For my artifact for this school year, I have included a picture of me as a baby. I chose this picture since I made the switch to dentistry in order to help kids born with cranio-facial defects, namely cleft lips and palates, like what I was born with. This picture shows me prior to having my first surgery as a baby. Having been born with this, I spent a good amount of time as a kid in doctor’s offices and becoming close to the dentists, orthodontists, and surgeons who helped to repair it and who strived to make it so I could have as normal a life as possible. As I continue my undergraduate career and then hopefully dental school and beyond, I will always be reminded of the impact these individuals had on me and use that to have the same impact on others. My experiences have taught me to overcome obstacles and to never let anyone tell you otherwise. 
Class Review
One class that has had a great impact on me in my two years here at OSU would have to be organic chemistry 1. This class, while being very challenging, allowed me to learn how to problem solve and also how to prepare better. Prior to this class, I was used to just taking notes and that would be the end of my involvement with a class. OChem showed me that I had to practice with the concepts I learned and be aware that everything builds off of the previous content. OChem 1 laid a very solid groundwork for me as I took OChem 2 and OChem 1 Lab this semester. My next steps for learning will include taking OChem 2 lab this fall and also studying for the DAT this summer, which I feel as though my classes here have prepared me very well for the organic chemistry portion of the test.
Second Year Reflection
This semester and school year have gone by very quickly and it is hard to believe that I am now halfway done with my undergraduate career. COVID produced numerous challenges this year, especially in regards to my learning. Online classes took time to get used to and even after a year of them, I still do not enjoy them as much as having in person lectures and labs. One silver lining from all of this is that I have been able to grow and mature with my studies. Online classes have helped me to be more organized and have better time management. It has also taught me to not take things for granted since I have been able to see just how quickly life can change. Going into my third year, I am beginning to get into my specialization more and have been able to pick more classes that interest me, rather than just pre-reqs and gen eds.
Statement of Action
My two years here at Ohio State have flown by and I have grown greatly thus far. In my two remaining years here on campus, I plan to become as involved as possible and also make myself the best applicant for dental school. This fall, I will be taking the DAT and then continue to complete my pre-req courses and help build my app with shadowing, volunteering, and leadership experiences. In addition to making myself the best candidate for a dental school, I also wish to step out of my comfort zone and take advantage of all of the opportunities that are available to me as an OSU student. This help to make me more well-rounded and also allow me to find new subjects or hobbies that may pique my interest.
Service Experience Reflection
One service experience that stood out to me this year would have to be BuckeyeThon. This 24 hour dance marathon raises money for Nationwide Children’s, namely their hematology and oncology clinics and research. This gave me the opportunity to raise money for a hospital that I have a personal connection to, with physicians there responsible for the treatment of my cleft lip and palate. During the dance marathon, I had the opportunity to meet some of the kids Nationwide selected to come and tell us a little about their battles with cancer. This was all very eye-opening and I was able to see the resiliency of little kids who had been diagnosed with cancer, but still have a smile on their face and just want to be like any other kid their age. My participation in the dance marathon also made me realize just how lucky I am to have my health.
Career Plans as of End of First Year
Having come to Ohio State intending on pursuing a career in medicine, I have since switched career paths to hopefully attend dental school following my completion of undergrad. This decision to switch was one that was not made lightly and I spent many hours researching both. I decided on dental school due to the fact that I knew I wanted to one day help people with craniofacial defects such as cleft lips and palates, much like what I went through when I was younger. I feel as though my experiences of having all of these procedures done on me would help me to better relate to my patients and guide both them and their parents through the best course of treatment. I am unsure of which specialty of dentistry I would like to pursue at this point in time, but the ones that stand out to me the most are oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, and pediatric dentistry. All of these specialties are ones that I have dealt with over the years working to repair my cleft lip and palate. I intend to meet with my oral surgeon at Ohio State sometime in the near future in order to discuss careers and also meet with my orthodontists and general dentist to see how they got to where they are today.
