Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio

STEM

 

Hello, my name is Joseph Puhalla. I am a freshman and I plan on majoring in mathematics; I plan on specializing in financial mathematics. Furthermore, I plan on pursuing a career as an actuary once I complete my degree or I may pursue a masters in doctoral degree in the field of mathematics. I am also currently in the STEM Scholars program, and I have a strong desire to pursue more knowledge in the field of mathematics. I chose STEM because I am very interested in the fields of mathematics and technology, and how these fields can help improve our daily lives. In high school I participated in many STEM based programs/ clubs and thus became very interested in pursuing a career in these fields. In addition, I would like to help out children in these fields to improve competitiveness in science and technology development.

Year in Review

My first year at Ohio State has been full of growth, both in an academic and personal sense. I have learned a lot about my major and myself. I have developed a solid, supportive friend-base as well as career connections that will help me later in life. I have learned how to overcome many difficult challenges, many of which were unforeseen when I first entered The Ohio State University. I have solidified my interest in my major, and developed a better appreciation for the career I am pursuing.

When I first joined STEM Scholars, I did not know what to expect from the program. I was unaware what the full time commitment would be, and whether I would enjoy the activities associated with the program. However, through this program I was able to achieve a deeper appreciation for the science, technology, engineering, and especially, the mathematics field. STEM Scholars has helped to delve further into my interest in majoring in mathematics. I was able to become associated and familiar with a multitude of new mathematical ideas and organizations. One such organization is Radical Pi, the undergraduate mathematics society at Ohio State. In this organization, I was able to be introduced to a broad spectrum of new mathematical ideas and theories. I am very intrigued by this research, and involvement in this organization helped broaden my understanding of higher mathematics. Furthermore, I learned how to better pose and attempt to solve mathematical research ideas, both in a theoretical and applied mathematics sense. I am more willing to take on harder questions so that I can learn and experience how to being to solve these challenges. In addition, I was able to become part of the Actuarial Club at Ohio State. This organization has allowed me to better understand the responsibilities and operations of my future envisioned career. I now know the regulations you must pass in order to become a certified actuary, as well as how to best study for the exams. Also, I have a better appreciation for the mathematics and people-relations involved in the day-to-day responsibilities of being an actuary. In this club, I also was able to hear from professionals in the field who described their experiences in the fields, as well as provided helpful tips for interested applicants into the field. Through STEM Scholars I was also able to volunteer at the local elementary school, Columbus Performance Academy. Through this volunteering, I gained a better appreciation for the advantages I was given in the field of education. I also learned how to better communicate my ideas and understanding with others. I learned how to break down what would be complex ideas to an elementary student into simpler understandable pieces. Lastly, I was able to expand my social network by joining a fraternity. In joining Sigma Pi, I have gained a strong social network that will always be supportive of me and my future goals. I have a group that can help me with my studies and pursuit of my future occupation. Furthermore, this fraternity provides me with an outlet to make a difference in my community through philanthropic work and volunteering.

In my first year at Ohio State, I have gained a stronger appreciation for my major, and a larger social network. The clubs and organizations I have joined and participated within will help to continue my pursuit of becoming a certified actuary, and making an impact within my community.

G.O.A.L.S.

One of the G.O.A.L.S of the Honors and Scholars Program is Service Engagement. Students in Honors and Scholars should strive to serve their community. Service to my community is a large part of my life. I strongly believe that I greatly benefit from helping improve my community through service. I enjoy working to improve the livelihood of others as well as the environment. Service helps others, as well as myself to grow. One of the main ways I serve my community is through my fraternity. I am a member of Sigma Pi, and we strive to volunteer to improve our community and the livelihood of its inhabitants. We, as a whole, commit to helping the community through a variety of service activities. We have participated in mental health week which raises awareness for those with mental health problems. Furthermore, we raised donations for those people, and showed off what quality mental health meant to us as individuals. My fraternity also participated in Campus Appreciation Week. During this time we helped to clean up trash around campus, plant trees, and provide information on how to better protect the environment. My involvement in service with my fraternity will continue to increase next year as I will be a full new member, and I plan on participating in as many activities as possible. In addition to my fraternity, I am a member of STEM Scholars which allows me to volunteer at a local school to tutor struggling students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I volunteered for the Columbus Performance Academy where I tutored students in the seventh and eighth grades. During these times, I learned how to properly communicate and teach others. This is an especially useful skill in the workplace, as communication is key in achieving an efficient output. I also enjoyed my time sharing my knowledge of science and mathematics with students younger than I. I enjoy giving back, especially in knowledge, to students in my area.

