REACH

“REACH is the OSU Suicide Prevention training program designed to help the OSU community prevent suicide by teaching faculty, staff and students how to:

Recognize warning signs

Engage with empathy

Ask directly about suicide

Communicate hope

Help suicidal individuals to access care and treatment”

I went to REACH training during the second semester and was the only student in attendance. As conveyed by the peer instructors, sometimes the training session has plenty of students, sometimes the session only has one. I listened intently, asking questions, and receiving valuable answers. Along with an in depth understanding of the acronym REACH, I took away several real-life statistics and facts introduced to me entailing the Ohio State campus and elsewhere in regards to Suicide. This training is one that I highly recommend and is one that I have found myself using several times. It is also a training that I would really like to see introduced into an International Affairs meeting.

The website http://suicideprevention.osu.edu is also a wealth of information and provides this information through the get help, prevention, programs, outreach, resources, news, events, etc. tabs. As such, this site is of great value, listing resources, hotlines, a prevention app, and much more.  

REACH Pin

About Me

columbus-marathon

My name is Alec Parker and I am an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University. Ohio State has always been of great interest. The Department of Anthropology ranks third in the country, the opportunity for involvement is vast, and the community is compelling. Ohio state became an obvious choice. As for my major, I feel it reflects my personality and desires. I am pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology, with intent on attending graduate school. I desire to meet people, as meeting people has influenced my life in ways that have changed and challenged my outlooks and goals. I desire to meet people of many cultures, looking at their culture through their eyes, studying and growing in the process. As well as variation of cultures, I am very interested in using the knowledge of what I learn with application. Traveling is also an important perk to anthropology. Literature about the subject is fascinating and I am very excited to learn about an extensive and indefinitely broad subject, which is simply, the study of humankind. Research is of great interest within a profession in anthropology and I am currently exploring my options for a future career.

I am from Waverly, Ohio, a village that is an hour and a half south of Columbus. Waverly has a small community where I felt I could thrive in social comfort. I kept close friends, but made an effort to speak and truly engage with many. I have always felt that reaching out to others, even those who may be a stranger, is important. With this in mind, I try to be kind to everyone. Aside from the two, adventure is prevalent and I always strive to find new places. I can run from one side of Waverly to the next, without ever touching the road, despite the roads in-between. There are trails in Waverly, fields and tracks, creeks and pavement, corn, night time highway, and conflicting weather. There is beauty in exploring the world. These values all translate into my decision to pursue anthropology. The world and the people who live in it are indefinitely interesting, and the outlooks and perceptions I gain through experiencing each are dear to me. Importantly, I may use these perceptions to advocate for change, work toward solution, and take upon research. The options are endless.

Reflective of this is my decision to be a part of the International Affairs Scholars program. IA is another opportunity to explore aspects and ideas of the world, internationally, while gaining a community of fellow members and floor mates. As well as being a member of IA, I am currently a member of the Boo Radley Society, a club that takes part in random acts of kindness; Advocates for Women of the World, a group dedicated to educating students about struggles women face around the world, with emphasis on taking action; and am a runner sponsored by RunQuest Travel, a business that takes people on international running trips. I will continue to explore clubs and embrace the many options that an education at Ohio State can provide. I am very excited to see where my education and time at OSU will take me.

 

Year in Review

I had gone into the school year feeling at ease. I feel I adapted well and did not stress about the size of the school; if anything, I valued the transition from a small school into a campus with a student population much larger than my hometown. In reflection though, I realize just how much I experienced within the past year; I had built another life, the beginning of a chapter with new goals, new passions, a growing excitement and appreciation for my major, and importantly, new perspectives and friendships that have only recently formed.

For half of the school year, I had focused largely on running, reaching new distances and opportunities with the sport, only to realize that I did not want to focus on running. This was a difficult decision to come to, but when I did, I questioned what my next adventure would be, and took all of the lessons I have learned from running with me. I aspire to run the Badwater Ultramarathon in the future, but until then, I am focusing on other goals. It didn’t take long to realize that I want to focus on mental health in the education system, and have pursued that through increasing research interest, course direction, and discussion. I have learned a lot about myself and about others through mental health discussion and truly value this sort of conversation.

Through my studies, I have also come to realize that my southern Ohio county is in the Appalachian region, something I did not put much focus on until coming to school. I would like to learn more about Appalachia and am currently reading about the Appalachian region.

I also have found the importance of office hours and discussing interests with instructors, as well as going to new events, getting to know another person, and reflecting on one’s self and one’s experiences. It is partly through such that I have continuously developed research ideas and shifted as an individual.

I have truly valued the Ohio State community and opportunity that the school offers. I feel the friendships I have made and the individuals I have met have all influenced me in ways that have continuously opened my mind and heart. Whether it be through late night talks, a game of ping pong, going for a walk, or grabbing food from the Union with a friend or a stranger, I have absolutely been enthralled by the amount of perception, character, and friendship that I have had the opportunity to have exposure with.

All in all, the school year has provided me with deeper insight, interests, character, and a sense of community and friendship.

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]