Academic Enrichment: Informational Interview

For my informational interview I decided to meet with Marianne Dannemiller, a third year Health Sciences major. Marianne is also a member of Health Science Scholars and hopes to attend Physician’s Assistant school after completing her undergraduate studies at Ohio State. Talking with Marianne was extremely rewarding because I recently changed my major to Health Sciences and also hope to attend Physician’s Assistant school following graduation. We discussed options for obtaining clinical hours, the Health Science major curriculum, and the application process for Physician’s Assistant schools. Her input was extremely helpful as I look towards next year, schedule my classes for the fall, and continue to build my PA school application through school, service, and professional development. Mentors like Marianne, who are one step ahead on the journey through an undergraduate degree, can be the best advisors because they have just gone through the challenges a younger individual is about to face. I am thankful for our time together and plan to meet with her again multiple times during the upcoming semesters.

Eat.

Eat.

Recently a friend with significant Lebanese heritage has been asking me to dine with her at a restaurant near campus called Aladdin’s, that specializes in Lebanese food. I had never had this type of food but with names including kibbie and fattoush, was definitely excited to go with her. We brought along my roommate, Mitchell, and all shared dishes including beef kafka, kibbie with fattoush, and a side of warm pita with hummus and veggies. The meal was very bold in flavor and different than anything I have eaten in the passed. This made the meal very memorable and an all around great experience.

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Do.

Do.

Lately friends on my floor who are also in HSS have been asking me and my roommate to play racquetball with them at the RPAC. We finally decided to go and it ended up being very fun. I have played tennis in the past but this was definitely more entertaining and also a harder workout. I plan to continue playing in the future.

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Go.

Go.

I now wish this moment had come much sooner in my life, but I can now say that I have visited a thrift store and made a purchase. Throughout my time in high school there were many holidays, games, and fundraisers that required whacky or themed clothing. When these events came up my friends would all rush to the nearest but I never had the need because my mom has so much goofy old clothing as well as costumes and accessories that have accumulated throughout her adult life. Finally going to a thrift store was an awesome experience. I love old clothing and could easily have spent another hour or two browsing the racks.

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Year in Review

These past two semesters have brought about more change in my life than any other time period I can remember. Last summer I was extremely comfortable with my high school study habits and my living situation at home because I had never experienced anything different. Coming to campus was very exciting but also brought about significant change in both my living situation and my study habits. I was swiftly forced to increase the time each day I dedicated to studying and am now responsible for my living space, my schedule, and my involvement on campus. Before this school year I was far less responsible and much more dependent than I am today.

Friends and family told me that college would be hard but I was not concerned because I had always found success in academics. The first set of midterms instantly changed my mindset when it came to time management and study habits. I began spending much more of my free time in the study rooms of my dorm, as well as befriending classmates who could teach me class concepts in a way that I could better understand. Other than underestimating the difficulty of college courses, university life has been everything I had expected and more. It has been a growing experience due to the knew independence that comes with going off to college, and a learning experience, finding out who I am and how I react when faced with pressure and adversity.

My expectations for HSS were also met and exceeded. Although it can be difficult to squeeze in events and service when taking sixteen credit hours, I am always happy with the experiences when they are over. The program has also brought about more opportunities than I originally imagined. Through events and the weekly newsletters, I have met professors and heard the experiences of upperclassmen and grad students completing the same track I hope to take over the next several years.

My goals for my second year in HSS include getting more involved because I will not be taking any evening classes, as well as continuing to network with new professors and peers to gain input and advice on how to tackle the next few years.

 

My most memorable service experience was not the most intense but will stick with me because of how impactful it was. I have participated in medical brigades across Honduras, but for some reason this on-campus volunteering provided me with a self growth epiphany that I have never experienced before during any type of service. I volunteered to register students in my residence hall for a seemingly random blood drive on a weekday evening and was not expecting to see many students come to donate. Putting myself in a donor’s shoes I could not fathom waiting in line for over an hour to be stabbed with a needle and drained of a pint of my blood and all of my energy for the following few hours. This pessimistic view of the entire event was quickly changed thanks to the young people that came up to the table where I was working. The Ohio State student body disproved my original prediction and there was a steady flow of students excited to take time out of their busy schedules to help save lives. This experience really made me rethink what I consider to be important and worthy of my time. Since this experience I have started giving blood more frequently and take time out of my day to spend doing things for others. I have participated in many volunteer experiences that are more hands on but none that have given me such a profound, eye opening moment. As someone simply sitting at a desk and signing people in I grew immensely in that night and will not forget the experience.    

