Second Year In Review

As a second year, I have become more experienced, more driven, and much closer with the people I am going to be friends with for the rest of my life. Without the Dunn’s Sports and Wellness Scholars Program, I would not have met the 5 girls pictured above. These girls have been my roommates, my support team, and most importantly my best friends. I don’t how DSWS managed to do it, but somehow they paired me with 3 of these girls freshman year and we haven’t looked back since. I could not have imagined these past two years at Ohio State without them, and I genuinely have the Dunn’s Sports and Wellness scholars program to thank for that. Aside from giving me my best friends, DSWS has taught me many lessons along the way. One of the most important lessons that I have taken away from this scholars program is how to be professional. Throughout the past two years, we have had weekly or biweekly meetings where guest speakers would attend. At these meetings, the attire was always business casual, and for a lot of my peers, we didn’t even know what that entailed.  Not only were we dressed to impressed, but we learned how to engage with each speaker and treat them will respect. These experiences, and the lessons that come with them, are something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. Not only were guest speakers a part of our professional development, but we also attended career builders, like a resume workshop. During this resume workshop, I was able to have many people, including my peers, critique and help develop my resume. When I first entered the Dunn’s Sports and Wellness scholars program, I was a fragile, confused, and scared freshman. I knew that DSWS would help my build friendships, but I did not expect it to develop me into a whole new person. With the guidance of my fellow peers and advisors, I would not have had the confidence to join other students organizations, go outside of my comfort zone, or the friendships that I have developed over the years.

Global Awareness

I have attempted to develop my global awareness in a few different ways.

First, at Ohio State I am involved in the Student-Alumni Council, and our organization does a lot with global awareness and diversity. For example, just one of our many programs is the “international students game day watch parties”. In this program we hold parties on football game days for international students that do not know much about football. Here at Ohio State, it is very obvious that we care A LOT about football, so being an international student and not knowing a lot about the sport can be a little overwhelming. This is our way of trying to provide all students at Ohio State with the best “Go Bucks” experience as possible.

Second, my friend and I are currently fundraising to go on a trip to an underdeveloped country. On this trip, we are going to give out water filters to families in need. I am very excited for this experience because it will allow me to directly help others in need.

Original Inquiry

I have had my fair share of becoming familiar with the research paper process. In both chemistry 1210 and 1220 we were required to write detailed, elaborate lab reports each week. These reports followed the similar format and tools needed to write a research paper. So by becoming skilled at writing reports for chemistry, I have been slowly strengthening my skills for research. I have recently applied for an internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and I was able to find the position from a friend I met at a pre-med meeting. This is why the significance of reaching out to others is so important, as it can always open doors for you that you did not even know were there.

Academic Enrichment

I have dedicated myself to the goal of academic enrichment through the coursework I have decided to pursue. I am majoring in Medical Laboratory Sciences in the school of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. I actually got into this major by accident, as I was originally planning on going into Health Sciences. Now that I am in the major, I could not be happier. One of the major’s requirements is microbiology, and after taking this course this spring I have now found a new passion. If it wasn’t for the required coursework form this major, I never would have found this love for microbiology.

Leadership Development

Even as a freshman, I have already began getting involved in leadership opportunities. In the student organization I am in, The Student-Alumni Council, I have taken on a program coordinator position. I am in charge of the program “Beat Ts”. With this position comes a lot of responsibilities. These responsibilities include contacting university officials, collaborating with other student organizations around campus, and completing everything in a timley, professional manner.

Service Engagement

Ohio State has brought me many opportunities, but one of my favorite activities that OSU, and specifically my scholars program, brought me was the ability to serve at the Columbus Dream Center. Every Saturday, I go to the Columbus Dream Center to volunteer. During my time there, my eyes have been opened to helping these children in ways I didn’t know I could. These kids that we work with every week come from homes that are typically broken or damaged, so my main goal with them is to just show them that I care. During my time at the Dream Center, I make it my goal every week to simply give these children someone to count on and look up to.

Artifacts

Today I got an email from the Chemistry department asking if I wanted to be a Chemistry TA next year. After receiving this email, I immediately went to my professor, Dr. Loza,  to ask for her opinion. I have been with Dr. Loza for both my first and second semester of chemistry, and I highly value her opinion. After discussing the situation with her, I was able to come to the conclusion of turning down the offer of becoming a TA. This was a hard decision because I knew this could be a great opportunity for me, but I believe I made the best choice for my academic career. Discussion with Dr. Loza helped me realize that next year I would need to focus more on my academics first, and then worry about becoming a TA in the following years.

About Me

senior-pic  Madison McQuate is a Dunn’s Sports and Wellness first year scholars student majoring in Medical Laboratory Sciences. She plans on entering into the medical field after graduating from Ohio State. In the medical field, Madison plans on becoming a Pediatrician to one day help the lives of children in her community. Madison is also involved in the Student Alumni Council and the Pre-Med clubs on campus. In the Student Alumni Council, along with her fellow members, Madison helps connect the present students of OSU with the students from the past. She also hopes to eventually get involved with volunteering at the medical center and getting an internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Aside from school, she is also an avid football fan and loves going to the OSU games. Madison also enjoys swimming, playing soccer, and simply staying active in her free time.

Freshman Year Timeline

First Semester:

  • Joined Pre-Med Club
  • Applied for Student-Alumni Council
  • Applied for College Mentors for Kids
  • First volunteered at the Columbus Dream Center
  • Made the Dean’s List

Second Semester:

  • Got accepted into the Student-Alumni Council
  • Continually volunteered at the Columbus Dream Center
  • Applied for internship at Nationwide
  • Took on program coordinator position in the Student-Alumni Council
  • Began searching for possible TA positions for following years