Global Awareness: One year ago, I wrote of the many ways I hoped to have my global awareness challenged and grown– but I had no idea how transformational and incredible it would be to experience this. The past year and a half has given me the opportunity to engage deeply with what it means to be a world citizen, and has given me a much deeper understanding of how vast our world is. Through my studies, extracurricular involvements and other opportunities at OSU, I have grown immensely in my global awareness.
My wildest dream at the start of my time at OSU was to visit China, and it was a dream I believed could not possibly happen until the end of my time at OSU. Little did I know, at the end of my Freshman year, I would have the opportunity to travel to China with the Global Leadership Academy, fully funded by the US State Department. This trip allowed me to connect on a personal level with students my age and older at Wuhan University, as well as other universities we visited. Through this experience, I gained a greater perspective not only on China, but also on other cultures and nations. Following my experience, I found I had a greater appreciation for the many difficulties and challenges the international students studying at OSU face, from the challenge of learning slang and informal speech patterns, to navigating the supermarket, and crossing cultural barriers. I saw this illuminated most in the steep learning curve of understanding the culture cues that indicate a desire for friendship in modern Chinese culture. As the start of the trip, I was unsure if any of the students truly enjoyed spending time with me, and was disappointed that they didn’t want to establish a friendship. However, as the trip went on and I spoke with more experience Chinese learners and grew more comfortable with Wuhan University students, I came to understand that seeking friendship in this context required a shift in the way I understood social cues. And it because of this that I now feel much more equipped to recognize and respond to cultural cues specific to Chinese culture, and feel I have a much greater awareness of the possibility of such a lack of knowledge affecting my social interactions again, and am consequently much better prepared to interact with people from other cultures. Additionally, during my time in Wuhan I came to understand that cross-cultural and multi-lingual communication is possible even without fluency, and is enriching for all those involved, whether it be in an academic or casual social setting. My understanding of communication and how we establish relationships has changed for the better as I reflect on the ways I thought my low Chinese level would inhibit my communication, and recognize that there is another level to communication, one deeper than the However, I also saw that there were certain benefits and opportunities that come with the extra effort necessary to speak multiple languages. Following my experience in China, I am certain that I want to impart on everyone I come into contact with the importance of experiencing other cultures, pushing yourself beyond your cultural comfort zone, taking a few language leaps, and being willing to make a fool of yourself on occasion for the sake of knowledge and human connection.
My experience in China was truly life-altering, and I look forward to continuing to expand my global horizons during the remained of my time at OSU by seeking out opportunities offered by the University, seeking out events that encourage cultural diversity, and taking a variety of classes that span the many cultures and nations of the world.
Original Inquiry
Last year, I was unsure of exactly what form my experience with original inquiry at OSU would take, and to some extent, I still am. I had hoped to learn a bit more about what form original inquiry takes at the University level in general, and have found a good deal of answers and some direction. I have had the opportunity to complete research papers and even research proposals in several of my classes, allowing me to have a deeper understanding of the research process from start to finish, and gaining a deeper understanding of the course material. In addition to course material, I’ve had the opportunity to hear many of my professors discuss their own research, and the diverse ways in which they conduct research. This has been accomplished through field trips to research sites, seminars on research, office hours discussions with professors about their areas of study, and asking questions to better understand the research findings presented in class. Through these opportunities to improve my researching and writing skills, as well as the opportunities I’ve had to learn about my professors’s research experiences, I have gained a deeper understanding of the research process.
Additionally, my time at OSU has helped me to refine my passions, and discover fields that I may want to do research in down the road. In particular, I have become very interested in research in the nonprofit sector, and would love to explore the possibility of conducting research in this area. Conducting research under a faculty member well versed in the field would be a wonderful opportunity not only to gain hands-on experience in research, but also a chance to deepen my academic life and learn more about a field I one day hope to enter. As I continue to take classes for my newly-added minor in Nonprofit Studies, I hope to explore the possibility of assisting a faculty member in conducting research.
During my remaining two years at OSU I look forward to the opportunity to continue digging into original inquiry, exploring it in the smallest of ways in the classroom, and possibly joining a faculty member’s research team one day.
Academic Enrichment
As I reflect on my hopes for my academic life stated over a year ago, I am pleased to see the ways that my expectations and dreams were met by the wonderful classes and faculty at OSU. Going into my Freshman year at OSU, I was looking forward to the ways a major in History and a minor in Chinese would broaden my academic horizons, and allow me have a deeper understanding of the world. At the conclusion of my sophomore year, I am pleased to reflect on my past four semesters and see the ways that my major classes (now including Chinese as a major), minor courses (now including Nonprofit Studies), and General Education requirements have deeply enriched my academic life.
If I am to be honest, I was quite skeptical at first that I would find any value in the GE categories I was particularly uninterested in, like the sciences and statistics requirements. But as I reflect on the courses I’ve taken in the GE for the Honors program, I’ve enjoyed the classes thoroughly, and can remember many moments of true joy in the new knowledge I’d gained. One of these classes, Entomology 4440H: Social Insects, was incredibly fascinating, and I still find myself citing facts about ants and bees to my friends, and encouraging everyone I know in the Honors program to consider the class, because it was very enjoyable, interesting, and fun. Though this was not a class I anticipated deeply enriching my academic life, it has helped me to have a deeper appreciation for the various majors and fields of study related to the subject, and has renewed my child-like joy in learning. Similarly, I find myself continually reflecting on things I learned in my psychology and sociology classes, and using them to help me connect with content in other classes, as well as occurrences in everyday life. Planning out my remaining GE classes, and looking at the overlap that occurs between the classes and my majors, I am struck by the many ways my academic life has been enriched by the diversity of classes OSU has provided me with the opportunity to take.
