Author: kelly.1170

Strengths Essay

After taking the StrengthsFinder Assessment through Gallup my top five strengths in order are: responsibility, relator, discipline, harmony, and significance.  I see these strengths playing a role in my current life in various ways, for as I read through the descriptions of the five strengths I could easily relate to the wording and characteristics that were given in the “What makes you stand out?” portion of the strengths insight and action-planning guide.

First, responsibility plays a role in my current life because I am individual performer who expects to be held accountable for my results, and therefore I strive to do every action correctly.  Throughout my school work and with my interaction with friends and professors I try to be a dependable person who is known for accuracy and precision in completing tasks, whether they are homework assignments, labs, or just everyday situations.  I also enjoy having more control and accountability, so therefore I often take on extra duties, specifically in group work, without making an excitement because this gives me further leadership and responsibility.  Knowing that responsibility is a strength of mine supports my future goal of eventually holding some sort of leadership position.  I have always dreamed of being a CEO, operations manager, or just holding a position in which I am able to oversee others’ work, and therefore maximize my strength of responsibility.  Responsibility falls into the category of ‘executing’ and therefore this strength is associated with the idea of someone who makes things happen.   This strength of responsibility can be utilized to achieve my future professional goal of holding some sort of executive position, by showing my future employers that I take ownership in what I do and strive to provide the greatest reliability and accuracy that I can.  With these traits, employers will see that I am constantly striving to do things more completely than ever before, and so I hope that my strength of responsibility will prove that I can dependably hold a position where I possess managerial responsibility.

My second strength of relator plays a role in my current life in that I truly try to get to know others on a personal basis so that they feel as though my advice and conversations with them are not generic, but unique.  Specifically freshman year everyone is branching out and making new friends, so therefore I really try to not have the same common conversation with every person that I come in contact with because I want others to trust see that I value our conversation.  I also find enjoyment in giving knowledge, talking about past experiences, and helping others acquire skills that I have already mastered.  This relates to my academics because when I complete a math or chemistry problem, successfully finish a lab, or conclude an activity that was interesting, I enjoy sharing these things with others.  It is not as though I am trying to brag, I am just attempting to help them accomplish or experience things.  Furthermore, relator supports my future goal of holding a position in which I have some independence in the way that I carry out activities because I do have my own way of performing tasks, meeting deadlines, and carrying out activities.  I can use my strength of relator to achieve my future personal goal of wanting to form close friendships with others, for I realize that in life I do not have to have multitudes of friends, but a few close friends who will always be there to support me.  Using my strength I hope to form close companions who will seek my guidance for any problems that they may have in their life so that in turn I can be a valuable friend to those whom I love.

My third strength is discipline and this plays into my current life because I am a person who is constantly making lists, keeping an agenda, and trying to plan for all the tasks that I am taking on at the moment.  Also, when it comes to academics I am grateful for deadlines because these are the things that help me prioritize my day-to-day activities.  Throughout both grade school and high school I was known as the person who consistently completed what needed to be done on time because I can concentrate intently on what needs to be accomplished.  I also tend to use discipline to make things more efficient by using daily routines to help me complete assignments with attention to detail.  Using my strength of discipline I tend to waste less time, and therefore I am able to allocate more time to the people, activities, and organizations that I find interesting and that request my attention.  Discipline supports one of my future goals in that I hope to remain organized and efficient throughout my four years of college at Ohio State and beyond.  Discipline will allow me to continue to use deadlines, planning, concentration, and attention to detail so that I may plan effectively for all that I take on now and in the future.  Furthermore, I think that this strength of discipline supports my future professional goal of hopefully obtaining a management position in the company that I work for.  I hope that my employers will see that I successfully make things happen by carefully executing and planning for work that I am given.  A leader is one who is efficient, and by using my strength of discipline I can enhance procedures and actions that are done by those around me.

