About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Year in Review

Global Awareness: Beginning in the spring semester of my freshman year, I became involved in a class on HIV, taught by two professors, one from the History Department and the other from the Microbiology Department. The class helped me focus my concentration within History, teaching me that I really enjoyed medicine and infectious diseases, prompting this to become my concentration in History. It was extremely interesting to learn about the portrayal of disease in other countries, spanning different continents and various cultures.

I have the opportunity to see how this disease affects the population of Iringa, Tanzania in the Summer of 2017. As part of a study abroad program led by the professors of my original course about HIV, I will be traveling to Iringa with an OSU-led Study Abroad program. I will be spending 3 weeks in Iringa with 15 other students from Ohio State, and will be learning about cultural reaction to HIV, as well as the local social, cultural, and political history within the region. Part of this experience involves the opportunity to learn Swahili, a language I have no previous experience with. I’m so excited to have this experience as part of a global learning community.

Original Inquiry: As a part of this study abroad trip, I have been challenged with creating my own research question to study while at the Ruaha Catholic University in Iringa. I am going to be studying the effects of Catholic practices and teachings on the HIV epidemic experienced there, and largely how this has impacted collegiate students in the area. The actual methodology will be completed over the course of the time in Tanzania, but it will be precedented by a month of more-literature based research, helping me to learn about anything that may affect the region. I do have a basic knowledge of circumstances within Iringa, as well as attitudes towards Catholicism and HIV, but my research in academic literature will be crucial for determining more information about the context. The second segment of the research would be completed after my arrival back in the United States. I will be taking a research course in Autumn 2017 to help me organize and hone in on important facts within the data. I look forward to eventually presenting this research, most likely in the form of a research article, as part of sharing my experience with my peers.

Academic Enrichment: I think that my academics have become much more focused since my freshman year. I came to Ohio State intending on completing a pre-medicine track, intent on studying neuroscience with a future in psychiatry. As I quickly realized, this presumptuous plan was not one I wanted to continue with for the entirety of my college career. After switching to History I became much happier with my courses and academic experience. I have been challenged by creating a concentration in History; my focus became medicine. I was also lucky enough to be part of the inaugural group of a minor in Medical Humanities, one that connected with my major’s concentration.

This switch prompted me to create a rigorous schedule based on my interest in medicine, with many classes being upwards of 3000-levels, and in Honors. I had a rocky start my first semester freshman year, so most of my time here has been spent trying to maintain my standing within the Honors Program. I have accomplished this, and my GPA has risen every semester since. With my curriculum based in subject matter I am both passionate and driven to learn about, my overall academic experience has evolved into a much more positive one.

Leadership Development: Coming into college as a freshman, I knew that part of the downfall of many students was getting over-involved. I was already making a huge commitment – I opted to participate on the Women’s Varsity Fencing team, which logged around 20 hours of practice and competition per week. Knowing I had this time-consuming sport already in place, I didn’t look for many other involvement opportunities. However I found myself unchallenged, and looking for other ways to become a more active participant in my collegiate community. I became part of an organization called Pen Pals, which is a group that writes biweekly letters to students in 3rd and 4th grade at the West Mound Elementary School, a school in downtown Columbus. Although this was only for the Spring Semester, it was an opportunity that continued into my sophomore year as well, where I actually became Treasurer of the organization.

I expanded both my social, academic, and service circles further this current spring when I decided to join the sorority Delta Delta Delta. Being a part of an organization that holds values of positive body, mental and spiritual images so true to their core has encouraged me to do the same in my personal life. It has been a joy to meet so many young women who share the same passions for growth as I do.

Service Engagement: Although I do a lot of service through my sorority, I am also involved in two other service organizations. My shortest commitment, the Semester of Service from a Mental Health Awareness focus. This began this semester, in the SMART Lab on campus. This is a center for stress management and resilience run through the Student Counseling and Wellness Centers, which focuses on helping students to improve their techniques of stress management. I work with students that come in to the Lab to coach them through breathing exercises that deal with heart coherence and variability.

