G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness:  During my childhood, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be exposed to many countries and cultures through travel.  I toured through Europe, travelled to Peru with my school, and had many vacations with my family.  While I was very fortunate to have this early exposure, I know there is always more to learn and look forward to being exposed to more diverse views and cultures in my education.  So far, global awareness has not been my primary goal, however, I have still managed to gain new insight through my exposure to American Sign Language and deaf culture as well as my women’s, gender, and sexuality studies class in which we studied feminist movements around the world.

Original Inquiry:  When I applied to college, I knew I wanted to get involved in research.  During the end of my freshman year I applied to be a part of a psychology research mentorship program.  This year, I started to do research in quantitative psychology and sat in on meetings with graduate students to learn about their research, the more professional side of research, and about current topics in the field.  Unfortunately, due to health issues I could not continue with the pace of the program, however, I have continued attending meetings and still hope to be involved with research in the future.

Academic Enrichment:  I believe that I have selected courses which broaden my education and allow me to have access to many different areas.  I have always been fascinated by the ways in which people interact with themselves and each other, and thus found Psychology to be fascinating and enriching.  However, it is not enough for me to focus on one area alone.  During my college years I hope to be exposed to as many experiences and subjects as possible, not only for my own personal growth, but to ensure that I do not miss out on any opportunities or my true “calling.”  I am currently planning to go to medical school, but I have already decided that I do not wish to take a traditional route.  I want to focus on getting in touch with myself and my passions and ensure that I have a full life filled with diverse views and experiences.

Leadership Development:  I have dabbled in several clubs and activities, but ultimately decided to focus on my health and academics.  The main activity I’m involved with is providing STI and HIV testing and counseling with the Wellness Center.  This experience has provided me with a lot of confidence as I am expected to handle difficult situations and assist to the best of my ability in making people more aware about the risks and options available to them.  In certain circumstances when someone is dealing with something particularly difficult such as sexual assault, it is my job to provide support and refer them to the proper resources.  This position is directly related to my future career as I have a passion for sexual health and hope to be an obstetrician gynecologist one day.  Being able to handle paperwork, deal with tough situations, provide support and information for people to make healthy decisions for themselves, and being able to handle questions on the spot will all benefit me with my future career, whether that’s in medicine or something else.

Service Engagement:  In addition to my position as an STI/HIV counselor, I have been involved in volunteering over the summers.  Last summer, I volunteered with Jewish Family Services working with young adults with cognitive disabilities.  I started volunteering there during the end of my senior year of high school and plan to continue volunteering this summer.  I have learned so much about patience, empathy, and kindness from the people I interact with in this program and have made a number of friends.  In addition, I volunteered at Neighborhood Family Practice, a clinic which primarily works with low income families and refugees.  I worked in quality to ensure that people were receiving the best care possible and did research on birth control in the hopes of improving women’s experiences and education.

Global Awareness:

I have always been passionate about diversity and the right to be comfortable in one’s own skin.  During my time here at OSU, I am excited to explore different cultures and ideas by taking classes about both present and past cultures.  I plan to study in multiple areas and learn about different histories.  In addition, I would like to find clubs relating to world issues and global awareness that are meaningful and insightful.  Lastly, while I did not include studying abroad in my academic plan, it is something I am interested in.  There is no better way to learn about another culture or way of life than to be directly immersed in it. 

Original Inquiry: 

Prior to coming to college, I knew that I wanted to get involved in research.  I plan to look into the many research opportunities available at OSU and get involved in research that I find both interesting and meaningful.  In addition to assisting someone else with their research, I would like to come up with my own.  I have already been thinking about topics that interest me and areas I can study, particularly in the realm of psychology.  It is my goal to at least explore these areas and potentially create an undergraduate thesis project.

Academic Enrichment: 

I knew entering college that I wanted to be able to explore multiple areas and discover new ideas.  I chose to major in Psychology because I have always been fascinated by the ways in which people interact not only with others, but also with themselves.  Understanding and explaining people’s behavior, feelings, and thoughts is both challenging and enriching, and cannot be explained by one idea.  Psychology is an area that covers a broad array of subjects, giving me the variety I need as well as sating some of my curiosity. In addition to my major, I intend to use my Academic Plan as a loose guideline for what courses I can take to both challenge myself and explore.  In my Academic Plan, I included potential classes that interest me and give me variety, including several courses in economics and sexuality studies, a possible minor.  My primary goal at OSU is to continue learning about the things that interest me while discovering new areas I never would have considered in high school.

Leadership Development: 

In order to better develop my leadership skills, it is vital that I get involved with organizations, clubs, research, and general social movements that I am passionate about and which create positive change, either in my own life or the lives of others.  I am interested in research and possibly creating an undergraduate thesis project in the field of psychology.  If possible, I would like to further engage in peer mentoring to raise awareness around sexuality and healthy relationships.  In the past, I worked as a Peer Sex Educator, providing comprehensive sex education to teens and young adults. I also did my senior project with the program Know Abuse which works to stop domestic and dating violence.  Peer education is an incredibly valuable way to spread information, and I would like to further develop these skills. 

Service Engagement:

In order for me to feel fulfilled, it is important to me that my life has a meaningful impact on others.  Social justice and education are two areas I am very passionate about as the only real solution to ignorance is knowledge.  I want to get involved with different organizations particularly related to homelessness, LGBT+ equality, and women’s rights.  During my first semester, I also participated in the REACH suicide prevention program, which unfortunately has already been relevant in my interactions with other students.  In addition, I want to raise awareness around Tourette’s Syndrome, something which greatly impacts my life and the lives of people I care about.  Lastly, I plan to engage in research related to psychology with the hope that my efforts will create positive changes in people’s lives.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]