My fourth strength is harmony in that I look for consensus and seek agreement.  This strength applies to my current life because I do try to be the mediator between disagreements and work to diminish arguments before they even occur.  At home I am always the member of the family who attempts to understand other’s points of view in an effort to reduce conflict from occurring.  Harmony applies to academics because I seek harmony especially when I am faced with a challenge or need to improve upon a skill of mine.  I often turn to experienced individuals such as teachers or advisors, who I trust, to help me identify and better certain aspects of my study skills, academics, or qualities.  Knowing my strength of harmony supports my future goal of continuing to reach out for help when I am struggling and need some assistance.  Harmony helps me to seek advice from others in any matter at hand, and therefore my future goal is strengthened.  I hope to utilize harmony to achieve my future goal of working well with others especially in teams.  Much of engineering and many daily activities require team work between individuals, and my future goal aligns with my strength because harmony is categorized as a ‘relationship’ strength.  Therefore harmony will help me to unite others and bring various talents together in order to make a group greater than the sum of its parts.

Finally, my last strength is significance in which I am independent and want to be recognized by others.  This strength plays a role in my current life because I set definite goals for myself in both my personal and academic life.  Achieving good grades, making friends, and staying healthy are just a few of the ways in which I challenge myself to succeed personally, academically, and physically.  Specifically in academics I tend to work very hard with diligence and give my all to the very end because I want to be seen as the hardworking student who continually persevered.  Knowing that I have the strength of significance supports my future goal of continuing to obtain and strengthen friendships with people who are just as conscientious and hard working as myself, so that therefore they challenge me to do my best.  Significance can help me achieve my future professional goal of earning a positive reputation and making a good impression on important people in my future occupation.  In this way I hope to earn a higher position in the company that I work for, and truly make an impact on the lives of others.

In conclusion, learning about my strengths has been quite fascinating because the results were very applicable in describing my personality, and therefore I now understand myself better.  I hope to focus on my strengths and maximize them in a way that is both healthy and productive so that I, as well as others, can benefit from the strengths that I possess.

Artifacts

 

FINAL AEV

Final Advanced Energy Vehicle Design.

The visual artifact that I have included is the final SolidWorks model of my team’s Advanced Energy Vehicle.  This project took place during the spring semester of 2016 and was completed in my Engineering 1182 class.  My team was tasked with designing, constructing, and coding an AEV that was able to complete the required mission while consuming the least amount of energy and staying within the time limits.  The mission consisted of having the AEV travel from a starting location to the sensor gate, wait for seven seconds, continue forward once the gate opened in order to retrieve the R2D2 caboose, and then after caboose pick-up to wait there for 5 seconds.  The AEV was then tasked with repeating what it had just done, so therefore it had to return to the sensor gate, wait for seven seconds, and then continue forward to its original starting location while traveling with the R2D2 caboose.  It may seem to some as an easy task, however multiple hours were spent coding, running, testing, and improving the AEV so that the most complete AEV could be submitted for final testing.  I included this artifact because it is quite significant in my life, for my team and I put tremendous amounts of hard work into this project, and after many failures and mistakes we were able to successfully complete the mission in the final testing period.  There is nothing more rewarding in life than to see one’s hard work pay off, and that is exactly what occurred at the conclusion of the AEV project in engineering class.

I grew from this experience because it challenged me to continue to maintain perseverance, patience, and leadership.  All three of these qualities are needed in any group project, however in this specific project I was often tested because I had the role of team leader.  This quality of perseverance has very much become a part of who I am because throughout this AEV project when times got challenging and things did not turn out as planned, perseverance is what challenged me to stay determined and focused on the project at hand.  There were multiple failed codes and incorrect runs, however I grew from this experience by staying persistent even when difficulties arose.  Throughout the AEV experience I also gained greater patience, specifically in regards to how I interacted with my group members, for not all of them contributed as much as they should have in the various reports and presentations that we had to complete.  Being the team leader I did my best to encourage and remind my team members to complete their parts while still trying to remain patient and on good terms with them.  Finally, another aspect in which I developed from this experience was in regards to my leadership skills, for since I was the team leader I had to maintain multiple roles during the AEV project.  To be an effective leader I had to be respectful of my team members, a good communicator, proactive in making sure that assignments were completed well and on time, as well as a variety of other roles.  In conclusion, I greatly developed and grew throughout the AEV project, and even though it was a lot a hard work in the end I am proud of my accomplishment, and this is why I chose the final AEV SolidWorks model as my significant artifact.

