G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness

Global Awareness is something I’m very interested in pursuing during my time here at The Ohio State University. I have a minor in international studies, which will include classes in international studies, sociology, and anthropology. I also hope to be able to study abroad, whether it’s for a semester during the school year, or over the summer. I hope that these classes and time abroad will help me learn about other cultures and better appreciate the diversity that exists in the world.

Original Inquiry

In my major, molecular genetics, research is an important way to learn more about the field of study I hope to be involved in. Not only that, there is also a lot of very interesting research in molecular genetics, especially at OSU. Even before I started school here, I knew that I wanted to be involved in research. I took MolGen 2220H, a research opportunities class in my major. This helped me apply to and earn a spot in a lab that I was extremely interested in, one that I hope to be involved in for the next 4 years.

Academic Enrichment

When working on my academic plan, I had a chance to look into the many different courses offered at Ohio State. In molecular genetics alone, there are many options to choose from, and every option is extremely interesting. In addition to my molecular genetics major, I also added a minor in international studies. I hope that this will allow me to take more diverse classes, and learn about another area of study I find very interesting. Throughout my academic career, being in the honors program will allow me to take more higher-level courses, which will also help me to expand my knowledge even further.

Leadership Development

There are many opportunities to be a leader here at Ohio State, and I really hope to get involved and be a leader in as many settings as I can. I already talked about the research I’ll be involved in over the next few years. That provides an opportunity not to just get involved in original inquiry, but it will also be an opportunity to become a leader in the lab setting, given enough time and experience. I also hope that there will be opportunities in the future for me to get move involved in student organizations on campus.

Service Engagement

Giving back to the community and helping others in need is very important to me. In high school I really enjoyed working with kids, and coming to college I was hoping to continue that kind of service, or something similar. At the involvement fair, I saw how many organizations there were on campus, and signed up to receive emails from a lot of the organizations I encountered. I ended up volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, something I’d wanted to do for a while, and I hope to be able to start volunteering for Smiles with Style, an organization that volunteers at places like the Ronald McDonald house and spends time with kids there.

Year in Review

This past year has been a lot about learning, both inside, but more importantly outside of the classroom. I made mistakes my freshman year, but I came back to school ready to improve. I learned how to better balance everything in my life, and how to take better care of myself while also getting everything done for my classes. I improved my study habits and learned how to better manage my stress, especially during tests. My grades over the past year have really reflected these changes, and I am very proud of the improvements I have made and everything I have accomplished. It is amazing to look back and realize how far I have come since my freshman year.

Global Awareness

Learning about the world through travel is something I have always dreamed about doing. Right now, I am focused on everything that Ohio State and the city of Columbus have to offer me. But Ohio State has an amazingly diverse community, as I have learned first hand since being here. I have been working in a lab since spring 2016, and throughout my time there I have met people from all over the globe, especially from South America. The postdoc I first worked under is from Brazil, and returned last summer. We still make sure to stay in touch, and I hope to be able to visit him there one day. I have met people from Puerto Rico and Colombia, and I am currently working under another postdoc that is originally from Russia.

I am happy to say that while working with all of these people from diverse backgrounds, I have made many friends and have learned a lot about the places where they come from. Many of my classes also talk about the diversity that we see between groups in different parts of the world. I hope that future courses will continue to help me understand more about other places and cultures. While travel is still a dream that I plan on pursuing after college, I realize now how much I am able to learn about the world even while here at Ohio State.

Original Inquiry

In the past year, I have put a big focus on research. Working in Dr. Andrea Doseff’s lab, I studied macrophage infiltration into breast cancer and adipose tissues. I was included as an author on a recent paper published in Cell Reports, called “Lipidomic Adaptations in White and Brown Adipose Tissue in Response to Exercise Demonstrate Molecular Species-Specific Remodeling”. With Dr. Doseff leaving in the fall of 2017, I was able to get into Dr. Weisleder’s lab, and apply for summer research funding with this lab. I was awarded the Mayers Scholarship for the summer of 2017, and will be starting work on my own research project.

I hope to continue with my research until graduation. After having the opportunity to work in Dr. Weisleder’s lab over the coming summer, I plan on continuing that work and pursuing a thesis, so that I am able to graduate with research distinction in molecular genetics. I am also looking forward to presenting posters on my research in the near future. I know that with the help of my new lab, I will be able to further my research and gain very valuable experience.

Academic Enrichment

Another focus for me this year has been on finding where my interest lies in the field of genetics. I have most recently been looking into genetic counseling. I met and shadowed genetic counselors in the area, and added a psychology minor as a way to learn more about the counseling side of the job. I took intro psychology (PSYCH 1100H) in spring semester 2017, and found the topics extremely interesting. I am definitely looking forward to completing the rest of the minor classes. These additions to my original academic path will really help give me a better understanding of this possible career path and propel me towards my goals.

I also am looking forward to some of the other classes I have added to my academic plan to fill some of my GE requirements. Classes in areas such as classics and photography will give me a chance to look into things that I am interested in while allowing me to focus most of my time on my major and minor, the things that I am most passionate about.

Leadership Development

                  One of the big ways that I have seen myself develop as a leader is within the research lab setting. This year, I was able to take on a project and as a result, I was published on a paper in my lab. I have learned to rely more on my own intuition and skills, and how to ask my own questions to further my research. I hope to continue to develop these skills with my own project over the summer and coming year.

I also have seen myself progress as a leader in a classroom setting. Although I am naturally shy, I have been able to find the courage to speak up and lead class discussions, as well as explain topics to my classmates. I have also learned how to lead study groups outside of the classroom, which have proved very helpful when studying for exams.

Service Engagement

With all of my involvement in research over the past year, I will admit that I haven’t done as much volunteer work as I would have liked. My schedule has had very few gaps, with much of my free time being spent in the lab. However, I have started looking into things that I would like to get involved in for the next year. Having a car here in Columbus will make many more volunteer opportunities available to me. I have volunteered a few times at the Ronald McDonald House and with Habitat for Humanity, and these are things that I really enjoyed doing.

In my future involvement, I would like to focus on working with people face to face, which is something I haven’t been able to do much of with the volunteer experiences I have had. I have been looking into volunteering with programs such as SARNCO or volunteering at The Center for Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. These programs will give me the opportunity to volunteer on a more consistent basis and to work with people, something that I also hope to have in a career later on.

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

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]