Global Awareness
Up to this point, I’ve been developing my global awareness by just engaging in a diverse variety of activities and events that are available to me through Residence Life, the Honors program and other organizations. Living on campus, there are so many programs that RA’s and other ResLife staff put on to get us thinking in a more global perspective. One program that took place in front of the Union was a pop-up event about recognizing our blind spots which was centered around implicit bias and ways to combat and process these. Additionally, living in an honors residence hall, I’ve had the added benefit of having easy access to Honors programs. One in particular was called Media Matters and I learned a lot about the way the media portrays different minorities and ways that we can promote a more inclusive dialogue throughout our lives.
In the future, I plan to continue engaging in these kinds of activities to continue learning and growing as well as keeping a global lens and applying it to different courses I might take. One of the courses I will take is a history class that will allow me to also go abroad for a few weeks which I think will be a really cool way to more fully immerse myself in a new culture.
Original Inquiry
In terms of research and creative processes, I’ve learned a lot from my Neuroscience courses which always try to integrate different research studies within them to help us better grasp some of the content. Also, I took a data analysis course in Autumn 2018 and a psychology course centered around research methods in Spring 2019 which really deepened my knowledge of scientific processes and different aspects of research work that I hadn’t been aware of before.
Apart from the science realm, my American Sign Language courses have challenged me to partake in some “experimentation” of my own through our Linguistic Analysis projects which challenged not only me but also others that partake in my experiment to look at Deaf culture in a different light.
I plan to continue expanding my understanding of these research-based processes through the next major courses I take part in. To further develop my understanding of creative processes, I plan on taking a few dance classes just for fun and love going to see performances by Off the Lake Productions, a theatre group here on campus.
Academic Enrichment
I think that the wide variety of GE courses I’ve chosen and the addition of a Nonprofit Management minor really demonstrate my commitment to academic enrichment. Along with the numerous hard science courses, I’ve added in a mix of soft sciences like sociology and human development and family science as well as other honors courses related to social sciences and art to challenge myself in a different way. I believe that all of these varying aspects of my education will give me a more well-rounded and broadened perspective to my degree.
Looking at the future, I chose Neuroscience as my major because it is a field that truly interests me and I think it is super important to consider the way our brains work in any career field. Since I don’t have a really solidified idea about what type of career I’d like to pursue in the future, I think learning about the brain and our thought processes and emotion regulation will be able to help me stand out in any field I eventually choose. My Nonprofit Minor will also give me a different lens to apply to my life after college as this is a sector of the workforce that I am very passionate about.
Leadership Development
Throughout my time here at Ohio State, I’ve become heavily involved in a number of organizations and activities including:
- Camp Kesem – a student-run nonprofit that supports kids through and beyond a parent’s cancer
- Office Assistant at Taylor Tower
- H2O Students – a campus ministry organization here at OSU
I think that all three of these activities reflect my personal goal of incorporating empathy and a “pay it forward” mentality into everything I do. Camp Kesem allows me to do this as a camp counselor for kids whose parents have cancer. Through this organization I get to directly impact the lives of really deserving kids who are going through something no one should have to just by being their friend and companion. It is so moving to see how much camp means to these kids and the subtle ways we, as an organization are influencing our future. My work as an Office Assistant, on the other hand, requires me to be customer service oriented which I think helps me get in a mindset of thinking about others’ needs before my own.
In terms of leadership development, I have been given a number of opportunities through the activities mentioned above that will allow me to continue challenging myself in new and exciting ways. For example, I have served as Vice President of H2O Students this year and learned a lot about what it means to represent an entire body of people through my actions and words which will be equally as relevant next year when I take on the role of President for the organization. As an Office Assistant, I’ve definitely developed leadership skills through training fellow co-workers and being offered a Residential Manager position in Baker West next year. And I have been extremely involved in Camp Kesem this year as a member of their Coordinator Board, on which I serve as the Make the Magic coordinator – I am responsible for planning and executing our annual benefit gala which is our largest fundraising event of the year.
Service Engagement
- Semester of service – Homework Help Center volunteer at Columbus Metropolitan Public Libraries
- Community engagement through H2O Students
- Community Commitment/MLK day of service
- Camp Kesem – counselor and general body member
In the future, I hope to continue participating in the days of service that are put on by Ohio State as I feel these are really great and easy ways to get more involved in the Columbus community surrounding our university. I think it is super important to get to know the people and atmosphere that we are a part of and give back whenever possible. I also plan on continuing to be involved in Camp Kesem because I am extremely passionate about the cause and have gotten to see firsthand how impactful our work through this organization is for not only the kids but also the families as a whole that we have the privilege of serving.
