About Me

Hi! My name is Sidney Li and I am a sophomore at The Ohio State University (OSU) and I intend on majoring in Biology on the pre-dental track. Ever since I was a child, I have always had an interest in orthodontistry due to the lack of personal hygiene that my immigrant parents and family had. I believed that having good personal hygiene and a killer smile will help boost their self-confidence and is a stepping stone to a more healthier lifestyle. With being a current sophomore, I am a member of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Exploration and Engagement Scholars learning community.

I wanted to join STEM EE Scholars prior to enrolling at OSU because I learned of all the community service and activities they did in furthering the teachings of STEM to future generations—which was inspiring and I instantly knew that it was the scholar’s community for me. Before joining the STEM EE Scholars community, I was able to shadow a local orthodontist in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio and his loving dedication to his respective field emphasized how important STEM was to the everyday world. Not only that, but I was a teacher aid for my Honors Zoology teacher in high school after taking the class and was able to gain a deeper level of understanding within the subject that taught me the gamut of fields within STEM too. In my free time, I was a part of my high school’s Medical Club that met bi-weekly and had various activities—ranging from guest speakers, doctors, nurses, volunteering, blood drives, lab practicals, and etc—that greatly enlarged my perception of science. With all of this under my belt, I hope to have more opportunities while being a part of STEM by taking risks and trying new things—whatever that may be.

Outside of my academic and my scholar’s community, I am an editor for the Journal of Undergraduate Research of Ohio State, commonly known as JUROS, a member of the Pre-Dental club and an advocacy fellow for Asian American Community Services. I have always had an interest in journalism as I was formerly an Editor-in-Chief and photographer for three years at my student-run high school newsmagazine, the Lakota East Spark. Despite how journalism and biology aren’t similar, they are a pleasant mixture of contrasting topics that have shaped me into who I am today. I hope to combine both of these subjects throughout the next chapter of my life while at THE Ohio State and hope you can follow along with me through my ePortfolio!