Focusing on my G.O.A.L.S.- Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement.
Global Awareness.
Diversity can be seen as a “check the box”. What good is it to have individuals with different ideas, experiences, and backgrounds if they will just be a statistic and will not be thoughtfully listened to and learned from? Each individual’s perspective is incredibly valuable, and I strive to try and understand these diverse perspectives through intentionality and curiosity.
Original Inquiry.
I do not want to be a passive learner. I want to learn about my fields of interest firsthand through research.
Thus, in May of 2021, I joined Dr. Jennifer Cheaven’s Mood and Personality Studies Lab to learn about clinical psychology firsthand. Dr. Cheavens is currently supervising my undergraduate thesis, in which I investigate how early experiences of failure may correlate to mental health outcomes. I have also been able to attend weekly lab meetings in with the graduate students of the lab which always prompt rich discussion of psychological material, receive invaluable mentorship from Dr. Cheavens, and learn more about the process of research firsthand. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I am excited to see where my work in the lab goes.
Academic Enrichment.
I am incredibly fascinated by neuroscience, specifically behavioral neuroscience. I am also very interested in the law and am passionate about ensuring that it is applied equally and fairly to all individuals regardless of differences in age, gender, sexual orientation, and race. I have structured my coursework and extracurricular to allow me to most fully delve into my interests in behavioral neuroscience and the law.
I just finished taking Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience this semester (Fall of 2021). I really enjoy behavioral neuroscience as it allows me to understand the biological basis for different behaviors and disorders. I also just completed a Structure and Function of the Nervous System course, which gives me the foundation to understand the brain from a biological and anatomical perspetive.
To cultivate my interest in the law, I participate in Ohio State Mock Trial. Our program is currently listed as fifth in the nation! Being a part of the OSU Mock Trial team really allows me to learn about litigation and court-room dynamics first-hand. Furthermore, it helps me improve my public speaking skills, critical thinking abilities, and on-the-spot responses; these are all skills which are important to succeed in law school and in the legal field itself. Lastly, Mock Trial allows me to connect with incredibly. lawyers in the Columbus area, as the majority of our coaches are lawyers who have greatly enriched my understanding of a career in law.
Leadership Development.
As a high-schooler, I was involved in numerous clubs and had a leadership position in nearly every one. Coming into college, I wanted to be much more intentional about where I invested my time and what I chose to be an active leader in, in order to really focus and grow initiatives that I considered important. As a freshman in her first semester of college, I am currently exploring my different interests and responsibilities first before diving into any formal leadership positions. I want to be a leader to explore my passions, not to further my resumé.
As of now, my greatest leadership has come through my involvement with OSU Mock Trial. Although I have not sought out any formal positions, I feel as if every member of a successful team must lead by example. I do my part by ensuring I am working on my materials each day, come to practice prepared, and work with my teammates and coaches to continue to improve and become the best team possible.
Service Engagement.
Service is extremely important to me. I have been given so many incredible opportunities, which are really not worth much if I can not use them to improve the world around me.
I am working with CRIS Columbus (Community Refugee and Immigrant Services) as a mentor to a high-school refugee student. Working with CRIS has been a great experience and helped me to expand my perspectives by working with those around me.