Another portion of the G.O.A.L.S of the Honors and Scholars program is Academic Enrichment. Students should pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences that are beyond the classroom. One of the academic clubs I am apart of is Radical Pi. This is the undergraduate math society at The Ohio State University. Through this club I learned how to form questions regarding theoretical mathematical research. I started to understand how combining the answers to various easier conceptual questions can help you solve modern, unique problems in the world today. Furthermore, I learned about many difficult, unproved and proved theories in the field of mathematics. This theories had many applications in the financial, engineering, and theoretical math fields. I am also a member of the Actuarial Club. This organization helps prepare me for my career goal of becoming a certified actuary. During meetings, I am able to converse with representatives of various companies who describe their daily activities and roles. I learn about the calculations of my desire profession, and the daily challenges that actuaries encounter. These representatives also provide information about what their company is looking for in prospective candidates, and how candidates can boost their resume. In forming connections with these representatives, I am able to improve my chances in finding a place of employment in the future. Lastly, STEM Scholars enriches my academics by providing another outlet for me to further my education about the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I learn about current issues in each of the prospective fields, as well as methods that are currently being tested to solve these problems. STEM also allows me to broaden my knowledge of mathematics so that I better understand how all of the fields of STEM are related. I enrich my academic experience and knowledge through my active participation in a variety of clubs and organizations.

Career

RESUME

I have learned many transferable skills through both my scholars program, and my other extracurricular activities. Through STEM Scholars I learned about how the specifics of science affects the world today, as well as how I can help change the world through the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Furthermore, I was able to affect the lives of the lesser-privileged by tutoring at the Columbus Performance Academy. I was able to help students further the educations in the STEM fields, and have a positive impact on their lives. Through my participation in the Radical Pi, I learned complex concepts in the field of mathematics, as well as how to conduct research in mathematics. I further understood how to pose and begin to solve research problems. In participation in the Actuary Club, I learned more about my prospective job, and how to present before a company or hiring group. Lastly, as a pledging member of a fraternity, I learned how I can make a personal difference in Columbus. I can have a positive impact on the people and community around me. I learned how responsibility ties a group together, and how I can make society better as a whole

Artifacts

Formal

My artifact is a picture of my fraternity brothers and I. I am a member of the Gamma Chapter of Sigma Pi who joined in the Spring of 2016. I joined this fraternity because I realized how it could help me reach my academic and personal potential. They push me to work diligently in my major so that I can graduate on time with a desirable grade point average so that I may be successful in acquiring a job and career. Furthermore, several members have similar majors and career interests so I always have someone to go to for academic and career advice. My fraternity brothers have become my family away from home. They have become my confidants when things get rough, yet they’re also the ones who will kick me back into gear when I need to be set straight. In addition, my fraternity allows me to reach out and help my community through service. Philanthropy is a significant portion of Greek life; we are always ready and willing to help others, our school, and our community. Lastly, my fraternity allows me to have an outlet to improve my leadership and communication skills, skills essential for employment. Sigma Pi is a huge aspect in my life, and I look forward to how the fraternity will help me grow in life intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

About Me

Hello, my name is Joseph Puhalla and I am currently a freshman here at The Ohio State University. I am a mathematics major who is looking to study mathematics in relation to the financial world. I have always been very interested in the field of mathematics and its applications to our daily lives. I am very interested in the statistical analysis involved in trying to create a successful economy. Furthermore, I am interested in discovering new mathematical ways to help improve businesses or engineers.

