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Year in Review
After I finished my language requirement through French, I became friends outside the classroom with my professor. A friend and I embarked on a backpacking trip in Europe over the summer of 2017, meant to expand our global awareness and expose us to how much of the rest of the world lives. I met my professor in Paris and got to meet some of his family and friends. I also established contacts with, and learned about, a plethora of people from around the world. This upcoming summer, I am going to Poland to study democratic deconsolidation.
Especially this year, I have learned that research takes time to do properly. In order to contribute to a conversation at a higher level, you must first learn much of the basics of the arguments being used. The experience of reading through and critically responding to many sources has been very rewarding. I have learned that the world of academia is not as bottomless and inaccessible as I had previously thought. I feel as though my contributions are becoming much less baseless and trivial. By going to research in Poland this summer, I plan to more intensely test my abilities and learn much more about the value of research. That value being the potential for real world applications.
I have taken the more difficult classes in my political science major when I had a choice. In choosing my GE courses, I always selected those which I have had an underlying interest in. Anthropology, film, French, religion and law, all parallel some of my interests and hobbies. I followed my curiosity instead of continuing high school Latin, taking pottery with little homework, and a comparative studies class rated very easy online. Although challenging, I have also found that when you select from your interests, the work is easier to do. The rewards have bleed into my hobbies outside the classroom and into my bookshelves.
I have played premier men’s soccer every season since I came to Ohio State. Although I am an introvert, on the field I lead by example and by offering support and advice. I have learned when to stand down and when to step up in difficult situations. I would like to run for the board of the Alexander Hamilton Society in these upcoming years.
Through Xenos church in Columbus I have helped run food drives and provide outreach for people in need. (Early this year I went through a very difficult time in getting out of that church because of their cult-like tendencies. Since then I have been looking for a new club to join which would provide me with more opportunities for service.)
G.O.A.L.S.
Global Awareness: As a Political Science major, I understand the importance of global awareness as it relates to policy and addressing ethnocentrism that is often too prevalent in our communities. Over winter break freshmen year I am traveling to London for a short study abroad experience. I hope to find more opportunities to study abroad but for longer periods of time. After finishing my French general education requirement, I plan on studying psychology or political science in Europe. Many of my political science classes even addresses cultural differences and diversity directly in an academic setting. I chose to study French and not continue Latin because I wanted to experience the perspective change that learning another active language and culture can have on a student.
Original Inquiry: Once I establish a base of knowledge in both political science and psychology, I plan on taking full advantage of the plethora of research opportunities offered for both fields. Having knowledge in both areas will allow me to address the psychological complexities involved with politics and vice versa. Psychology majors are required to engage in some research, and I hope to pursue research concerned with mental health. The ability to apply what one learns in the classroom to original thought is an important step in developing skill applicable to jobs and future, more in-depth, research.
Academic Enrichment: The decision to double major came in part from a desire to challenge myself by not just taking “filler-classes” to meet the minimum graduation hour requirement. By double majoring I am enriching not just my myself, but what I will get out of both majors as they play into each other frequently. To fill many of my GE’s, I opted to take philosophy classes to improve my logic, reading, and writing skills. Although not the easiest choice, I believe that delving into the abstract world of philosophy enrich my understanding of concepts in both psychology and political science. I hope this enrichment will also help me become a better critical thinker in my research and job experience. In most cases I have planned to take the higher level course for major requirements, knowing that simply “getting through” my degree program will hurt my ability to perform in whatever job I find myself in.
Leadership Development: Leadership development is an obvious consideration when determining what clubs and activities, as well as research and intern opportunities taken. I hope to continue building on the skills I developed before college. I have joined the Alexander Hamilton society on campus, and hope to run for a board position. I am considering applying to train to be an officer in the National Guard or Marines after college, and thus take on leadership within the service and in my community. By simply taking honors classes of limited size I hope to put myself in a better position to participate in class and engage with the professor in research an other opportunities with leadership positions.
Service Engagement: In order to get involved with clinical psychology, and more importantly to help those suffering from mental illness, I plan on volunteering at mental hospitals around my hometown of Akron over the summer. I also participate in as many volunteer and donation opportunities on campus as my schedule and finances allow. The church I attend has youth groups of middle school kids from predominantly underprivileged families. I help lead one of the groups now, and am supposed to be leading one on my own next year. Any sacrifice made on my grades is without a doubt worth the influence I could have on those kids lives.
Career
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Artifacts
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About Me
[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner. This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]