If there is anything I wish to take from my undergraduate years at The Ohio State University (besides a degree, of course), they would be personal growth, a diversity of experiences, and development. But, what exactly do I mean by that? Diverse experiences, growth, and development could mean any number of things and could be spoken of in regard to any area of life.
To be more precise, I seek diversity in three areas: in a cultural sense, in my academic pursuits, and in my intellectual pursuits. Being someone with parents of different ethnic backgrounds, I have had an innate appreciation for the varying cultures of the world as well as how they overlap and set themselves apart since a young age. So, naturally, I also have an interest in the way these cultures affect our behavior as humans. It was for this reason that I enrolled in Cultural Anthropology during my first semester at Ohio State. But even more than analyzing culture and its effects as an outsider, I desire to immerse myself in it. As of now, I am considering learning a new language during my time here–perhaps one more aligned with my Asian roots than Spanish, which I learned in high school. My hope is that in studying a whole new language, I would be presenting a more novel challenge to my academic career.
To me, taking on challenges and overcoming them is one of the most satisfying rewards there is. My family places much value put upon academic pursuits, and so, it is not characteristic of me to settle for less than what I know I can accomplish. It is my love of challenge which led me to apply to the Honors program here at OSU as a Chemistry major on a pre-med track. It is also the reason why I dove straight for the most difficult General Chemistry 1 class I could opt for this semester. Keeping in mind that I plan to someday attend medical school and become a physician, I know that I have to constantly train my mind to think critically by taking the best classes available to me. I could have taken the path with a less rigorous major, perhaps, but the physical sciences are something I truly enjoy. There is something phenomenal about the way we can fit the physical world around us into conceptual explanations and equations that is borderline artistic.
On that note, I also find it important to engage in creative endeavors within the realm of the more traditional forms of art. Currently, I am not sure how much time I will have to devote to this aspect of my learning, but in an ideal world, I hope to participate in theatrical productions during the next four years. I have loved acting since early on in high school, participating in any production that I had time for. Something else regarding my intellectual pursuits that I have yet to dabble in is scientific research. I intend to participate in research during my undergraduate years as much as I am able, though of course, for projects in which I truly hold an interest. I did not get the opportunity to explore this area as much in the past and hope that my future experience with it will foster a new pursuit which I will enjoy and learn from.
Lastly, I mentioned that I wish to find personal growth and development. And although I list them as two separate things, I do not believe they will be quite so: it is through the development in my relationship with my community that I seek personal growth. For example, I recently joined WISE, the Women in Surgery Empowerment Club which also seeks to benefit the community through service, while also providing mentorship to young women aspiring to enter the medical field. When one takes the initiative to provide aid within their community or even beyond to other, further communities, it contributes to their growth as a leader. After my undergraduate years here, I hope that I can become the kind of person to take this kind of initiative in a community, and leave a positive impact on others as a result.