This semester I decided to pursue my passion for dance again in a college setting. I stopped dancing when I came to college last year, and I realized very early in the year that I missed it. As a result, I joined the dance organization, Movement Variations.  In this organization I have been able to make new friends, have a creative outlet, and choreograph. I was surprised to learn that choreographing and teaching choreography to a group of twenty-five girls has really helped me to improve my leadership and communication skills.

Autumn Semester of 2016, I chose to pursue an honors program at the Fisher College of Business. To be successful in the honors programs within Fisher, students typically will take at least the first class in the Honors Accounting Program. Honors Accounting 2200 was the most difficult class I have ever taken in my academic career.  I spent hours studying the materials every night. Obviously, I learned plenty of accounting, but the most important skills I will really take away from the class center around problem solving abilities and work ethic. The way the exams were formatted forced me to adapt to a situation I have never encountered before. This real world skill is incredibly valuable and I hope to continue to grow these abilities in an honors program at the Fisher College of Business.

In the Spring of 2016, I was a volunteer with goBuckeye Day for Honors and Scholars Ambassadors.  GoBuckeye Day is a massive event where thousands of admitted seniors in high school visit Ohio State for the day.  I worked as a campus locator and helped direct families around the campus.  Although I was mostly helping students find buildings, many of them asked me questions about my experiences at Ohio State.  This was meaningful for me to reflect on my year and really share my love for the programs, opportunities, and community here at Ohio State.  Overall, it was really incredible hearing many students tell me that they enjoyed their visit, that they were planning on committing to the university, and that I helped make their visit more informative or easy-going.

In the Fall of 2015 I attended a Buckeye Business Professionals and Financial Modeling Association collaborative event for business students.  Matt Sheridan, a senior lecturer in finance, was the speaker at this event, and he explained his journey from growing in  New Mexico to working for Bloomberg in New York City then moving to  teaching at The Ohio State University.  This was the first time I had heard someone so successful in the financial field explain that he had come to college with no understanding of finance, and had come out with an incredible career.  This was very meaningful to me because I am a first-year business student that was really unsure if the financial field was for me, but hearing Professor Sheridan speak really inspired me to want to continue on my path in the financial field.

In the Spring of 2016, I traveled to Toronto with International Affairs Scholars.  While I was there I learned about the diverse set of cultures at the Casa Loma, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Aga Kahn Museum, and the Ismaili Centre.  Also, we had a discussion with the special assistant to the Premier of Ontario for Syrian refugees about Canada’s settling of the Syrian refugees.  This trip was incredibly meaningful to me because I was able to see a massive change in culture just a couple of hours from where I live.  The Canadians are very accepting of refugees and different cultures all over the city, and I believe this is an inspiring attitude that more Americans should adopt.  I have included a photo of one of the Islamic art pieces from the Aga Kahn Museum because it was one of my favorite sites that we visited.  Overall, this was an amazing trip that really influenced my perspective on immersing cultures and attitudes into society.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LRGFaTdMFsgQUMjljd9AVJ78Q7Bvp4p6RfgVFGRNyLs/edit#slide=id.p

The UN Millennium Goals are extremely important to our modern society.  The goal to end extreme poverty is important to all nations, however, it affects nations in North America in a much greater way than most people realize.  There are people living on the streets in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.  People are living in absolute poverty because of a lack of low-income housing, lack of welfare for rehabilitation and food, and increasing government debt.  The United Nations are trying to combat this problem by encouraging nations to adopt a “living wage”, reform welfare, and increase employment.  Overall, I learned from studying the UN Millennium Goals that extreme poverty can affect anyone, even people in our own backyard.  Finally, I believe that studying extreme poverty in all of North America has given me a greater understanding of international affairs because I can see how the United States, Mexico, and Canada share some similarities in terms of struggles with many other nations around the world, and how the United Nations Millennium Goals truly apply to all nations.