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.