Taco About Growth and Failure was put on by Aayushi and Kersten in the Smith-Steeb Sky Lounge.  They provided us with insight from their last two and a half years at Ohio State and reflected on what they felt they succeeded in and what they could have done better.  They also gave us really good advice to approach certain situations and reiterated resources the university has to offer as well as personally offering to help whenever we need it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the event and what Aayushi and Kersten had to say.  It was very humbling to hear about their “failures” and how they overcame them to become the people they are today.  They also talked about how it does not hurt to apply for something even if you think you will not get it, and that has helped me have more confidence in applying for scholarships and leadership positions.  In addition, they discussed how every experience, no matter good or bad, continues to shape who we are and our outlook on college and the rest of our lives, which is something everyone needs to hear time to time.  I also really enjoyed hearing the other IA members’ stories and input.  I have always been someone who stresses out about almost everything, and it was helpful knowing that other people have gone through some of the same struggles that I have and have been able to find ways to overcome them.  I took a lot away from this workshop, besides extra Chipotle napkins;), that I believe will help me with my stress and having a more positive reflection on rejections I will receive in the future.

This workshop relates to International Affairs not only because it was put on by members of the IA Leadership Council, but because no matter where we are in the world, success and failure will follow, and we need to be able to handle whatever comes our way and be able to grow from every experience.

The Global Resume Career Building Workshop was put on by Career Counseling Services.  This workshop was aimed at developing a more professional resume to be a competitive applicant while incorporating a global profile, detailing how past global experiences can relate to future global endeavors.  The workshop began by going over the do’s and don’ts of what to include in a resume profile as well as how to increase the level of detail to make your resume stronger.  I learned about what the core of my resume should include and how to communicate the skills I have that relate to the employer’s needs.  The types of skills included should be specialized skills, adaptive skills, and career readiness competencies.  What I enjoyed the most was hearing her personal opinion on how including a global profile into your resume can make you stand out so much more as an applicant, since it is not as traditional.  She explained how we should blend the information about our career objective with information describing our intellectual and global competencies for a more holistic resume.  Intercultural competency is becoming more of a target area for companies to look for on a college student’s resume.  We were also introduced to a website that gives resume examples based on major and country, which I thought was very interesting.

Overall, I thought this was a very helpful workshop to see what companies want and reflect on my own resume as well as think of new information that I can incorporate into my resume to create a more global profile.  This event relates to international affairs because the objective of the workshop was to understand that incorporating a global profile into our resume would make us a stronger applicant for a domestic or international job that takes intercultural competency into account when hiring.

Churros with JUROS was put on by the JUROS student organization to provide information on how to get involved with research as well as what makes a good researcher.  The panel of students both undergraduate and post graduate they had brought in for the event talked about how they personally got involved with research and the research projects they were either currently working on or had worked on in the past.  All of the students got involved with research either through recruitment by a professor, networking with other professors, federal work study, or independently.  To prepare for a research position, many of them agreed that practicing for the interview was very important and that practicing with a friend or in the mirror is the most beneficial.  Also, for the post graduate students who work with hiring on new research assistants, they stressed to us to look through previous publications from the lab and/or professor who runs the lab we are interviewing for.  It shows interest when you discuss it during the interview as well as the fact that you understood the research enough to be able to speak about it.  This last point is important because if you can demonstrate that you understand the study and data the lab is producing, then the head of the lab will be more inclined to bring you on as an assistant.  Another point the post graduate students stressed was being confident during the interview.  Attitude is important because it shows a willingness and ability to learn.

Some of the most important skills needed to be successful that the entire panel talked about were being ready to go and find answers to questions you do not know, asking for help when you need it, doing reading outside of what is required to broaden your knowledge, having an open mind and a good work ethic, having a motivation to always learn more, not being scared to mess up, and having time management skills, especially if the project is independent because it is all self-driven.

The last piece of advice the panel gave was saying that if you want to make significant scientific impacts, then you should stay in one lab for multiple years rather than a different lab each year.  This way you can hopefully see projects all the way through or close to publication.  Every research experience is valuable whether it’s in the field you’re interested in or not.  You choose what you take away from your research experience and how your experience goes.

This event relates to International Affairs because the research that is being done at OSU is having major impacts worldwide.  Research in general is highly global in itself because scientists and other types of researchers come together from many different countries to collaborate on projects and publish their work in the hopes that it will be implemented worldwide.

I chose this event because I recently changed my major to neuroscience, and I am looking for ways to get involved with research.  I really enjoyed everything the students on the panel had to say, and I thought it was very valuable attending this event.

Fashion Around the World was put on by the Office of International Affairs in Enarson to expose students to different styles of fashion and what defines fashion across the globe.  The event began with the presentation of six different countries and how their fashion had evolved over the years.  Greece had four distinct fashion periods while Malaysia, Colombia, and El Salvador remained constant with their traditional dress.  Nigerian fashion is unique because of all of the vibrant colors and tribal patterns that make up their clothing, and the U.A.E. is also unique in the fact that their choice of clothing is very strict.  The women wear black and the men wear white, and the majority of their skin is covered by the traditional clothes they wear.

