Year in Review

During my time at Ohio State, I have developed my global awareness through my coursework. One course that began to develop my global mindset and introduced me to different cultures was my Honors Cultural Anthropology course. This class allowed me to eliminate some preconceived notions I had about traditions from around the world and helped me understand different cultural viewpoints more. By far though, my American Sign Language courses have had the most impact on my global and cultural awareness. For each unit in this series of courses, we have a lesson in which we discuss the history and culture of the Deaf community. Taking these classes has opened my eyes so much and has allowed me to appreciate Deaf culture much more. The Deaf community is such a tight-knit, collective group focused on the betterment of all Deaf people and I think everyone could learn something from this community. This experience in the ASL program has truly shaped me into a more culturally well-rounded person and I would encourage everyone to consider learning about this amazing community of individuals. I plan to further develop my global awareness by continuing my ASL education and hopefully becoming more involved in the Deaf community in Columbus, and also when I leave Ohio State.

Along with my global and cultural awareness, my coursework during my first two years at Ohio State has allowed me to begin developing my research skills. Diving into my science courses early on in my time at Ohio State allowed me to immediately improve and build upon my knowledge of the scientific process. In my Biology 1114H course, a colleague and I designed and ran a semester-long fungal endophyte experiment in which we looked at how fungal endophytes might benefit different types of plants. During my second year, in my Ecology class, I also took part in a team project where we studied foraging behaviors of squirrels and how these behaviors could be altered by the perceived presence of a predator. These semester-long experiments have allowed me to learn more about biological science research and how it relates to societal issues. I have gained new skills in behavioral observations, taking precise and accurate measurements, as well as, analyzing data to make broader conclusions. I will continue to master the research process by taking more lab-based courses in my major program and taking graduate-level courses in my department. After graduating from Ohio State, I will further develop my research skills through participating in conservation projects around the world.

Academic enrichment and excellence are two of the most important things to me. I strongly believe that you should take pride in your work and put in the maximum amount of effort with everything you do. I also believe that you should find meaning in your work by choosing a career path that allows you to pursue your passions. I have known since I was a young girl that working with animals was what I wanted to do. Wildlife conservationist, Steve Irwin, has been my biggest inspiration, and thus it was no surprise when I chose zoology as my major. Coming to Ohio State I already knew I wanted to pursue a degree in zoology, but my campus tour and appointment with the zoology advisor further solidified this goal. There was an abundance of courses that piqued my interest and I have since dived into these classes. The courses in this program have furthered my passion for wildlife and conservation. Through this program, I am gaining knowledge that will be directly relevant to my future career as a zoologist at a zoo. From ecology to physiology, I am learning information that is crucial to protecting species on a global level. I am always striving to learn more about the subjects I am passionate about and I feel that this is reflected in my Honors Contract. I have designed my coursework to focus on ecology and physiology which are my fields of interest, but I have also included courses dealing with wildlife management and management of habitat because I know that the knowledge I gain from those courses will help in my future conservation career.

I have been involved for the last two years with the Zoology Club here at Ohio State. I originally joined this club because I wanted to get more involved in the community through volunteering and I also wanted to connect with other students who were passionate about animals and conservation like I am. This year, I am the club secretary. The secretary role has helped me become a better leader because I am the primary source of communication within the club. I am responsible for sending out the club updates and meeting information as well as, recruiting new members for the club. Good communication skills and recruitment are key to being a successful leader. The zoology club has offered me many new and exciting experiences that will be useful to my future career as a zoologist, as well. I have had the chance to talk to zookeepers from the Columbus Zoo as well as tour the C.R.E.W facility at the Cincinnati Zoo. This has allowed me to network with professionals in my career field and learn more about what it takes to become a zookeeper. Through the club, I have also learned more about conservation projects such as PASA in Africa, and I have also formed great connections with other students in my major.

I am involved in two primary service-oriented activities: volunteering at Butternut Farms Wildcat Sanctuary and knitting scarfs for U.S. troops with Operation Gratitude. I began volunteering at Butternut Farms with the zoology club my freshman year at Ohio State. This exotic animal sanctuary in Central Ohio takes in animals that have been previously abused or owned as pets and gives them a better life. Working with this sanctuary has shown me just how important conservation and wildlife education is. It has made me more passionate about animal activism and has taught me how crucial exotic animal pet laws are. Several of the animals were badly mistreated previously and as they have aged are developing long-lasting side effects from this abuse. Supporting them in their old age and giving them the best care and love has been the greatest honor. I hope to continue engaging with the community as a zookeeper once I graduate from OSU.

