Global Awareness

It is important to have an appreciation for all of the differences in the world. I have already tried to expand my knowledge of the world by being president of my high school’s Spanish Club, where I planned events to help my fellow students learn more about the rich culture in many Spanish speaking countries. I also participated in an education two week trip to Spain, where I learned about the culture and got to work on my Spanish speaking skills. I do not want my awareness to end there.

Here at Ohio State University I hope to have the opportunity to complete a minor in Spanish, study abroad, and go to the many events on campus. By completing a minor in Spanish I will not only know another language, but I will also have taken classes that will deepen my knowledge of the history and culture that make Spanish speaking countries so unique. I would be honored to take part in education abroad, because as I learned through previous experience the more time you spend in a foreign place the more you learn. Finally I would like to take part in the FREE events here on campus that showcase the unique differences between cultures.

The Wilds!!

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The herd of bison at The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio. It is because of the conservation efforts of places like The Wilds that bison are no longer endangered. I’m so thankful my scholars program gave me the opportunity to learn more about this.

G.O.A.L.S.

 

The goals of the Honors&Scholars program are global awareness, original inquiry, academic enrichment, leadership development, and service engagement. I plan on focusing my four years here on these goals to help get the most out of this experience. For global awareness, I plan on minoring in Spanish. I also have been looking into opportunities to volunteer abroad.I love how volunteering abroad would broaden my appreciation of different cultures and allow me to give back to others in need. This would also allow me to advance my goal in service engagement. I do not only want to volunteer abroad, I would like to take every opportunity presented to me to volunteer in a variety of settings. I believe this will help me develop skills I need to succeed in a career in public health, and give me a clearer picture of the demographics that our in need. I will also prepare for me future career through rigorous curricular experiences, wither that is taking advanced classes that interest me, or through educational workshops, like the advocacy workshop I went to this fall through the college of public health. Finally I hope to get involved in research here. All of the research opportunities is one of the reasons I decided to come to The Ohio State University, I hope this unique opportunity will help me gain skills and experience necessary to have a rewarding career.

 

Artifacts

When I was a little kid I loved to read books about nature and elephants, but I also loved to paint and make crafts. When I was injured in middle school and was benched from the soccer team, I spent my extra time studying and reading non-fiction, but I also learned to sew and got my first set of watercolor paints. In high school I focused my studies on the sciences, I would joke with my friends that I lived in the science wing of the building, but I also always squeezed one art elective in my schedule. I thought that my loves of arts and science were polar opposites, and that eventually I would have to drop art to focus on a career in science. That was until a pencil drawing project my junior year.

It was the first day of class, and I couldn’t wait to get started. I had spent the last year oil painting, and couldn’t wait to continue working on that skill. Then our teacher told us he wanted us to do a graphite drawing and the theme was family. I hated graphite so I wasn’t thrilled by the assignment but I went home, shifted through old photos, and found a gorgeous photo of my grandmother as a baby. I brought it to class, my teacher agreed that it was a perfect starting point, and gave me my paper to begin.  Honestly for the first day I just sat there and pretended to do work, I was so worried I wouldn’t do this photo justice. The next day my teacher came up to me and asked me how it was going. I’m so thankful he made me start that day, because it taught me a valuable lesson. There are multiple ways to start the problem, and yes some ways will not work, but the only way to succeed is to start somewhere and do the process of trial and error. For months I worked on that picture of a baby. I grew to hate knit sweater, because they are impossible to draw, and I went through multiple erasers, but in the end I was so proud of my final product. The bonus was I had a greater appreciation for the scientific method, and the endless trial and error that come with research.

I’m not going to lie it was great when my baby grandma was selected for the Congressional Art Competition. I was incredibly proud of what I had done, but I think it was more rewarding to realize that my love of science and art were connected by a process. I do not want to be an artist, but I will never have to leave my love of art behind. The process I went through for that piece will continue with me as I pursue a career in research.

Me at the Congresssional Art Competition in 2015 with my graphite drawing

Me at the Congresssional Art Competition in 2015 with my graphite drawing

About Me

 

Screenshot_2015-11-01-20-54-35-1Hello!! I’m Maria Lucas and I’m from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. I can’t wait to start my first year at OSU as a pre-public health major, biological sciences scholar student, on a pre-med track (Whew that’s a mouthful!). I’m often described by family and friends as hard working and always smiling. In high school I was the president of the Spanish club, and a captain of the tennis and swim teams. Although you will probably never again see me in a pool doing laps, I still love to hit a few balls on the court. Ever since I was little I loved science, and over the years, I have developed an appreciation for other cultures. I plan on applying to the public health major specializing in environmental health sciences. I also hope to have the opportunity to study abroad. In my free time, I’m looking forward to exploring Columbus in search of great ethnic food and maybe an art gallery. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.