Hi! My name is Katie and I am a first-year student at The Ohio State University in the International Affairs Scholars program. My aspirations include graduating university with a major in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability with a specialization in Sustainability and Business. I have always been passionate about the environment and conservationism along with traveling. Those interests have influenced my career choice and participation in the International Affairs Scholars program. While attending Ohio State I hope to study abroad and get exposure to environmental sustainability on a more global scale to better prepare me for a career in the field.
IA Reflection #3 (spring semester)
I volunteered at the Midwest Slavic Conference on April 6th, from 8 A.M. until 10 A.M. The conference took place at the Blackwell Inn and Conference Center located on north campus. As a volunteer, I helped attendees get checked-in and registered for the conference. I also created name tags for attendees and collected the registration fee. Overall I would say my experience volunteering at the Midwest Slavic Center was positive.
This event relates to International Affairs through it being an event centered around Slavic history. Many professors and graduate students were there to learn more about Slavic history or present on their topics of interest. The conference went for multiple days and featured many panelists, presenters, and experts in their respective fields. I did not get the opportunity to see any of the presentations. However, Maryann filled me in on her favorite presenter and I learned quite a bit from her.
Personally, I found volunteering at this event to be quite fun. I enjoy volunteering in general, so it was nice to do something a little different than I typically would. Through volunteering at this event, I started my Saturday nice and early. After the volunteer shift, I felt very productive and good about myself. Additionally, I enjoyed my conversations with Alicia, Maryann, and Eileen, the coordinators of the event. I could tell how passionate these three women were about the Slavic Conference.
IA Reflection #2 (Spring Semester)
On Tuesday, March 5th I attended night one of the Climate Change and Environmental Issues panel. The panel consisted of Colin O’Brien (a staff attorney for Earth Justice) and Scott Weaver (director of air quality at AEP). These two men brought very different perspectives on the issues of climate change and the environment. Colin’s work in environmental policy and beliefs tended to align more with my own thought process. However, it was also nice to hear the perspective of Scott, an individual working within the energy industry.
Despite the men’s differences in beliefs regarding energy and the environment, there was also a great deal of consensus. Ultimately, both Colin and Scott believe that there are steps society can take to be energy-conscious/efficient. One point they agreed on is the viability of green energy. As mentioned by the panel, access to energy is an essential component of a thriving economy. However, there are a plethora of methods that can be used to meet our energy needs. The transition away from fossil fuels is essential to protecting the environment.
This event is related to International Affairs because the environment is international. One country’s environmental policy can ultimately impact the rest of the world. The atmosphere knows no borders. Thus, it is important that environmental change is enacted on an international level. One country’s lack of compliance can ultimately impact the lives of those across the world. Additionally, I believe the state of the environment should be everyone’s concern. I thought it was great that the event was open to both PSL and ENR scholars, in addition to International Affairs scholars. As young college students, the environmental policy decisions made today will impact the remainder of our lives. Therefore, having an event centered around environmental issues is crucial to raising awareness and eliciting change.
IA reflection #1 Spring Semester
Just recently, I attended the Coffee and Diversi(tea) Discussion and Trivia event on Wednesday, the 30th of January. The event was interactive and it introduced me to an assortment of tasty drinks. There were tea and coffee from many countries. I have never had coffee before and still have yet to try a cup. However, I have experimented with tea a couple times before. During the event, I enjoyed testing out different kinds of tea and finding the flavors that I enjoy the most. Surprisingly, I greatly enjoyed sampling all of them. Also, I learned a vast amount of information about the country’s drinks due to the knowledge and expertise of the presenters. I liked the laid-back and conversational nature of the presentation. Before this event, I did not know much about the unique flavors commonly found in the teas and coffees of different countries.
Additionally, I enjoyed the interactive element of the event. During the experience, we engaged in a game of Kahoot, an online quizzing platform. The utilization and playing of Kahoot allowed individuals at the event to get personally involved with the content of the discussion. The Kahoot questions tested our knowledge of different teas and coffees. Although most individuals were not doing exceptionally well at the questions, I feel that I did worse than average. I played on a team with Genevieve, so I cannot take all of the blame for our team’s shortcomings. For most of the questions, we were uncertain and guessed. Despite our collective struggle, we remained energized and competitive in our quest for Kahoot greatness and glory. There were prizes for the top three players or teams, but tragically we were nowhere near achieving that.
Finally, this event relates to the topic of International Affairs because of the international component that the drinks provided. Further, the presenters were very thorough and knowledgable about the history of the countries. I learned much about the economies in China and Vietnam and the role of that tea and coffee play in the culture and the economy of those nations. Personally, I really enjoyed this event.
IA reflection #3
On Saturday, December 1st I volunteered with CRIS at the Columbus Global Academy. I served at this event as a painter during the first shift. Myself, along with about ten others, worked on the basic sketching and painting of the Tree of Hope mural. I was relieved I was not asked to draw intricate images as I am not artistically inclined. Instead, I spend the majority of my time using a large paint roller to create backgrounds and paint large areas.
I found this service activity to be both fun and rewarding. As a CRIS mentor, I was happy to have the opportunity to help the cause and Jeremy. It can be hard to make time for service with my hectic college schedule and other obligations. However, taking time to serve the community always leaves me feeling rejuvenated. It also felt refreshing to get off of campus and go somewhere new. I had never been to Columbus Global Academy. I liked the opportunity of helping in a new way — I have never painted a mural before! Additionally, painting proved to be therapeutic for me. It felt good to unwind and enjoy Christmas music as I got away from the stress of campus and finals.