The other activity that I am proud to be a part of is knitting scarves for the United States Military. I was first inspired to give to Operation Gratitude when this past year I saw Dr. Jill Biden helping fill the boxes to be shipped to troops all around the world that are deployed during the holidays. I have been knitting since I was five years old and it has always been something I enjoy doing, so I decided what better way to spend my time than to give back to those valiantly protecting our country. I think it is so rewarding to know that all the hard work I am putting into these scarves is going to a good cause. I cannot imagine being away during the holidays and these warm scarves will be a nice gift to our troops. Even though it doesn’t compare to being home, sometimes a hand-made gift is enough to show someone that people do care. This cause is even more special to me because I have family that were in the military. My grandpa was in the United States Army and is now buried at the Great Lakes National Cemetery. I feel a strong sense of connection to him by participating in this program and I feel so honored to be helping out those who are serving our country.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness

I plan to develop a global perspective through my coursework and a semester study abroad. Some of my courses including Folklore and Cultural Anthropology have allowed me to think more critically about all humans and cultures that are different from mine. One of the biggest things that will allow me to think more globally is going to be studying abroad, which I plan to complete at the University of Queensland in Australia. Australian university and culture is much different from American university and culture, so I will learn a great deal. I will also learn what it takes to acclimate to different cultures and areas, because I will be there for an extended period of time. Several of the courses I plan to take while studying abroad are centered specifically around the Australian animals and environment. This will give me a great sense of how Australia differs from the United States. I will also be exposed to a wide variety of people and scientists while in Australia, so I will gather lots of new ideas. 

 

Original Inquiry

To me, original inquiry is all about research and finding out what you are passionate about. I am hoping to begin my research experience when I go on the Australia Zoo’s Crocodile Research Trip in the summer of 2020. On the trip, I will be working side by side with the Australia Zoo staff as well as scientists from the University of Queensland to conduct research on crocodiles (in a humane manner). We will be removing and replacing acoustic trackers that are on the crocodiles in the river. I will also be able to assist in analyzing the data to determine crocodile behavior patterns, mating patterns, and migration patterns. To carry on with this research, while doing my study abroad at the University of Queensland I plan to work in the Franklin Ecolab. This laboratory is run by the professors that assist with the crocodile research trip. The lab is specifically for the study of ecophysiology, conservation physiology, and biotelemetry. I am very interested in conservation and also the biotelemetry aspect, which is the tracking of the crocodiles. Working in this lab would allow me to refine my research skills and apply the knowledge I have attained to something I am passionate about. 

 

Academic Enrichment

I have created my four year plan and chosen my major for a very specific reason. My chosen major is Zoology and this will ultimately help me achieve my goal of becoming a zookeeper after college. Within this major, I have chosen coursework that is related to the different classes of animals, such as mammals. This will help me narrow down my focus to mammalogy. I have also chosen courses that relate to animal conservation and behavior. I am very passionate about conservation and it is something I want to work with in the future, so I have chosen to take courses related to this. Also, when I am working at a zoo one of the major roles I will have is monitoring animal behavior to note changes, which could be related to health issues. Taking animal behavior classes, while attending Ohio State will help me develop critical thinking skills that I will be able to apply to my career. Along with my traditional coursework, I also plan to complete an internship at a zoo. This will allow me to get hands on experience that I can take into the workplace once I graduate. 

 

Leadership Development

I am involved in Zoology club. Eventually this could lead to me holding a leadership position in the future. I hope to eventually be the president or vice president of the club. I would then be responsible for determining the presenters at each meeting. This would help me develop time-management skills and also skills for working with large companies/businesses like zoos to coordinate these events. Zoology club is important for my career because in the club, we get to hear from a bunch of different individuals that work with animals, such as zookeepers, or people who run animal sanctuaries. By networking with individuals in this club, I will also be able to form connections that could lead to internships and even jobs in the future. It will be crucial for me to learn more about leadership through this club, because my ultimate goal is to be a head keeper of the big cats department at a zoo. 

 

Service Engagement

My involvement in the zoology club gives me opportunities for volunteering/community service. We volunteer at Butternut Farm Wildcat Sanctuary which is an animal sanctuary that takes in exotic animals that have been mistreated and abandoned by people who owned them as pets. This sanctuary gives these animals who have been abused a better life for the remainder of their years. I am able to assist in cleaning the animals water/food dishes and the actual main building at the sanctuary. This facility is a non-profit organization so they really depend on volunteers. This volunteering allows me to see first hand the results of people owning exotics. This experience will encourage me to do more work in the future for animal advocacy groups. I will also be encouraged to work with legislators on stricter animal abuse laws. Over the summer, I plan to volunteer at a zoological facility. I will most likely be working in the education department. This position will allow me to teach children more about animals and why we need to respect and protect them. Teaching the next generation about conservation is the only way we will be able to prevent more species from going extinct.

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 guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

As part of the zoology club, I get the chance to hear from a wide variety of guest speakers. I was able to hear from the head keeper of the North America section of the Columbus Zoo. She described how zoos help cross-foster Mexican wolf pups. This means some wolf-pups born at zoos are then placed out into wild wolf dens to be raised by these wolves. This allows the zoos to increase genetic diversity out in the wild. I was able to connect this to my Biology 1114H class. We just learned about cross-fostering as a way to distinguish between genetic effects and environmental effects. We also just discussed how important genetic diversity is in populations so that if some random event occurs, the whole population is not wiped out. This is the same reason the zoos are trying to increase genetic diversity in the Mexican wolves because their numbers are down and thus they could be greatly affected by random events.

About Me

My goal is to one day be a head zookeeper in the big cats department at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, Australia. In order to achieve this goal I am majoring in Zoology. Within my degree I would like to specialize in mammalogy. I am very interested in wildlife conservation, particularly of apex predators. I love animals and I also enjoy golfing.