This year has been both academically challenging and enlightening. As I have taken classes and gained a greater understanding of what certain career paths entail, my future aspirations have evolved. I entered college with the plan to attend veterinary school following my undergraduate experience. Recently, I decided to broaden my outlook to include the human medical side. I also switched my major from Animal Sciences to Medical Laboratory Sciences to allow a wider scope of opportunities. I have really enjoyed the classes I have taken this year and am truly looking forward to the future classes in my chosen major. In addition, this year was very beneficial in terms of focus. Fist year was full of trying new experiences and finding out where I could most benefit from being involved. In my second year, I was able to invest in those areas and truly grow both personally and academically. I value everything I have learned in my first two years at the Ohio State University and look forward to the next two.
Vision Statement and Statement of Action
If I have learned anything in the past two years, it is that time goes much quicker than I think it will. Throughout my first two years at the Ohio State University, I have been presented with an incredible amount of opportunities. My vision is to utilize such opportunities for future career aspirations. This can be in the form of classes, organizations, and relationship. People get the most out of the experiences they are willing to put their time and effort into. As I continue my schooling, my goal will be to utilize opportunities to their fullest extent. I believe the Ohio State University provides the means necessary for success through groups like the Biological Sciences Scholars and to do my part I must invest my time and efforts.
Abstract
This page holds many of the accomplishments and events that shaped my first two years of college. The Biological Sciences Scholars group has provided me an immense amount of opportunities, along with an amazing group to share my experiences with. I was truly able to gain an understanding of a variety of careers in the biological sciences realm. We were able to hear from those working in the field first-hand and tour a few of their workplaces. I was also able to grow in my awareness and involvement with the Columbus community surrounding the Ohio State University’s campus. Particularly, I was able to volunteer at the Clintonville Food Pantry with my scholars group where I have continued to volunteer through the end of my second year. In addition, the community gained through the Biological Sciences Scholars has shaped my first two years of college. It was amazing to have a group of like-minded students who understood the classes and aspirations each of us had. This page will dive deeper into some of these experiences and shine a light on the impact Biological Sciences Scholars has had on my experience at the Ohio State University.
Scholars Event
We had the chance to visit and volunteer at the Clintonville Food Panty. It was a really great experience to be more involved and give back to the community. Our main job was to help unload the food truck that comes each week. The food truck brings hundreds of pounds of food that will be used to feed people around the community. Another great part of the event was meeting people from the community.
Year in Review
This first semester in the Biological Sciences Scholars Program has been a great experience. I have had the opportunity to meet lots of people through the program and go to really interesting scholars events. I was able to go to the Columbus Zoo and see behind the scenes of the Discovery Reef. It was incredible to see the amazing research they are doing and how they care for their abundance of different species of fish. I also had the chance to volunteer at the Clintonville Food Panty which was a wonderful experience. I ended up volunteering the following week and plan to go more in the future. In addition, our weekly Scholars seminar has given me a better idea of all the opportunities here at OSU and ways in which to take advantage of those. I look forward to more opportunities to learn more through the Biological Sciences Scholars Program.
G.O.A.L.S.
When working through the hours of studying required each day while attending classes and finding time for everything else, it is easy to lose sight of where we are headed. Goals give a sense of direction and purpose to the everyday tasks that seem so monotonous. When you realize that learning topics such as stoichiometry and conjugating verbs in Spanish will eventually help you reach your future goals they don’t seem so monotonous.
Ever since I can remember, my dream has been to become a veterinarian. Animals are not able to advocate for themselves, so I want to be someone that helps them get the care and respect they deserve. I consider my dream of becoming a veterinarian a long-term goal. It is something that I can look towards for motivation of where I eventually want to get to. Long-term goals are important; however, I think short-term goals are sometimes even more helpful.
As we have finished our first few weeks of college, we are all realizing that college is a lot harder than we expected. It takes a lot of self-motivation and discipline to do well, and a big part of that is setting short-term goals for ourselves. My goal this semester is to get all A’s in my classes. A goal such as this one naturally transforms into many other short-term goals. In order to get all A’s, I need to do things such as finish studying for a certain class, do well on midterms, or bring the right supplies to class which are all smaller goals in themselves.
It is easy to get overwhelmed when thinking of all the goals that need to be accomplished, but it’s important to remember that while working on one goal, you are really working on all the others too. Goals need to be a source of encouragement not frustration; therefore, it is essential to maintain one’s motivations at a positive and healthy level.
Career
Artifacts
Each year seniors are given a Shadow Box to remember their time on our high school dance team. It can include items such as your varsity letter, pictures, ribbons, metals, etc. The Shadow Box represents all the accomplishments, fun times, and amazing friends but it also represents the struggles we overcame and the lessons we learned. Dance is a huge part of what made me who I am today. Through auditions and tryouts dance taught me that in order to take advantage of all the opportunities presented to us every day, it is necessary to advocate for yourself. I had the opportunity to serve as captain my senior year which really pushed me out of my comfort zone, and taught me the important aspects of leadership. In addition, being a part of a team brings a sense of accountability to do your part in order to reach a common goal. This doesn’t just apply to a team but to school, jobs, and almost everything else in the future. We are constantly working with others to accomplish tasks and come up with new ideas. Just as in dance, we get farther when we work together and come together as one.
About Me
My name is Kristina Orlando and I am a freshman at The Ohio State University studying Zoology on a Pre-Vet track. Originally, I am from Richmond, Virginia; however, my family moved to Centerville, Ohio four years ago. As soon as I toured Ohio State, I knew that was where I wanted to be. A school as large as Ohio State has an endless supply of opportunities to learn about any topic, be a part of any group, and accomplish any goals.
Since I was little, my passion has been with animals and my dream to be a veterinarian. At the beginning of high school, I began shadowing at a local veterinarian hospital and eventually earned a job as a Kennel Assistant. I have loved my time there and everything I have been able to see and learn. In the future, my goal is to become a veterinarian and open a rescue and rehabilitation center. I would take in animals that have been abused, abandoned, or hurt and either find them a home or release them back into the wild, depending on their type.
I began dancing when I was three and it has remained a huge part of my life. Throughout high school I was a part of my high school dance team. We competed at competitions throughout the year and performed at football games, basketball games, and pep rallies. My junior year I became a Squad Leader and my senior year I became Captain. I am grateful for these opportunities. The roles helped me to step out of my comfort zone and become more of a leader.
I chose the Biological Sciences Scholars because it provided a way in which to make a very large school seem much smaller. Also I knew I would be surrounded by peers who share the same academic work ethic as I do.
