Global Awareness: During my time at Ohio State I expect to expand my horizons as I become exposed to different thoughts, ideas, and cultures. These experiences will shape me into a global citizen that is able to actively participate in society. I plan to minor in Spanish, which will include spending a lot of time closely examining and learning about hispanic heritage and culture. This will also expose me to many different types of people and ideas along the way. I also plan to go on a study abroad trip to another country. This will further increase my exposure of other cultures and build upon my experiences as a global citizen.
Original Inquiry: I hope to be involved with meaningful clinical research at Ohio State, however original inquiry is something that is already seen in the classrooms. During Biology there is an open ended assignment that involves researching a disease and presenting all of the information known to the class. Original inquiry is seen cases where students will spend hours pouring over published research papers trying to put together clues to a disease which has no direct cause such as Alzheimer’s. This was the disease that my group chose, and the information we were able to compile satisfied our desire and questions regarding the disease.
Academic Enrichment: Being a part of the Honors and Scholars program at Ohio State lets me achieve my desire of being placed in challenging and stimulating honors courses. These courses provide the small, intimate class size that I look for in a class that leads to stronger relationships among the students and faculty. I chose a Neuroscience major to take classes that are interesting to me, which involve science and how our bodies and minds function. These classes will prepare me to reach my goal in becoming a physician, and the challenging coursework will give me a complete understanding of current research in the field.
Leadership Development: Maintaining an active role as a member of my community is important to me so that I can give back to an area that has given so much to me. I am currently involved in a mentor program with Columbus City Schools. This program pairs students with high school seniors that are not on track to graduate that year, with the hopes that having a mentor and somebody to talk to will be of benefit. As time goes on, and you get to know your mentee better, you become personally invested in their life story. For the mentee, having someone to talk to that always has your back is an empowering experience. During the summers I volunteer as a camp counselor for the All-Ohio Cross Country Camp. This camp takes high school cross country runners from all over Ohio and provides training and activities for a week. Each counselor is in charge of a group of runners that they stay with until the end of the week, so that each counselor gets to know and becomes attached to their group.
Service Engagement: Having grown up in the Columbus area and deciding to go to school here, I have a connection to Columbus that is very deep. I feel that the best way to express these feelings is by giving back to the community. I volunteer at the Wexner Medical Center as an ambassador, which involves aiding patients with directions and talking to them about their day. I also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity has provided me with profound experiences working alongside the future homeowner, helping them build a home to raise their family in. I am also a member of the American Red Cross Club on campus, which organizes blood drives and fundraisers around campus.