After learning about fashion specific to certain countries, we talked about the fashion capitals of the world, which are New York, Milan, Paris, London and Tokyo, and we watched a video compilation of these cities’ fashion weeks showcasing modern fashion trends.  Some of the current trends for women are biker shorts with oversized blazers, mirrored sunglasses, chunky tennis shoes (usually white), and mom jeans with crop tops.  At the end we had a fashion critique session where we gave our opinions as to whether or not we were in favor of a certain fashion trend, and it was really interesting to hear other points of view.

This event relates to international affairs because it showcased different fashion trends and customs globally, and it gave us a more well-rounded perspective on what fashion can mean in different parts of the world.  I really enjoyed this event because during my years leading up to high school, I was considering fashion and design as a career path.  Project Runway was one of my favorite shows growing up, and my dream was to study fashion and eventually be on that show.  Also, this event made me think of my sister, who I haven’t seen since I left for college, because one of our dreams is to take a vacation where we visit all of the fashion capitals of the world.  This event was very special to me, and I really enjoyed everything the presentation included.

The Science Career Fair was put on by the university in the Union to help expose current Ohio State students as well as recent alumni to a multitude of hospitals, non-profits, and governmental sector companies looking to recruit students from a range of disciplines, but it was tailored more for students interested in careers in science.  I thoroughly enjoyed this event because I recently switched my major from International Studies to Neuroscience, so being exposed to a variety of internship and volunteer opportunities that I have within reach was truly inspiring and exciting looking ahead.  I am not entirely sure of what career I want to pursue, so I want to have as many internships, job shadows, and volunteer positions under my belt as possible to see what I enjoy and cross off anything I do not like.

While I was at the fair, I was able to speak to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the Wexner Medical Center, and The James, which is the cancer unit of the Wexner Medical Center.  Being able to get my name out and learn of the internship and fellowship programs these facilities have to offer makes my future career seem that much more attainable.  At the moment, speech and language pathology is interesting me the most as far as a career choice, and during my undergraduate years, I know that I would like to participate in research, specifically regarding stem cells and their hypothesized abilities to treat certain neurodegenerative disorders.

This event relates to International Affairs because the research being done in a majority of the companies that were present have some international influence and impact as well as the fact that an internship with any these companies could lead to another internship or a possible job in a foreign country implementing what was learned there.  Overall, I am extremely glad I was able to attend the Fair and learn more about my options for the future.  It is a very nerve-racking but exciting time, and being exposed to internship and volunteer opportunities so early on is helping me realize my future within the neuroscience field.

This event was put on by the Office of International Affairs in Enarson, and the objective was to bring students from Brazil and students from other parts of the world together to learn about Brazilian culture.  We started the event by partnering up and learning how to samba (a traditional Brazilian dance unique to their culture), and we learned about the importance of samba in Brazil and how the aspects of samba shine through the Brazilian way of playing soccer and their carnival festival.

One of my dreams has always been to attend the carnival festival in Brazil and watch all of the dancers in their extravagant costumes.  I have been dancing since I was three years old, so dance has been a tremendous part of my life.  The way your body is able to move to music, especially during Brazilian samba amazes me.

We also learned about the geography and history of brazil and how traditions are unique to the specific regions of Brazil as well as the differences in Portuguese between Portugal and Brazil.

The global engagement night was related to international affairs because it broadened my perspective of Brazilian culture and allowed me to meet students with Brazilian heritage.  Also, as a way to immerse us even more in the Brazilian culture, besides learning the samba, there was a dessert for us to try called brigadeiro, and it was delicious.  I want to attend as many global engagement nights as possible because it was a great way to meet new people, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Brazil and being exposed to another culture in such depth.

This event was put on by the Office of International Affairs in the union for students to learn more about their study abroad options and the different programs OSU and outside organizations have to offer.

During my time at the expo, I was able to talk with the director of the Global May Great Britain Program, one I am very interested in and will be applying to, and learn more about the objectives of the program as well as his personal take away from the experience.  It was as interesting as it was informative.

I was also able to speak with a representative from the Spanish study abroad table who gave me very valuable information on the different upcoming study abroad options for Spain.  I want to receive either a minor in Spanish or double major in Spanish and neuroscience.

The last education abroad table I visited at the expo was DIS, and they are an outside study abroad organization that represent thirty different majors, one of them being neuroscience.  I am very interested in studying abroad my sophomore year, and this program is at the top of my list at the moment.

The Education Abroad Expo was related to international affairs in every way.  It was a perfect introduction to the options we have during our four years here for studying abroad, and it was very exciting to map out where I want to go and when while I am at OSU and how each experience will further my education and provide me with an invaluable knowledge of the material I will be studying as well the culture of the country I will be immersed in.

This event was school-wide, and it was put on by Pay it Forward to serve the greater Columbus area.  I was assigned to the Olentangy River Wetland Research Facility with mainly fellow IA students.  We spent the morning painting their gazebo “Ohio State grey,” as the director called it.  It was very peaceful painting and being surrounded by such beauty.

When I learned the assignments were random, I was hoping to get a volunteer position outdoors and one that was more physical volunteer work.  I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for the last two summers, and I have really enjoyed the diversity of the work I have been able to do, one of which included painting.  Painting this gazebo for Community Commitment reminded me of the first house I ever worked on for Habitat for Humanity because my job then was to paint the doors and the trim.

This experience relates to international affairs because people from all over come to this facility to bird watch.  Being able to restore and update this gazebo for people to experience their passion was a very meaningful endeavor.

I hope to continue volunteering throughout my college career with many organizations to make an impact as many places and with as many people as possible.