My name is Megan Reardon and I am a second year student in Finance. I am part of the International Affairs Scholars program, as well as part of the Business Honors program. I work as a Research Assistant in the Consumer Analytics and Behavior Lab conducting economic and nutrition research on improving global health, starting with children. I also spend my time in different clubs and student organizations, including Risk Management Association, of which I am the Vice President, and Undergraduate Business Women’s Association.

Yes, that is my resume is listed above. When someone asks me to “tell me about yourself,” my first inclination is to brag about the accomplishments and the wild success that I have attained in my life. No one wants to hear about the failures, the times when you have not quite lived up to expectations. As I grow older, however, I am to define myself in a more existential way. Why was I put on the Earth? Surely it isn’t so I can just make money and spend money continuously. Thus I ask myself again; why was so blessed being born into the family I was and given the opportunities I have been given? 

To a large extent, I have been shaped by my family. I grew up in a household with four siblings, three younger and one older. I am not a strong believer in calling people “best friends,” but I can confidently say that my siblings have been my best friends for my entire life. Even in college, I call my sister every day and talk to the other siblings at least three times a week. While we are all very different people, we all want what’s best for each of the siblings. Any advice, questions, or simple commentary on life and its wonders are always addressed through my four-sibling panel and my parents. My advice to go to Ohio State, my decision to play soccer instead of gymnastics, and several other major life decisions have all been heavily influenced by advice heeded from my parents and siblings. I have been blessed with one of the best support groups in the world. There surely has to be a reason that I was given so many people to love and encourage me, no matter the mistakes I make.

I also identify myself as being fundamentally empathetic. I want to go into my career path to help people; I want to be the person that makes a change in someone’s life. I have encountered both mental and physical illnesses in family and friends during my life. Though I wish the pain of those illnesses on no one, I do understand that experiencing what I have in my life has made me a more empathetic person to other experiencing what I have.

One pivotal event that has shaped me the most is a close friend’s experience with mental illness. After being sexually assaulted, an intense fight with major depression disorder ensued that continues to this day. The experience has helped me become everything that I pride myself in being, empathetic, kind, and understanding. Though I may not always have the words to respond to my friend and her experiences, I have done countless hours of research on how to be there for a person who has experienced what she has. Surely, while this illness has altered both of our lives, it has made both my friend and me and we have become closer because of it.

When choosing a scholars program, International Affairs was at the top of my list. When choosing, I wanted something that wasn’t necessarily a strict academic focus, like Business Scholars, but rather something that would help me grow and develop into an educated, insightful person with global understanding. My favorite part about International Affairs Scholars is that I see a strong desire to learn and actually make a difference in the world through activism and social change. I see this being exemplified on campus every day through different programs and initiatives lead by IA Scholars. I am proud to be a member of IA. I know that I have been changed for the better because of IA. I look forward to the ways that my peers and I will change the world through our own actions and experiences.

Earlier I addressed the question, “Why was I put on the Earth?” While I still do not have a definite answer to this, as I’m sure I never will, I know I was born into the circumstances I was and given the experiences I have, whether it be through Ohio State or my personal life, to make a difference in the world and in the lives of those around me. I look forward to figuring out how to promote positive social change, and hopefully the years to come will lead me to make bigger impacts in the lives of those around me.