veterinary school. In high school, I was an International Baccaluareate (IB) student, and have since received my IB Diploma on top of my other Honors diploma. Being an IB student has allowed me to focus more on how knowledge is gained and how different facets of learning interconnect. This experience has enabled me to better prepare myself for this journey called college!
A little background on me, I was born in Southern China and placed in the orphanage system. I was adopted at 26 months and have been living in Ohio ever since. Though over a decade and a half ago, the experience of being in an orphanage has cultivated within me a strong sense of survival and an iron will, two characteristics that are still very present within my personality. Additionally, I also have a younger sister and brother from China, though none of us are biological siblings. Overall, I would describe myself as very open minded, diligent, caring, and respectful. Though I am always learning from those around me, I find utilizing and focusing on improving these qualities makes for a better life experience.
As an adopted person, I have recently tried to reconnect with my Chinese roots in the form of studying the culture and teaching myself Mandarin. On top of Mandarin, I also plan to learn Hindu and a Nordic language (I haven’t decided which yet) to enable me to travel to regions that speak these languages with more ease. In India, I want to volunteer at the Animals Aid, Unlimited Sanctuary in Udaipur. I found their sanctuary a few years ago and really align with their beliefs and ability to save the many abandoned animals of India.
As a whole, I love traveling and experiencing new cultures as a way to understand more about the culture that I experience currently. Coming from suburban Kettering, Ohio, to the massive Columbus, Ohio, exploration has reached an all time high. As a more reserved and introverted person, I was weary of the sheer amount of people that I would encounter on campus and in the city, but have since come to really enjoy my time seeing such an array of people with vastly different backgrounds. I hope to continue my exploration of my surroundings and my exploration into who I am.