Hi everyone! My name is Vanessa Petranek and I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I have one sister named Rachael and two cats named Oreo and Jade. I have the best parents who love me yet always push me to be the best version of myself. I went to an all girl’s catholic high school called Mother of Mercy. I was involved in cheerleading for all four years of my high school career. I’m passionate about music and have been playing the piano since I was a kid. I’ve always been super focused on school and strive to do my best work. All of these parts to my past have helped shape who I am today. I hope to maintain a good GPA this year but also not to stress out too much over the workload. I plan on joining the genetic counselor club. I’m a biology major and intend to become a genetic counselor with that degree.
I identify myself as an intelligent girl in a STEM field. I have ambition for what I hope to be in the future (a genetic counselor), and want to strive in the classroom to achieve this goal. My current career as a biology major has not proven to be easy or work-free, but I am passionate about working in the medical field when I am finished with college which makes the hard workload now completely worth it. I am excited to be learning new things in the chemistry lab and lecture; my studies so far at OSU have been amazing, and I am already looking forward to what the next few years hold. I believe that I do stand out in my field because I am a woman. I find it very empowering and inspiring when women go off to graduate school to fulfill their dreams of becoming a doctor or surgeon, and I hope to one day inspire other girls as well with my work in the medical field.
I hope to establish a good connection with genetic counselor’s and other resources during my next four years here. The Undergrad Genetic Counseling Club has already been extremely helpful for me, and I hope to continue to establish relationships with people in my desired field. At the end of these four years, I am hoping to get accepted into a graduate school for genetic counseling, where I will then complete two more years of schooling. I chose to join International Affairs because I want to become more cultured and globally aware. I know that there are medical issues present around the world, and I am interested in doing work to solve those issues, but I had no idea where to start with that. International Affairs will make me aware to health situations around the world, and I hope that my degree here at OSU will make it possible for me to start trying to resolve those issues.