I have encountered many changes in my personal and academic life throughout my time at Ohio State and with the International Affairs Scholars program. Though I came into Ohio State with an International Studies major and have never changed it, I have faced changes in course in terms of career options and immediate future after college. In my personal life, I was forced to become much more self-reliant in terms of emotion and future plans at the beginning of this year, and because of these changes, I have become more confident in my decisions and more willing to trust myself than I was prior to this growth. In terms of career, I have waffled between options that are available to me because of my wide-scope degree. However, I recently decided that I want to volunteer for the Peace Corps, and because of that, I declared a minor of Environmental Science. Because of my internship with a political campaign last semester, I have decided that once I return from the Peace Corps, I would like to manage a campaign before jumping into a career. After receiving the higher education required for my desired career path, ideally I would like to work for the State Department. All of these decisions were made because of the growth and identity seeking I was able to complete throughout my years in the IA Scholars program. Through the program, I was introduced to my best friends, who supported my decision making and facilitated my personal growth. IA provides an academic community of likeminded people seeking to learn from each other and from the world in order to become more educated citizens of the world. International Affairs Scholars has been a valuable addition to my growth academically and personally, and has influenced the decisions that I have made that will affect my future in many years.

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.