My second service organization is with Pen Pals, a group of students who have pen pals in West Mound Elementary School’s 3rd and 4th grade classes. I began working with this organization the second semester of my freshman year, and have continued with it, eventually acting as their treasurer. This is my largest service commitment, as I have a leadership position that will be continuing in the upcoming school year.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: Beginning in the spring semester of my freshman year, I became involved in a class on HIV, taught by two professors, one from the History Department and the other from the Microbiology Department. The class helped me focus my concentration within History, teaching me that I really enjoyed medicine and infectious diseases, prompting this to become my concentration in History. It was extremely interesting to learn about the portrayal of disease in other countries, spanning different continents and various cultures.

I have the opportunity to see how this disease affects the population of Iringa, Tanzania in the Summer of 2017. As part of a study abroad program led by the professors of my original course about HIV, I will be traveling to Iringa with an OSU-led Study Abroad program. I will be spending 3 weeks in Iringa with 15 other students from Ohio State, and will be learning about cultural reaction to HIV, as well as the local social, cultural, and political history within the region. Part of this experience involves the opportunity to learn Swahili, a language I have no previous experience with. I’m so excited to have this experience as part of a global learning community.

Original Inquiry: As a part of this study abroad trip, I have been challenged with creating my own research question to study while at the Ruaha Catholic University in Iringa. I am going to be studying the effects of Catholic practices and teachings on the HIV epidemic experienced there, and largely how this has impacted collegiate students in the area. The actual methodology will be completed over the course of the time in Tanzania, but it will be precedented by a month of more-literature based research, helping me to learn about anything that may affect the region. I do have a basic knowledge of circumstances within Iringa, as well as attitudes towards Catholicism and HIV, but my research in academic literature will be crucial for determining more information about the context. The second segment of the research would be completed after my arrival back in the United States. I will be taking a research course in Autumn 2017 to help me organize and hone in on important facts within the data. I look forward to eventually presenting this research, most likely in the form of a research article, as part of sharing my experience with my peers.

Academic Enrichment: I think that my academics have become much more focused since my freshman year. I came to Ohio State intending on completing a pre-medicine track, intent on studying neuroscience with a future in psychiatry. As I quickly realized, this presumptuous plan was not one I wanted to continue with for the entirety of my college career. After switching to History I became much happier with my courses and academic experience. I have been challenged by creating a concentration in History; my focus became medicine. I was also lucky enough to be part of the inaugural group of a minor in Medical Humanities, one that connected with my major’s concentration.

This switch prompted me to create a rigorous schedule based on my interest in medicine, with many classes being upwards of 3000-levels, and in Honors. I had a rocky start my first semester freshman year, so most of my time here has been spent trying to maintain my standing within the Honors Program. I have accomplished this, and my GPA has risen every semester since. With my curriculum based in subject matter I am both passionate and driven to learn about, my overall academic experience has evolved into a much more positive one.

Leadership Development: Coming into college as a freshman, I knew that part of the downfall of many students was getting over-involved. I was already making a huge commitment – I opted to participate on the Women’s Varsity Fencing team, which logged around 20 hours of practice and competition per week. Knowing I had this time-consuming sport already in place, I didn’t look for many other involvement opportunities. However I found myself unchallenged, and looking for other ways to become a more active participant in my collegiate community. I became part of an organization called Pen Pals, which is a group that writes biweekly letters to students in 3rd and 4th grade at the West Mound Elementary School, a school in downtown Columbus. Although this was only for the Spring Semester, it was an opportunity that continued into my sophomore year as well, where I actually became Treasurer of the organization.

I expanded both my social, academic, and service circles further this current spring when I decided to join the sorority Delta Delta Delta. Being a part of an organization that holds values of positive body, mental and spiritual images so true to their core has encouraged me to do the same in my personal life. It has been a joy to meet so many young women who share the same passions for growth as I do.

Service Engagement: Although I do a lot of service through my sorority, I am also involved in two other service organizations. My shortest commitment, the Semester of Service from a Mental Health Awareness focus. This began this semester, in the SMART Lab on campus. This is a center for stress management and resilience run through the Student Counseling and Wellness Centers, which focuses on helping students to improve their techniques of stress management. I work with students that come in to the Lab to coach them through breathing exercises that deal with heart coherence and variability.

My second service organization is with Pen Pals, a group of students who have pen pals in West Mound Elementary School’s 3rd and 4th grade classes. I began working with this organization the second semester of my freshman year, and have continued with it, eventually acting as their treasurer. This is my largest service commitment, as I have a leadership position that will be continuing in the upcoming school year.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]