During the 2015-2016 school year, my first year in college and away from home, I learned a myriad of things. Some of these things, like how to budget a meal plan, I expected to learn, but others, like recognizing the warning signs of a vomit covered toilet seat, were a surprise. Some, like how to write an intelligence brief, will come in handy, but others, like how to effectively analyze a country music video, will probably not. However, all of these things contributed to my education and experience at OSU and I am grateful for all of them. I grew as a student; I learned to more effectively budget my time my way, as I no longer had the concrete schedule of high school and home to keep me on track. I improved as a writer, as a story teller, and I learned to be a better learner. I grew as a member of society; I realized the importance of being involved in the community and what it can actually accomplish. High school organizations were nice college application boosters, but at OSU I have actually felt that I have contributed to causes such as domestic violence and mental health. I grew as a leader; I never thought that I would run for any office, but I ran for treasurer of the Board of Activities for Smith-Steeb this year, and I made a campaign speech outlining my plan for office. I lost, but that helped me realize that I do, in fact, want to be in a leadership position and applying for treasurer was not merely a whim. I used to be afraid of the question “Who are you?” and to an extent, I still am. But now, after this year of breaking out of the plateau of high school and living at home, I don’t mind it as much. It gives me something to think about.
Month: August 2015
G.O.A.L.S.
I have focused on developing 4 of the G.O.A.L.S. during my time at OSU thus far.
In order to foster my Leadership Development, I have become a mentor for the Community Refugee and Immigration Services. Within this program, I have been paired with a child based on my language skills and the needs of the child, and I meet with her every week throughout the course of a year in order to develop a healthy relationship. Not only has this experience vastly improved my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills, it has also facilitated the creation of a bond between me and my mentee. It is amazing knowing that she looks forward to meeting with me every week and values our conversations as much as I do. It has also helped me value the things that I take for granted in my normal life, such as having all of my family with me in one country, and not being in constant fear of arrest or deportation just because of my ethnicity. CRIS does not provide mentors with any sort of curriculum for mentoring; they encourage mentors to come up with activities and conversation topics that have to fill up around 52 hours over the course of the year. This is not an easy assignment, and it requires more creative thinking and initiative in planning than I originally thought. It has gotten easier throughout the year as I learn my mentee’s interests and dislikes, and have gained a bit of confidence in my leadership ability.
I have also worked to foster Academic Enrichment. I have taken 4 semesters of classes now, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every single class I have taken. Enjoyment fosters learning. Not only do the general education courses force you to receive a more robust, comprehensive education, but they give you the chance to take a class outside your major but within the scope of your interests. However, academic enrichment does not solely come from classroom experience. I have learned through the various clubs, such as the Jump Rope Club, and my internship with a political campaign. I have learned by example and hands-on education that was not available to me before my time at The Ohio State University.
Lastly, I have gained Global Awareness. OSU is a diverse place. It teaches classes about the diversity that exists across the world. It holds events to showcase and celebrate diversity. I have benefitted from all of these. Through the International Affairs Scholars Program, I have made friends that I would not have otherwise met, but now tell me stories about their homes in India or Syria. I have taken classes on arabic culture, world literature, terrorism, and anthropology. I have been to events like African Night and the Food Fair that allow students to celebrate their cultures and educate others on their traditions. No, I am not 100 percent globally aware, but I am constantly on the lookout for more educational opportunities (which isn’t hard; they’re everywhere).
Career
Mentor with Community Refugee and Immigration Services:
Through becoming a mentor for the 14 year-old child of a refugee family in Columbus, I was able to gain a perspective of the world that I previously did not have. It is easy to watch the news and believe that all problems come from one area of the world, when many other areas are suffering and sending residents to other countries in order to live. This experience also helped profoundly increase my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills, as my mentee speaks no English and our one-hour meetings are conducted entirely in Spanish, initiated by me. This has been one of my more challenging, but most rewarding experiences during my time at OSU.
Assistant Teacher at Precious Ones Learning Center:
After volunteering with the center for multiple years, I was hired as an assistant teacher. I collaborated with other teachers and communicated with parents in order to help the children have the most rewarding experience possible. This experience opened my eyes to the lives of other people and the struggles they may deal with on a daily basis. During my first weeks at the center, I worked one on one with students with autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy, and was exposed to breakdowns, seizures, and many other situations to which I had not previously been exposed. It was truly eye-opening, and more educational than any classroom or visual presentation.
