Author: Isabelle Meehan

Service Engagement

I was opened up to a lot of service opportunities this year at OSU. At the beginning of the year, I volunteered at the Wexner Medical Center once a week. For two hours every Friday, I helped escort patients and their families to the proper waiting area. I also joined the nursing club Nspire where I volunteered at Saint Sophias church. I was able to help out the homeless around Columbus by taking their blood sugar and blood pressure, giving them foot baths, and having a conversation with them. It was a great experience and furthered my aspiration to become a nurse. Lastly, I did a lot of volunteer work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) throughout the school year. I participated in the JDRF One Walk at the beginning of the year with the College Diabetes Network and raised over $1,000. I also volunteered at the Bourbon and Bowtie Bash hosted by the JDRF in the fall. Lastly, I helped organize and set up for the annual gala, which was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID19. Overall, I had a successful year for volunteering and hope to do even more this upcoming school year.

 

Artifacts

This is a picture of me after competing a 100 mile bike ride in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). I have had type one diabetes for almost 6 years, so this event was extremely important to me. I had to raise $2,000 to participate in this event. I biked through Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota with my dad all in one day. I hope to participate in another JDRF 100-mile bike ride in the future because I had such a great experience!

About Me

My name is Isabelle Meehan and I am currently a freshman at OSU. I am in the Pre-Nursing program and I hope to go to nurse practitioner school after I graduate. I want to be a nurse practitioner in a trauma care unit so that I can start a cross-training program for nurses to become more familiar with trauma patients who have a chronic illness. I am very interested in traveling and hope to do a study abroad trip sometime in college. I am also very passionate about volunteer work, so I hope to join a club that focuses on helping others or volunteer at the Wexner Medical Center. Lastly, I love to cycle. Over the summer, I did a 100 mile bike ride to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Year in Review

My leadership has evolved greatly over the past year. I started the College Diabetes Network student organization this year at Ohio State. From just one year, we already have over 30 members. I organized several events and activities for the members throughout the year. We participated in the JDRF One Walk and raised over $1,000, attended an iron chef competition, went bowling, brought in speakers, and more. I scheduled a weekend for the club to stay in a cabin in Hocking Hills for a mental health retreat; however, I had to cancel due to COVID19. I am hoping to reschedule this activity to bring the members closer together this upcoming school year.

This organization has opened me up to several opportunities. I was invited to a formal dinner with local doctors and nurses to listen and ask questions about a new device for type one diabetics. I also got to meet students from other schools who lead their College Diabetes Network. Even during quarantine, I am able to participate in Zoom meetings with these students and we can share our experiences with our clubs. Overall, leading this club has increased my confidence in leading a large group and expanded the community I have surrounded myself with in the past.