Through this experience, I served the community and an organization in which I am passionate. I was able to contribute my time and painting skills toward a mural that brightened up the hallways at Columbus Global Academy. As an Ohio State student, and an International Affairs scholar, I feel that service is so incredibly important. In the future, I want to make volunteering more of a priority especially as I continue toward my spring semester. During the spring I plan to volunteer ten hours monthly at Dress for Success’s Columbus branch. Additionally, I want to participate in other CRIS service events when at all possible.
IA Reflection #2
I attended the IA Mini-Involvement Fair on the 25th of October. I was at the event from around 6:40 to 7 pm. By the time I had arrived at the event, the majority of the organizations had left. For this reason, I spent the majority of my time learning more about Advocates of Women of the World. Advocates of Women of the World (or AWOW) advocates for international women’s rights. This is a new organization having begun in 2015 by OSU alumnae.
AWOW has a variety of initiatives. One of their initiatives is to raise awareness for sexual assault. As a part of this initiative, they created the Banner Up campaign. Greek life housing, as a part of this campaign, created and displayed banners advocating consent and supporting assault survivors. Another one of their initiatives involved girl’s education. This initiative encourages women’s economic independence through a partnership with CRIS. One last initiate focus on the improvement of the health of women. In the past, AWOW has organized a feminine hygiene product drive and hosted a speaker series focused on infant mortality rates around the world.
I enjoyed learning about this organization because I am a huge advocate of women’s empowerment. While in high school, I created my high school’s Feminist Society. Since arriving at The Ohio State University, I have made a point to continue my involvement with women’s empowers initiatives. I am currently involved in Undergraduate Woman’s Business Association and Dress for Success. With my STEP money, I would love to something to empower less fortunate women in the community. Although I am uncertain at this point what my project will be, hearing about others work serves as both an inspiration and guide.
The International Affairs Mini-Involvement fair was useful because it informed me of different organizations at Ohio State. Through attending this event, I learned about AWOW. As someone who strives to be an advocate for women, hearing about an organization that does just was inspiring and relevant. As I look forward to my future involvements at The Ohio State University, I will keep AWOW’s work in the back of my mind.
Reflection #1
I went to the Graduate School and Professional Expo on September 19th. Being held at the Union, I took a leisurely stroll over to the event around 3:15 and stayed for a half-hour. I was very happy to see that the Graduate School and Professional Expo was included as one of the academic activities because regardless I had planned on going.
This event relates to International Affairs because of its purpose as an academically enriching event. Many International Affairs scholars will pursue graduate or professional degrees. Striving for excellence through academics and extra-curricular is something I associate with IA, so it makes perfect sense why this event would be included and endorsed. On top of that, graduate schools are all over the world. I, personally, would love a change of scenery when I go to graduate school. Getting to see displays from across the country opened my eyes to all the different possibilities for my future destination.
From this event, I learned more about the graduate programs different schools offer. As of right now, I am uncertain about what my post-grad life will look like, so hearing from others provides clarity. Additionally, I have been strongly considering Law School as of late. Through this event, I was able to see different universities that offered Law degrees. Truthfully, I am quite ignorant regarding the entire concept of Law School, so this expo was very insightful.
For graduate school, I would love to go to either New York or California. If neither of those places, at least a big city. I would love to challenge myself to meet new people and explore a new environment. In the long-term, I do not see myself living in Ohio. For that reason, it is vital for me to network with people from different areas. I want to explore more of the world before settling down in my late twenties/thirties.
My dream profession would be to do something that genuinely helps people. My strengths lie in my empathy, determination, and leadership. I know I am truly capable of achieving so much and, through the skills I’d learn in graduate school, I’d be even more capable. It can feel overwhelming at times to not know how exactly I want to help people or what I can do, but I do know a good education would be beneficial – no matter the journey.
This ties back to International Affairs through my desire to both travel, and change, the world. IA has provided me with the framework to grow into my best possible self. Because of being in IA, I have met so many amazing people who challenge the mindset that new places are scary. Instead, I cannot wait for the opportunity to study abroad, attend graduate school elsewhere, etc. I want to continue to grow as a person and face these “challenges” with that same mindset.
A New Home
Coming to Ohio State, I was nervous about how I would adjust. Despite graduating from a large high school (800+ in my graduating class), I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by OSU’s size. I remember the first couple of days feeling continuously lost on campus, relying on my iPhone to direct me to where I wanted to go. This photo was taken 3 or so weeks after the semester started, right as I had my first exam coming up. I felt ill-prepared and stressed when I took this photo. The beautiful sky that day, right over Smith-Steeb lightened my mood and, for the very first time since arriving in Columbus, I saw it as my home. This photo marks a transformative moment in my college experience, a moment in which Ohio State wasn’t just my university but my home. My floor-mates transformed to my friends. I ended up doing really well on that first exam too, which instilled more confidence than ever in myself. Ohio State was no longer a university and nothing more, but a place to call home and feel welcome.
Paige: A Friend From Texas
This year I was beyond blessed to have met one of the most kind-hearted, and hardworking people alive. I met Paige prior to the school year starting, through Instagram direct messages, and I was amazed by how quickly we connected. Paige is from Texas, so it wasn’t possible for me to meet her prior to the school year starting, but upon our first real-life encounter, it was friendship at first sight. She was everything I dreamed of. Paige quickly became a great friend of mine, introducing to me to my now boyfriend. I was so relieved to have met someone, so quickly, who understood my sense of humor and goals in life. She supported my numerous breakdowns regarding major selection and my future – serving as a shoulder to cry on. I felt empowered, with her support, to switch majors to something that aligned better with my interests. I am overall so blessed to have met such an amazing friend. I hope, more than anything, to continue having adventures with this magnificent girl and make even more memories. She has a big heart, and it makes sense because everything is bigger in Texas.
Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio
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Year in Review
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