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