2018 Fall Semester

Coming into college I was very nervous. All throughout high school my teachers always preached to us about how difficult college was going to be, how we would come to face many setbacks, and how different the college workload and college life would from that in high school. I have now come to realize that what they repeatedly told us was true. However, I have also learned how to adapt and handle these changes.

During high school, school came pretty easy to me, I would study, but I just understood everything fairly well. Because of this, before coming to college I was mostly fearful of the amount and level of school work college would require. I was willing to put in the work, but I felt like I would become very stressed. Now that I have one semester under my belt, I have realized the best way to deal with this amount and level of work is to take it one step at a time, to stay calm and not freak out, and to manage your time well. Using these methods, I feel I have been successful in my classes so far and I plan on continuing these methods and incorporating more I learn along the way to help myself excel.

I came from a very small high school, so I was the only person from my class coming to Ohio State. This scared me a little because I would not perviously know anyone on campus, however, being on such a big campus was a great opportunity for me to meet a lot of new people and make many new friends. I have formed a close friend group with many of the people on my floor. We even formed a floor flag football team. I have also come to learn that dorm life is not as bad as everyone says. I was lucky enough that  my random roommate turn out to be a great gal and that we get along super well. We have also made our dorm feel more “homey”  making our time at OSU even more enjoyable.

Overall I believe I have had a successful first semester of college, and I can not wait to see what my future at Ohio State holds. I will continue to put into practice the many things I have learned already and proceed to learn new techniques that will help me to thrive during my time at OSU.

Introduction

Hello! My name is Paiton Miller. I am a freshman at Ohio State University majoring in Biology and minoring in Math. Welcome to my Honor & Scholars ePortfolio!

Biological Sciences Scholars Program

I, along with a large group of Biological Science Scholars members, went to the Wesley Glen Retirement Community to volunteer at their Halloween Party. There were many different jobs for us to help with, but I personally helped hand out candy along the ‘haunted trail’ to all of the trick-or-treaters that came to visits. After the party was over, we all also helped with clean up. I think this was a great experience! I really enjoyed being able to see all of the little kids’ costumes and help provide them with a fun experience so they could have a great time while trick-or-treating. I also loved being able to talk with some of the residences of the retirement community. They were very appreciative of us for helping with their party! I hope I get the chance to volunteer at their Halloween party again next year, and maybe even just go visit the residences some day to chat with them for awhile.

Artifacts

I received my high school diploma on May 20, 2018. This certificate represents all of the hard work I put into my primary education. Throughout my schooling, I never stopped trying my best and pushing myself to achieve excellence. Because of this hard work and dedication, I was able to graduate as a valedictorian and with honors. As a valedictorian, I was awarded the honor of giving a speech at my commencement. This experience allowed me to face, and surpass, my fear of public speaking. At Ohio State University, I will continue to strive for excellence, never settling for anything less than my best. I will also use my public speaking skills during different presentations while at college and all throughout life.

About Me

Hello! My name is Paiton Miller. I am from the small, rural town of Pleasant Hill, Ohio. I graduated from Newton High School as one of the five Valedictorians in the class of 42 students. I am now continuing my education at Ohio State University to Major in Biology and minor in math. I plan to study diligently in order to maintain my high academic status here at college. Being awarded the honor of being on the Dean’s list and maintaining a 4.0 are two major goals of mine. I have always loved studying science and learning about the natural world all around me, so it is my goal to find a career that is oriented around these aspects of science. At OSU I am a part of the Biological Science Scholars program, and I am on a intramural flag football team as well as a intramural soccer team. I have played soccer since the age of two and, while I did choose to focus on my academics instead of playing collegiate level soccer, I would like to keep my foot on the ball and continue my passion for the game as well as use this as an opportunity to meet new people.

G.O.A.L.S.

The Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S. stand for

  • Global Awareness – Students learn to appreciate diversity and differences between individuals through studying abroad or getting involved with a cultural organization.
  • Original Inquiry – Students engage themselves in situations that allow them to ask and answer difficult and unique questions. This could be by performing research or taking advanced course work.
  • Academic Enrichment – Students push themselves to achieve academic excellence while taking rigorous classes.
  • Leadership Development – Student get involved in various organization that allow them to develop leadership skills, then demonstrate these skills in the classroom, community, and future career.
  • Service Engagement – Students volunteer there time to serve the members of the community around them.

Of the Honors and Scholars G.O.A.L.S., Academic Enrichment resonates with me the most. All throughout my past schooling, I have pushed myself to achieve the best grades I could. This resulted in me having a 4.0 and being valedictorian of my class. I would like to continue pushing myself to maintain these excellent grades while at Ohio State. I also want to learn about new subjects I may not have prior knowledge of to further enrich myself. Because of this, I am currently taking a Landscape Architecture class as a GE. I believe having good grades and a wide background of knowledge will help me to, not only get into grad school and ultimately get hired at my future job, but also to excel in both graduate school and my future career.

I also feel Leadership Development has been very prominent throughout my life. I have been able to guide others with a positive attitude in order to help them succeed. I was the captain of my soccer team, leading my teammates both on and off the field and setting a good example for them to follow. I also had leadership roles in two of the organizations I was involved in during high school. I was the President of science club during my junior and senior years, and Vice President of National Honor Society my senior year. I would lead our meetings, making sure everyone one received the information we covered and contributed to the discussion.