Campaign Intern:
During my Autumn semester of 2016, I worked on a political campaign that showed me the ins and outs of working in politics. This reenforced the idea that government is where I want to work. This internship allowed me to make connections within the government and with other students who are graduating and moving into government positions. For more information, see the “Lee Schreiner’s Campaign” entry under the Artifacts tab.
Lab Assistant:
A few summers ago, I had the privilege of working in an Air Force lab on Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. I was responsible for doing extensive research on basic microbiology experiments in order to complete them in the lab. The project I worked on intended to determine a way to detect traces of a nerve agent in soldiers before the side effects start harming the soldier. Over the course of the summer, I carried out experiments in the lab that the lead researchers analyzed and published at the end of the year. Though my degree is not a hard science degree and the research itself reassured me that I have no interest in a research career, the idea of bioterrorism and the psychology behind what drives a person to commit such a crime began to interest me during this time, and led me to pursue the degree that I am currently pursuing.
Yearbook Editor:
During high school, I spent 2 years on the Yearbook staff, where I sold ads to local businesses, created a theme for the book, designed pages, wrote articles, and took relevant and editorial pictures. I held a leadership role of co-editor over the largest section in the Yearbook. Our yearbook won multiple rewards from the publishing company as well as competitions across the country. For more information, visit my Artifacts tab and see the Yearbook entry.
Millennium Goals Project
I would like to share my United Nations Millennium Goals Project. Though it was accompanied by an audio presentation, I believe the Prezi has much of the information necessary to understand the significance:
http://prezi.com/-b2-1y-ruh7z/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
This project was important in fostering my growth as a global citizen as it encouraged me to become informed on the topic of education, specifically in war torn regions such as the Middle East. Listening to the presentations of other groups and their millennium goals was also helpful in creating a larger, more detailed picture of the issues going on in the world today. Because I hope to one day work in the world of international affairs (possibly with the UN), it was educational to see the process through which the goals were to be completed. Through this project, I have learned about the disparities in education, whether a result of gender lines, disability, war, or wealth. It has opened my eyes beyond the little bubble that middle class American life has provided, allowing me to see the problem with the lack of education opportunities for primary age students, as well as the quality of education, and the consequences that result from the lack of education.
This artifact has kindled my interest in the Peace Corps and its projects involving the spread of education opportunities and infrastructure allowing such developments. In conclusion, education is a topic about which I am passionate, and this project has helped me realize that it is a world wide problem, meaning that my career could end up involving the dissemination of education on an international scale.
About Me
Hello, my name is Hannah Riddle. I’m a second year majoring in International Studies.
I’m obsessed with finding adventure, capturing amazing moments and people (not literally, but you know, like in writing or on film), and attempting to leave my mark (though this usually consists of an overanalyzed Instagram caption). Sometimes I like to hike, sometimes I like to pretend to understand great works of literature, sometimes I like to play music (just learning the ukulele). I overuse parenthesis and underuse the word “plethora” (don’t we all?). I do a lot of things, just most of them are performed at a sub-par level (am I selling myself yet?). I’m just trying to wade through life collecting all the participation trophies I can, and this website, in some ways, is kind of my trophy case.
I love my degree. I’ve loved the *few* classes I have been able to take in my major thus far, and I love the topics on which I have completed projects. When I was little, I wanted to be Kim Possible. While my other childlike fascinations faded, this one just morphed into something more realistic. I realized that I may not be able to become an animated, disproportionate, red-haired 17 year-old super spy, but I could work in the government and make the same differences she was making. You know, minus foiling the plans of a blue, rectangular super villain. This realization led me to the Security and Intelligence major. Should I be telling you all of this? The CIA hasn’t contacted me with threats yet, but hopefully this doesn’t take me out of the running (if you guys are reading this, I’m totally still down for the Kim Possible thing).
OSU was, quite honestly, not my first choice, but it has treated me well. I have learned so much already from classes, the International Affairs scholars program, and other extracurriculars/internships. I still have a lot to learn.
If you’ve made it this far, you must really be interested (or it’s your job), so thank you for reading. I hope you can say you know a bit more about me.