About Me

Natalie Kelly

Hello, I am Natalie Kelly from Rocky River, Ohio.  I identify myself as one who tends to keep busy doing a variety of activities, however some of my favorite include bike riding in my local Metroparks, cooking, baking sweets, and spending time with my family and friends.  I understand myself as a person who, throughout my life so far, has acquired various qualities that define me as a person.  Some of these are that I am hard working, compassionate, and friendly.  I also understand that without many of the people that I have had or still have in my life I would not be where I am today or who I am today.  These people have impacted me more than they will ever know, and most importantly they have taught me that anything that I put my mind to I can achieve if I truly want it.

Since I attended an all-girls Catholic high school I had many meaningful experiences and I really flourished in that setting.  There I was able to grow spiritually, mentally, and academically.  One of the most meaningful experiences that I had in high school was taking challenging courses such as calculus and chemistry.  Even though these courses were difficult and many nights were spent rereading the textbook and reworking problems; these courses pushed me to really understand and not just memorize the information.  They also encouraged me to maintain and strengthen friendships that I had with people in those classes.  The other valuable lesson that these classes taught me was that having communication with the teacher is very beneficial because their guidance and help is invaluable.  Furthermore, at my high school I gained the information that I am very much a visual learner, so therefore working out problems for myself, completing experiments, and using models and images really helped me comprehend the course.

I believe that you can truly judge a teacher within the first few classes as to whether they really do enjoy their job, and I was blessed enough to have high school teachers who truly loved teaching and empowering young women.  These were my role models who began to get me excited and interested about the STEM field, for there were numerous ways to get involved in STEM at my high school.  Volunteering brought me in contact with my local science center, “thoroughly science Thursdays” were club meetings that I often attended, and both my teachers and peers challenged me to expand my mind and take the challenging science and math classes.  Reflecting on my STEM beginnings, I must say that the specific moment that really opened my eyes to the STEM field was when I chose to attend my high school.  From then on I was  introduced to all the exciting things that STEM had to offer throughout all four years of high school.

I wanted to be a STEM EE scholar because of all the positive experiences that I had had with the STEM field throughout high school.  I wanted a community of people who all shared a passion for STEM, for I hoped that these would be the people who supported and challenged me all throughout college.  I also wanted to be in this scholars group because it is a broad field that encompasses a variety of majors and topics, therefore I knew that I would be completely expanding my horizons.  In a similar way I knew that my academics were going to be challenging, since I am going into a STEM field, and therefore having scholars students around me I knew that I would be able to form a group that would help me maintain a balance between my classes and my personal life.  Therefore I could have elements of fun in my life while still maintaining good academics.  To conclude, I have had many great experiences in regards to my education and just life in general, and through others I was introduced to STEM.  After this introduction my passion for the STEM field grew, and therefore I was quite excited to become a part of the STEM EE scholars program at The Ohio State University.

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio

The content that is inside of my ePortfolio is a compilation of information about myself and my interest in the STEM field.  This website also contains artifacts that I have collected throughout my time at The Ohio State University and examines the G.O.A.L.S. of the Honors and Scholars Center.  My learning experiences were vast and in-depth throughout high school in regards to my courses, sports activities, and clubs.  With each of these various activities I was taught team work skills, determination, as well as given the chance to explore anything that I was interested in.  Similarly, as the next chapter of my life begins I am thrilled to be continuing my education at The Ohio State University as an Engineering major so that I may further both my knowledge and my interests.  I am known to be a hard working, compassionate, friendly person who gives my all in order to succeed at the task at hand, and I plan to use these traits to achieve future goals.  I hope that one day I will have a career that I thoroughly enjoy so that going to work every day is not a difficult task, but a blessing and something to look forward to.  Overall, as you explore my website I hope that you learn more about me as a person as well as why I chose the STEM EE scholars group and the STEM field.

