Month: November 2015

G.O.A.L.S Reflection

Global Awareness

Up to this point in my life I have been exceedingly fortunate to have the opportunity to live outside of the United States and to travel. During my time living in Luanda, Angola, I was able to see the world from a different perspective and experience a culture very different from my own. As my parents are currently living in Luanda, I plan on visiting them as much as possible and staying involved in the community so that I may continue to learn and grow from a different culture. I also plan on continuing my work with wildlife in other African countries, where I am able to work hands on with invaluable African species as well as learn about the area and the people around me.

Original Inquiry

I am extremely eager to get involved in some sort of research. I would be most interested and engaged with research involving animals, especially larger mammals. This coming summer it is my goal to create ties with the Columbus Zoo, and from this I hope it becomes possible to preform research on site.

Academic Enrichment

Completing the Academic Plan was strenuous and frustrating, but I am confident that with it I will be both engaged and challenged in my courses throughout my time at Ohio State. My passion is and always has been animals, therefor a chose Zoology as my major and I will also complete the necessary requirements to be able to apply for Veterinary School when the time comes. After working with endangered African species, I gained a thorough respect for conservation and environmental preservation, and so I added an Environmental Science minor. Apart from my major and minor, I chose a wide variety of GE courses so that I may expand my knowledge. I am most excited to take a German course in which Holocaust film is studied and examined from a German perspective (German 3252).

Leadership Development

Leadership is definitely an area that I will need to develop in the coming years. While I often find myself as the leader, AKA sole-contributor, of group projects, I have yet to venture outside of the classroom in terms of leadership positions. In the coming semesters I plan to join as many clubs as possible involving dogs and animal shelters, and in time I hope to take on a leadership role in one of them.

Service Engagement

In Luanda I was actively involved in the community, working at orphanages on the weekends and wildlife conservation sites during holidays. I deeply regret not being involved this semester; I wanted to get a feel for college life and all of my new responsibilities. However, next semester and over the summer I plan on finding and joining an organization that works with the homeless in Columbus, as well as a shelter that I can volunteer at.

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

picture

It was on an elementary school field trip to the Brookfield Zoo that I first looked into a lion’s eyes. It was a hot day and the lions were lounging in the shade on stone slabs a good distance from the exhibit glass. My eyes immediately fixed on a handsome male lion looking our way and when the group around me shuffled on, I stayed exactly where I was. He then stood up, sauntered along the edge of the enclosure towards the glass where I was standing, stopped directly in front of me, and looked at me with the most gorgeous eyes I had ever seen; and that is precisely when I knew I would work with wildlife for the rest of my life.

After that experience I wanted nothing more than to be a veterinary doctor on a zoo staff. But my dream evolved as I grew up and had more of these unforgettable encounters. The next pivotal moment took place at a conservation project in Nelspruit, South Africa, where I was able to personally work with lions and other invaluable African species in a more natural habitat. From this project and from similar projects that I have volunteered at since, I have gained priceless experience as well as knowledge about these species and the many threats to their survival. Wildlife conservation is my passion and I will work tirelessly for it.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]