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.