Year in Review

I would say that I have evolved much throughout my first year at The Ohio State University due to my involvement in STEM EE Scholars and as an engineering student.  Coming into freshman year I did not know what to expect, for I felt that I was ready to leave high school, however I questioned whether I would be successful in college.  When I entered the STEM EE Scholars Program I did have quite a bit of maturity, however as I reflect back I realize that I have grown in both independence and maturity from my initial days at OSU.  I feel as though becoming more of a student leader in my engineering classes helped to play a role in increasing my independence and maturity.

To begin, since I attended an all-girls high school I was given a great foundation in being a confident young woman who can be successful in whatever I put my mind to.  I realize that this basis encouraged me to not be intimidated by the number of males in my engineering classes.  It also motivated me to be my group’s team leader for both semesters in my engineering classes.  Based on these experiences at OSU I feel as though I have developed and gained greater leadership qualities that will be beneficial going forward in both my professional and academic careers.  Being a part of STEM EE Scholars has also assisted me in evolving the ideas that I initially had going into college.  It has allowed me to explore different career options, majors, and this program has also allowed me to gain beneficial experiences.  Doing service at COSI or developing experiments for grade schoolers, touring the James Cancer Center, meeting with my STEM mentors; these are all valuable experiences that have given me exposure to a variety of different STEM avenues.  Based on these experiences at OSU and in STEM EE Scholars I feel as though I am now an even more confident, matured, determined student and leader.

In regards to looking outside of my initial expectations, I would say that I had to alter my initial expectations right from the very beginning.  I underestimated how challenging an engineering major was going to be, the size of the university, as well as the ease of belonging.  Therefore, these underestimations caused some difficult situations, and I quickly had to adapt my ways in order to make my place at a university as large as OSU.  I realized that the classes were going to difficult, so therefore I scheduled in all of my professor’s and TA’s office hours so that if I needed assistance I could easily gain it.  I also knew that feeling as though I ‘belonged’ on campus was going to take some effort, which was something I had not really anticipated, so therefore I made dinner dates with different people who I had met so that I get could get to know them better.  Additionally, one major fact that no one tells you about is that you will have very little time to yourself in college, for there are always people around.  In order to make up for this reality I try to make some time for myself every day, so since I get up earlier than all of my other roommates I cherish the time in the morning when I am alone and can think by myself.  As shown, by adapting my initial expectations I feel as though I have grown to become a more studious student who is not afraid to ask for help, a person who seeks out opportunities to get involved on campus, as well as a someone who understands the importance of individual time.  Overall, reflecting on my experiences in STEM EE Scholars and at OSU in general, I feel as though I have grown to become a better student, leader, friend, and team member throughout my freshman year.

G.O.A.L.S.

After examining each of the five University Honors & Scholars Center G.O.A.L.S. I have determined that ‘academic enrichment’ and ‘leadership development’ are the two G.O.A.L.S. that I feel are most applicable to my personal and professional goals and future success in the workplace.

Academic enrichment encompasses pursing academics in and out of the classroom setting.  This facet speaks to me in particular because going to lectures and labs and partaking in normal classes is very important to gaining a valuable education, however learning outside of the classroom is just as important.  Since I am pursuing a degree in the field of engineering I have shadowed a few engineers in the workforce and they have told me that the information I gain through classes is valuable in order to complete day to day tasks.  However, the knowledge, skills, and experiences that were gained outside of the classroom through clubs, service trips, intramural sports, or whatever other activities they were involved in, play just as large of a role in their jobs.  With this valuable knowledge I plan to incorporate ‘academic enrichment’ into my life over the next year by trying my best academically through tutoring, office hours, and study groups, however I will keep in mind that it is not all about the grades, for attending STEM EE Scholars events and going on a Buck-I-Serv trip are experiences that will also add to the knowledge I obtain during my college career.  In the more distance future, say four or ten years from now, I also hope to incorporate ‘academic enrichment’ into my professional goal of being a successful and respectable engineer at my future job.  Learning and adapting on the job is important, and therefore I will use this goal to inspire myself to ask questions, continue to gain knowledge about my field, and learn even though I will no longer be taking college classes.