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

I came to campus this august with the intention to major in biology with a minor in spanish and the hopes to one day go to medical school and become a doctor. I had never seriously considered a second plan until completing the various assignments for the HSS survey class. After talking with my upperclassman interviewee and good friend, Marianne, and completing the career assignment I now have several other career paths that I am interested in.  If medical school does not work out I would either like to go to physician’s assistant school, nursing school, or find a scientific research position that is hands on and preferably outdoors. I have also reconsidered my major path because the College of Health Sciences here at The Ohio State University is much smaller than the College of Arts and Sciences. This would allow me to have a more personal relationship with my advisors, professors, and fellow classmates. I would still be completing virtually the same courses and would still be prepared to apply for medical schools if that is the path I choose to take. I still plan to minor in Spanish because no matter what I do I would like to spend significant time in a hispanic country where I can help those in need and practice the language.

Thanks to the FOCUS assignment, visiting with my advisor, and other recommendations during class I also now know where to find information around campus and online regarding both my major and career options and any requirements I may need to take care of in order to achieve my goals. I can easily schedule an appointment with my advisor, text my friend Marianne, or search any Ohio State department’s website to answer any questions I may have regarding my future.

In the next semester I would like to continue getting involved with clubs and honors organizations that interest me. I would also like to keep eating healthy and working out, and participating in service as I am now. If I can continue these good habits while further spreading my roots around campus and maintaining good grades in all of my classes, I will be successfully sticking to my plan of one day living in Honduras or another underdeveloped latin american country that needs increased medical help.

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Medical brigade in Honduras

Las Pilas, Honduras

Las Pilas, Honduras

My upperclassmen interviewee

My upperclassmen interviewee

The link to a PDF version of my resume is available below.

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About Me

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I attended Archbishop Hoban High School, a private, Catholic high school in Akron, Ohio. During my time there I challenged myself, taking honors and advanced placement classes even in subjects that were difficult for me to excel in previously during my learning career. These demanding courses, especially in the departments of math and science, forced me to develop more effective study habits and to apply lessons I had learned in earlier classes to understand and succeed in subjects such as physics, pre-calculus, and statistics. Taking the more difficult route when it came to scheduling my high school courses proved to be very beneficial in shaping the way I now learn and study.

I have always been a person who likes to see an example of a problem before I attempt a new method of solving on my own. Fortunately for me, I was often neglected of this comfort in classes such as chemistry and physics, which forced me to apply knowledge from algebra, geometry, and trigonometry to solve problems I had never seen before. I would now consider myself a much more independent learner, but I still enjoy the company of peers while studying and practicing for test and exams. Leaving my comfort zone as a learner allowed me to excel in classes that initially seemed very difficult. A second unique characteristic of myself as a learner is that I can be overly thorough which can result in slowness when taking tests or studying. During high school, I worked on this shortcoming, increasing my reading speed and awareness of time while still maintaining a thorough nature in all of my work.

I am a very social person, preferring work and service opportunities that involve interacting with others in a face-to-face environment. This aspect of myself coupled with an interest in the subjects of science attracted me to the medical field during the last two years of high school. This career possibility became even more realistic after a medical mission to Honduras this past January during which I served as a translator for the doctors, physician’s assistants and nurses carrying out exams for the citizens. Realizing that with handwork and dedication to my education I could have the opportunity to help so many in a field that I find to be fascinating confirmed my ambitions to pursue a medical career.

Because of this experience and similar service opportunities in a social setting, I have decided to continue my Spanish education and to major in biology on a pre-med track. I feel that perfecting my Spanish in years to come will allow me to help in Central and South American countries where there is a great need for medical professionals. I am not completely sure what profession within the medical field I want to specialize in, but I am confidant that helping to ensure the good health of others through research, preventative education, and action is what I want to do with my life.