Within my majors, I have been consistently challenged and refined in my skills. Chinese has been particularly challenging in the hours necessary to prepare for classes, but has recently been reaffirming in the ways the hours I spent studying a year ago have paid off in my language classes today. Though it takes a great deal of effort each day, Chinese is also an incredibly rewarding language, and continually surprises me with its many connections within the language and with its culture and history. In yet another rewarding aspect, my language courses and the culture we have learned in them have been very useful in my History and other Chinese major classes, as I’ve been able to relate various content and ideas between the courses. Thus, as I continue to learn about China and its history and culture, I am able to bring depth into discussions, and find my own academic experience enriched as I learn to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Additionally, I have been challenged in many ways by my History major classes, and have seen my professors continually make time to help students to learn the best and most efficient way possible. As I write paper after paper and read document after document, I’ve gained invaluable and transferable skills, gaining a deeper understanding of our world and the many fields of academic inquiry within it.
Leadership Development
My first two years at OSU have offered me countless leadership opportunities, and I am incredibly grateful for the diversity of leadership roles students are able to take on in accordance with their interests and passions. From the get-go, I was able to become involved with leadership in the OSU community as I served on the Lincoln House Activities Board as the Community Service Executive Board Chair. This experience taught me a great deal about student life and residence life, and helped me to continue developing my leadership skills. This position challenged me to find innovative ways to encourage people to get involved in events, and helped me to improve upon my communication skills, both within the organization and with community members. In addition to this leadership role, the end of my Freshman year I was blessed with the opportunity to begin serving as a Small Group Leader with H2O Church, and have continued to serve as a Small Group Leader throughout my sophomore year. This experience has helped me to develop my relational leadership skills, gaining much deeper insight into leadership on the person-to-person level, and learning how to resolve conflict and mediate conflict between group members.
In addition to the above positions, I’ve also been given the opportunity to serve with International Justice Mission through a Campus Chapter at OSU, serving this year as VP of Prayer, and planning to serve next year as President of the Chapter. Though I came into IJM knowing very little about the issue of human trafficking, I was able to quickly learn about the issue and jump on board with the work being done, and have had the opportunity to jump right into leadership. The organization frequently holds events, but the Chapter itself is relatively small, providing me with the opportunity to assist and even lead in the planning, organizing, and facilitation of events. Though I have experience with event planning, this has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of event planning, and has provided me with more experiences to relate to others’ experiences. I am ultimately better equipping me to lead, as individuals join the organization that may be in the same position I was in the beginning of the year: lacking knowledge on the issue but excited to learn. Thus, my time at IJM has helped me and will continue to help me refine my leadership skills, as I grow in my passion and knowledge.
In my remaining time at OSU, I look forward to serving as the President of IJM at OSU, and hope to continue serving in H2O Church, in whatever capacity the Lord might call me. As I dig deeper into these roles, I hope to gain a firmer grasp on leadership, and I hope that my skills as a servant leader are continually refined.
Service Engagement
Just as much as I believed it a year ago, service is an integral part of who I am, and the experiences that have shaped me. My understanding of the world has been shaped in no small part by service, and I have been excited to see this trend continue at OSU. Serving last year in a local elementary school, I was able to engage with the local Columbus community, and enjoyed the opportunity it provided to get to know my new community. As I served, I was able to get to know students from an underprivileged area, as well as their parents and teachers, and got to understand just a little more my role in the world. Additionally, my role as the Community Service Chair on the Lincoln House Activities Board allowed me to engage with college students’ conception of service, and how best to mobilize students to get involved. By learning about the experiences of my fellow students, I was able to get a better grasp on my own understanding of service, and how it diverged from that of my classmates. Lastly, I had the opportunity approximately once each month to serve in the Columbus community through H2O Church, whether that be in Stowe Mission, serving food and providing clothing to the homeless community, or spending time with lonely folks in a nursing home. This opportunity has also helped me to engage with my community and my own values, learning more about myself and the world I live in.
As mentioned above, I have had the opportunity to serve with International Justice Mission at OSU, and look forward to the continued opportunity to give of my time and resources to educate OSU students about the issues of human trafficking, and helping equip them to combat injustice. The position I have served in as VP of Prayer this year and will serve in as President next year has been an absolute blessing and has allowed me to redefine my ideas of service, and how I can most effectively serve the populations I care about. I’ve had the opportunity to fundraise and pray for these populations, advocate for funding, and raise awareness about their plight. This experience has been truly life-transforming as I wrestle with what my future will look like, and how my career can oriented around service.
In the next two years at OSU, I hope to deepen my engagement with service, and gain an even deeper understanding of the errors in my own perceptions of service, and how I can best serve the most needy of people. I hope that I will continue to serve those trapped in modern day slavery, and those in our local community in need of help; my ardent hope is that service becomes all the more important and central to my life.