Leadership development involves improving upon current leadership qualities so that they can be applied in any setting whether it be in the classroom, extracurricular activities, or the workplace.  This facet of the Honors & Scholars Center G.O.A.L.S. speaks to me because I am considering going to business school after I obtain my engineering degree, so as to eventually work in an executive position at a company whose mission I am passionate about.  In this way, the goal ‘leadership development’ will help me achieve my professional goal and future success because it will challenge me to continue to develop as a better leader.  All of the leadership qualities that I develop and improve in college and through STEM EE Scholars will prepare me for any future executive position that I may hold.  Therefore, I plan to incorporate ‘leadership development’ into into my life over the next year by searching for ways in which I can take on leadership positions in activities or classes that I enjoy so that I can have more exposure to leadership and the qualities that it entails.  I also hope to incorporate ‘leadership development’ into my future life, whether it be four, ten, or fifteen years from now, by using the leadership qualities that I gained at The Ohio State University in order to be a successful leader in my workplace.  I hope to be a well-respected, knowledgeable leader who can effectively complete the task at hand while motivating and helping my co-workers.  However, this professional goal cannot be achieved unless I develop beneficial leadership qualities, through classes and other leadership positions.  Eventually I hope to be placed in a position of leadership where I can utilize all of the skills that I have obtained, and also continue to improve and acquire additional skills.  Therefore, incorporating ‘leadership development’ into my life will assist me in completing my future goals.

In conclusion, after examining the G.O.A.L.S. of the Honors & Scholars Center I believe that ‘academic enrichment’ and ‘leadership development’ are the two most applicable facets for my present life and future goals.  Therefore, I plan to incorporate these G.O.A.L.S. into my college career and also my future endeavors.

Career

Natalie Kelly STEM EE Resume

Throughout my time at The Ohio State University I have developed a variety of skills through my involvement in STEM EE Scholars and other co-curricular activities.  One skill that has been greatly expanded by being a part of my Scholars program is my ability to be personable to other people that I meet.  I only knew one person in my Scholars program when I originally came to OSU, so therefore it became critical for me to emerge from my shell and become more extroverted than how I had been in high school.  Starting conversations with others, remembering others’ names and information about them really became important if I was going to branch out and develop new friendships.  I believe that I have improved this skill of being more personable, and therefore I feel confident that in my future classes, situations, and careers I can transfer this skill into various situations.  Whether it is making a new friend to have help in a challenging class or getting to know my co-workers better, I am confident that the skills I developed while being a part of STEM EE Scholar will benefit me in the future.

Another skill that I have evolved is greater confidence, and this I have developed through my involvement in Women in Engineering.  I have always had confidence in myself especially since I attended an all-girls high school where we were constantly reminded to: “learn, lead, and serve in the Spirit of Mary’s Magnificat.”  My skill of confidence has increased, however because through the Women in Engineering Club I am surrounded by a group of young women who are pursuing the same degree I am.  Therefore, they are able to provide a support system for me since they are in the same situation.  We share classes, projects, and professors, and so by their support and positive attitudes I am inspired to continue to pursue an engineering degree even though some days are extremely long and the workload can be overwhelming.  This skill of confidence is something that is easily transferred into the future, for my classes will become more challenging and soon I will be in the workforce.  Therefore having the belief in myself that I can successfully complete a class or project will assist me in my getting the job done well.

Finally, my volunteering at Youth Challenge has developed and expanded my skill in maintaining a positive attitude.  At Youth Challenge I work with children who have disabilities by assisting them in adapted sports and recreation activities.  Many of these children cannot walk or talk, and some can hardly move.  Whenever I volunteer there, no matter how bad of a day I have had, their presence always puts things in perspective for me.  I realize that my life could be much more challenging than it is, and therefore I have nothing to complain about.  By realizing that an unfavorable grade on a test or the not-so-well done presentation are small matters in the big scheme of life, I am able to continue to maintain a positive attitude.  Transferring this skill into another setting is very beneficial, for in classes and in the workforce I will be tasked with challenges that may discourage me, however by continuing to have a positive attitude I can motivate myself and others to put forth their best work.  Overall, I have developed various beneficial skills throughout my freshman year at Ohio State University, and these skills will be quite valuable going forward into both my academic and professional career.