2019-2020 Year in Review
As I am writing this year in review, I have been done with exams for about weeks and have had time to rest prior to beginning a second session summer course. My first year at Ohio State taught me so much. I not only learned a lot in the classes I was taking, but I was also able to learn a lot about myself and how to best succeed. I have become involved on campus, becoming the wrestling director for Block O for next season. I have also used my time on campus to meet many great people who share many common interests. In addition, I have become more aware of different career fields and as a result, have switched to the pre-dentistry track. I look forward to next year and am excited to see what the future holds.
Scholars Involvement
In August, I went with Biological Sciences Scholars and Business Scholars to a Columbus Clippers game. This event gave me the opportunity to meet many new people and learn about their interests and career goals.
Year in Review
In my brief time here at Ohio State, I have learned many things both in the classroom and about myself. When I moved to Columbus in August, I was not sure what to expect. Since then, I have made new friends, tried things that I have never thought about previously, and have become involved here at Ohio State. My classes this semester have challenged me academically and have taught me how to properly manage my time. I have also become involved in Block O, the largest student organization on campus. This has allowed me to meet so many people at various sporting events on campus. Next semester, I am planning on beginning volunteering at a local hospital and beginning to work in a research lab here on campus. I look forward to what the rest of my four years here at Ohio State will look like.
G.O.A.L.S.
The Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S. are global awareness, original inquiry, academic enrichment, leadership development, and service engagement.
Global awareness involves keeping up to date on what is happening not only here in Columbus, but around the world. Being globally aware allows for people to learn about cultures and beliefs that differ from their own. By doing so, you can become more open and accepting to new ideas you may encounter throughout your educational career and also in life.
Original inquiry is the process of seeking to answer a question. An example of original inquiry would be taking part in research in a lab here on campus. The purpose of original inquiry is to attempt to find a solution to a problem by using the scientific method.
Academic enrichment includes taking courses that are challenging so as to increase your knowledge. Examples of this include taking honors level courses or taking graduate level courses. These courses can allow you to think differently and provide you with a new perspective on topics. Another way to have academic enrichment in college would be to take courses in a variety of different fields in order to make you a more well-rounded individual. Given the wide range of course options available here at Ohio State, you could also take courses that pique your interest or you have never thought about taking previously.
Leadership development involves learning leadership skills that help to transform you into someone who will be able to lead in a future career. These are developed in college by holding a position in a student organization, having a position where you help others such as an RA or a neuroscience ambassador, or by volunteering in the community. Doing any of these things or something similar make you a role model for your fellow students. By setting a good example in these leadership positions, you are hoping that others will follow you and strive to become leaders as well.
Service Engagement is the action of serving others in the community. Examples of this include volunteering at a local soup kitchen, picking up trash in the community, or participating in Buckeyethon here on campus. All of these events help others in the community. Buckeyethon supports children at Nationwide with cancer, working at a soup kitchen helps out the less fortunate, and picking up trash helps all those who enjoy the city. These opportunities also allow you to see just how lucky you are and to learn about issues that are affecting the community.
So far, I have been involved in leadership development and service engagement. For leadership development, I am a member on Block O’s Membership Committee. As a membership committee, we are responsible for organizing a flag football tournament to raise money for breast cancer research, encourage participation in Buckeyethon as a member of the Block O team, recruit new members to the organization, and prepare for game day by coming up with ideas for the painted kids and then actually painting them prior to the game. My involvement in Block O has helped me to develop as a leader in numerous ways. Being on a committee, we all must set a good example to show people on campus what Block O is all about. I also have learned how to better collaborate with others in order to accomplish a task.
I have also become involved in service engagement here on campus. One example of me serving the community would be by participating in Ohio State’s Community Commitment. I had the opportunity to help the the Clintonville Community Resource Center by landscaping and cleaning up around the property. While there, I had the opportunity to learn all about what the organization does. They are responsible for helping elderly citizens of Clintonville with whatever they need. For example, they will drive them to appointments, pick up their house and yard, and host events so that people are able to engage with others