Year in Review

My second year at OSU has been one of great introspection, discomfort, realization, and eventual contentment. Upon reflection on my sophomore year and the G.O.A.L.S. that I as an Honors student strive toward, I recognized that I have upheld each of these in different ways. At the beginning of this year, I was a Neuroscience major planning to attend medical school. At this point nearing the end of second semester, I have added another major in International Studies and a minor in Quantitative Economics, and have completely switched my post-undergraduate and career goals. Along the way, many decisions that I’ve made have helped me to carve out a unique path toward my personal, professional, and Honors goals.

To develop my global awareness, I am pursuing an education abroad experience this summer in Copenhagen, Denmark. Last year I did not think I would have the time nor the resources or reason to pursue such an experience, but I am extremely grateful that I made the decision to push myself out of my comfort zone now that it is more relevant to my academic pursuits and career goals. Broadening my horizons by taking this trip will be invaluable for my personal and professional growth. I have been a research assistant in a cognitive communications lab for the past 3 semesters and I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning experiences and taken advantage of opportunities it has provided. Unfortunately, the PI of the lab is taking a position at UC-Davis, and thus I am currently looking into other lab positions in a field more directly related to my new academic path. I have also applied for a summer research position at another university to continue working on my research skills in the meantime. In regards to academic enrichment, my coursework demonstrates a commitment to challenging myself with more than half of my degree hours being at a 3000 level or above. Additionally, double majoring and minoring suggests a desire to push myself to strive for excellence. My coursework will give me an advantage in a future career in national security, and I am enriching my academic experience not only with major and minor courses but also with GE courses that supplement my goals, such as persuasive writing. To develop leadership skills, I have committed a lot of time this semester to my position as Vice President of Outreach for an organization called Empower Sports, which provides sports programs for children with autism. I am the liaison between parents and the club, which entails recruiting new athletes and families to join our program, keeping them up to date on what is happening weekly, answering questions and responding to requests promptly. It has allowed me to develop my leadership abilities doing something that I absolutely love, and I’m thrilled to continue the position next year, in addition to mentoring the next VP of Outreach who will take over the role when I am finished. The last of the G.O.A.L.S., service, is one that I have continued to engage in despite my change from the pre-med track. I volunteered at Dodd Rehab Hospital last semester, and I have continued to serve as a tutor with Buckeye Tutor Team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for the past 3 semesters. The experience of visiting the children at Nationwide is something I’ll never forget; they often thank me for coming and tell me how much I cheered them up, but I truly believe that their energy and liveliness is what I need in my week. I plan to continue making a difference for deserving populations in the future.

To sum up my sophomore year, it has been a rollercoaster. At times I wanted desperately to get off the ride and retreat to the safety of an “easier” path or to have someone else make all the tough decisions for me. However, it was absolutely worth the dizziness that I felt at one point to now feel so satisfied and relieved, knowing what I want to aim for in life and how I can set myself up to succeed after my undergraduate career. The Honors G.O.A.L.S. have helped me to put the activities I’ve done and decisions I’ve made into a bigger picture to see how all the dots are connecting for me.

G.O.A.L.S.

Being an Honors student at The Ohio State University means being the best student, citizen, and overall person that I can be. For this reason, several specific goals have been presented and set as a guideline of how to conduct my career here at OSU. To achieve the goal of Global Awareness, I plan to be part of student organizations that focus on celebrating diversity and culture, possibly study abroad, and volunteer where I am able to assist refugees or others who are affected by prejudice. To achieve the goal of Original Inquiry, I plan to take on research positions that will allow me to gain lab experience and take opportunities to present work in order to grow confidence in my own skills. To achieve the goal of Academic Enrichment, I plan to enroll in courses that broaden my horizons and provide insight into fields that are outside STEM, as well as be present in class, get tutoring help when I need it, and attend available seminars to further deepen my knowledge outside the classroom. To achieve the goal of Leadership Development, I plan to apply for leadership positions and make a true difference in the organizations with which I am working. I also aim to always lead by example. To achieve the goal of Service Engagement, I plan to volunteer regularly and look outside our immediate, accessible community for those who are in need.

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.]

Artifacts

This past fall, I participated in the “Night Nation Run,” a 5k run held during the night, at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus with a few of my friends. I chose to use this picture as my first artifact because it represents two recent experiences that have absolutely enriched my life. The first is the run itself. Registration fees and any money spent there was donated to Stand Up 2 Cancer, an organization that aims to raise money for research and treatment for those battling cancer. After losing several family members to cancer and other uncured diseases, I felt as if running a simple 5k and donating money was the least I could do for the cause. As a pre-med student, it also opened my eyes even more to the desperate need in our world for researchers who are endlessly searching for answers, and for doctors who implement new treatments and desperately try to provide comfort and hope for those who are suffering. It was inspiring to run alongside others who shared my dedication to finding a cure and offering comfort to loved ones who are in pain. In addition to this, the fact that I had three new friends by my side the entire time added to the already amazing experience. Two of the girls pictured are my roommates, and the other lives down the hall from us. When I decided to randomly be assigned to a roommate (or multiple), I never anticipated for us to become instant, genuine friends. I also did not expect to meet another friend so soon and become so inseparable. Without these girls, the transition to college would have been much more difficult; I would have felt more alone and isolated without people I could immediately turn to and share such wonderful experiences with. The combination of these two experiences and the genuine happiness that this picture radiates makes this an artifact that will never be forgotten.

About Me

My name is Natalie Petit, and I am an Honors student at The Ohio State University. I am majoring in neuroscience on a pre-medical track, with future aspirations of attending medical school in order to become a neurologist or psychiatrist. From there, I plan to pursue a non-traditional path of practicing medicine, possibly working as a neurologist or psychiatrist for a governmental security agency. I look forward to pursuing this degree and career path because I value improving people’s lives, and I feel that I can do that by using analyzation of human behavior and interaction to develop techniques for dealing with issues that are prevalent in our world today, in the best way possible. I am enthralled by the human brain and how it interacts with the environment, and I have a special interest in the complicated mechanisms that cause it to deviate from the typical and cause disorders and challenges. This career would allow me to pursue my academically-oriented passions as well as my moral passions and hopefully make a positive impact on those I am serving.