I grew up in a very small town and lived in a decently secluded area in the woods. My father worked a lot on cars and different mechanical devices, and it was from him that I gained an interest in the fields of STEM. I spent many hours with him learning about different aspects of cars and mechanical engineering. I also learned how to work independently as well as how to apply theoretical ideas to physical applications. It was these experiences that led me to my interest in STEM as well as joining a joint STEM program with The University of Akron and my high school.

In my final two years of high school, I applied to and was accepted into a program that partnered me with The University of Akron’s Department of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. At these labs I worked alongside a professor and two of his graduate students on a polymer engineering project. I worked for hundreds of hours on an extremely difficult project each year, and very rarely experienced complete success. However, it was through this experience that I really began to have a deep appreciation for how difficult science and engineering can be, and the time commitment it involves. Furthermore, these projects helped me to further develop my interests into the fields of STEM as well as deepen my knowledge of physics and chemistry.

I grew up around 30 minutes south of Akron, Ohio. I attended a very small catholic grade-school, and then went on to attend St. Vincent – St. Mary High School in Akron. It was at St. Vincent – St. Mary where I became involved in a variety of clubs and organizations that piqued my interests in science, and especially mathematics. I took every math course available to me throughout my high school years. It was through this gradual growth and experience with STEM related fields that I decided to apply to be in the STEM scholars program at Ohio State. I also hope to expand my knowledge about the STEM fields and their applications.

 

 

Strengths Essay:

Martin Seligman, an American psychologist once said, “The good life is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification.” I hope to one day achieve my life goals through my strengths. My top five strengths were competition, achiever, analytical, learner, and focus. I feel that each of my top five strengths accurately portrays a virtue I pride myself in having. I am truly a competitor; almost every challenge I take on is an opportunity for me to either outcompete my previous self or others. I am always looking to raise the standard I held for myself the day before, and continue to raise from week to week, month to month, and year to year. In my opinion, competitions push people to better themselves every day. Next, the achiever attribute helps better explain my competition roots. I am constantly looking to learn something new every day, and I am willing to work in order to achieve this information.  I am also very analytical about the ideas I take in. I do question people at times to prove that what they are claiming is true. I am very logical in my thinking and in comparing the outcomes of each situation. Lastly, the two traits of learner and focus closely coincide with one another. I value my education, and I am excited to continue my well-rounded education in college. However, I am always focused on where I am headed in life. I value and focus on my education so that I can achieve my career goals. Each of my top five strengths contributes to my daily life and future.

In addition to helping in my current life, my top five strengths also significantly contribute to my academics and goals. In my studies, I am always looking to outperform both myself and others. Although holding yourself up to the standards of others is not always the most ideal situation, I feel that I perform best when I hold myself accountable to this standard. In addition, I am always looking to achieve new knowledge, and thus I am excited to continue my college experience, and continue my growth of knowledge. I am very focused on achieving my career goal of becoming a certified FSA (actuary). Furthermore, this career interest involves a lot of data analysis, economics, and mathematics, and each of these items involve very analytical and focused thinking. I know that if I continue to work on improving my strengths, I can accomplish my academic goals for college, and possibly graduate-school.

Lastly, after I achieve my academic goals, I am looking to achieve my professional goals in life as well. As previously stated, my goals is to become a certified actuary; however, the process of the tests and knowledge needed to achieve this takes a long time. During this time, I will need to rely on each of my strengths in order to achieve my professional goal. I believe that one of my most valuable strengths during this time will be my ability to focus on outcompeting others in order to become an actuary. Furthermore, once I become an actuary, I know that I will have to work long hours in order to move up a company. One of my dreams is to become a CFO of a major corporation. I hope to help a company to continue to increase its financial status as well as its global influence. I believe if I continue to use my strengths to the best of my ability, I can accomplish every one of my goals through: competition, achievement, analysis, knowledge, and focus. No one is born an expert, but we all have strengths. Always be working to develop your gifts into passion and purpose.