Informational Interview

Questions For a Senior Student

1.) When and why did you choose to major in Anthropology?

In high school I originally wanted to do something in fashion because I really liked sort of the arts side of things, but I also enjoyed science and history, so I decided to take an Arts History course at a local community college during my senior year. I got really into the “pre-historic” side of the arts and ended up pursuing that a little more before I found Anthropology. So I went into college as an Anthropology major but having no idea where I was going to take it, and I always liked museums so I kind of figured, “I’ll work in a museum! That’ll be fun”.

2.) When and why did you choose to combine your major in Anthropology with a minor in Design?

As I got experience actually working in a museum during the summer of my freshman year, I realized that I wanted to do something more artistic with it, and after talking to a few people at the museum I figured out that exhibit design was a thing that you could do. So I took some classes related to exhibit design at the beginning of my sophomore year, and I ended up liking it because it was a way for me to bring science and art together as a way to educate others.

3.) What was your favorite Anthropology course and what was your favorite Design course?

I’m in a Human Origins class right now that I’m really enjoying, we go through the entire evolutionary history of the human lineage…there’s a lot of stuff to memorize *laughs*, but I also took a class on Archeology that was really interesting because we got to do lots of hands-on labs, like analyzing pottery or working with hieroglyphics.

I’ve liked all of my design classes because they’re all really applied. I heard that they’re changing the minor to focus more on the history of design and less of the technical application. But right now the classes are set up so you’ll get a project and you’ll either work individually or with a group…like in my Design Concept class we had to redesign a product, so my group choose a water bottle and created a 3-D prototype which was expensive but ended up turing out pretty cool. Now I’m doing a lot of graphic design work which is something new for me, but it’s been a good experience and I’m learning a lot from it.

4.) What kind of extra curricular experiences have you had (research, internships, student org., study abroad, etc.)?

So I volunteered at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in the Paleoanthropology department the summer after my freshman year doing “collections management”, which basically is a lot of sorting through bones making sure everything is in order. It was good for me to just be in the museum because I felt like I learned a lot about what it’s like to work there and I was also able to build up a lot of contacts within the field itself. Now I’m at COSI, I started that this summer doing an archives internship, so we’re going through all of their old files from past exhibits and there’s all kinds of historical Columbus stuff which is cool. And I work on the museum on campus just doing random collection work for them, I also designed an exhibit poster so there’s all kinds of crazy stuff there. I work a lot so I don’t have a lot of time for many student orgs, but I am involved in the Anthropology club. There’s also a research group that I’m a part of, so we discuss our research and bounce ideas off one another. We all come together with our different projects and if someone wants to present occasionally there will be conferences that they can present at. It’s been great to talk about my undergraduate thesis with them, so what I’m doing is a hands-on human evolution exhibit that will be held hopefully somewhere on campus.

5.) What are your plans after graduation?

So I’m planning on trying out the grad school route because I enjoy school and I wouldn’t mind doing it more and I’d like to eventually get an advanced degree, but I don’t really need it for what I want to do, so it’s not a priority at this point. I would like to find a job after graduation and then take that route before I do end up deciding to go to grad school, because I think it’s important for me to have practical experience in the field and then if I want to further my education I’ll go back at a later point. My dream job would be to work for a private design company that does exhibits. I have a friend who is doing it right now and he really loves it because he’s able to do a lot of international travel, which is something that I’ve always wanted to incorporate into my future career.

My Response

1. How did you find this interviewee, and why did you choose to interview this person?

After attending a lecture for survey in order to learn more about the Anthropology major, I went up to one of the professors who spoke during the lecture in order to ask him about a student of his who he mentioned is majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Design. He gave me her email and I was able to get in contact with her (I originally just wanted to ask her what she planned on doing after graduation), but after receiving an email from her telling me that she planned on using this unique major/minor combination in order to design museum exhibits, I asked her if I could interview her in order to find out more.

2. How has this interview influenced your major and/or career exploration?

Yes, this interview has influenced my decision. I no longer think that Anthropology is the major for me, but now I am confident that I want to find a way to choose a major that will work together with a minor in design to help me find a practical job that I am passionate about while still being able to incorporate my love of art. After the interview, I also spoke with her about a friend of hers who is majoring in International Relations, and she gave me her email as well so that I can talk with her more about what she is planning on doing after graduation.

3. Did you learn anything unexpected from the interview? If so, what? If not, which ideas did the

interview reinforce?

One interesting thing that she emphasized during the interview was the importance of internships. She mentioned that so far, she has held 4 internship positions that have all served in helping her figure out what she does or does not want to do in the future, as well as put her in contact with important people in the fields of Anthropology and Design. We talked about the internship fairs held during the Fall and Spring, and after hearing from her how helpful internships can be I am even more motivated to start looking for and applying for internships.

4. What do you feel you still need to learn about this major/career before being able to make a

confident decision?

While I was planning on taking a cultural Anthropology class in the Spring in order to explore this major more, I do not think I will keep the class on my schedule. If anything were to influence my decision on this, it would be more information on what sort of jobs I could have after graduation with a degree in Anthropology. But after talking about what sort of jobs her friends and other people she knows have gone into after graduation, I feel more confident that Anthro is not the major for me.

5. Which major exploration tools/activities/resources that you utilized this semester were most

helpful to you and why?

I have mainly used Ohio State’s websites on the different majors in order to have a clearer idea on what each major is about. So far the most helpful thing for me has been to talk to people actually majoring in the things that I am interested in in order to understand the major itself in a more practical sense. Attending the lectures has also been helpful, as well as my Freshman survey class.

Year in Review

My Sophomore Year

I applied to the Ohio State University undecided, not really sure what I wanted to major in let alone what path I wanted to take in life. My Sophomore year was the year I was able to find a major that truly fit my passions and interests – International Relations and Diplomacy. Finding this major, deciding to switch from a German minor to a German major and getting more involved on campus have all been decisions that have enhanced my experience as a student and have helped me to reach the G.O.A.L.S. of the Honors & Scholars program.

Global Awareness:

As an International Relations major, I am able to further develop my Global Awareness every single day through the classes I take, as the major is intended to teach me about the continuously evolving international system. For example, in my Global Politics class that I took in the fall I was able to gain a better understanding of the relations between sovereign states in the world today. I plan to continue to take courses that develop my Global Awareness, and I have recently joined the Alexander Hamilton Society in order to debate and discuss weekly news from around the world. I have really developed a passion for learning about the world around me throughout my time spent at Ohio State, and I plan to continue to work towards this goal by interning for the U.S. Department of State at the largest U.S.Consulate in the world in Frankfurt, Germany. This summer I will spend 10 consecutive weeks working for the State Department preparing the Embassy officers for interviews, speaking engagements, and other public events, conducting outreach to German society, organizing roundtables and other events for US officials and experts to speak to German audiences on topics like trade negotiations and foreign policy, and much more. Through this internship I hope to further develop my appreciation for diversity and culture and return to Ohio State with greater understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. 

Original Inquiry:

Last semester, I took an upper-division History class in which I was required to present a Pecha Kucha research project to the class at the end of the semester. My research focus was on how the development of artistic movements in 17th and 18th century France reflected ideological shifts occurring before, during, and after the French Revolution. I spent countless hours in the Fine Arts library searching for information and as a result I gained a greater appreciation of the entire research process. This experience lead me to search for research opportunities at Ohio State, and I hope to find an opening that fits my interests so that I am able to continue to work towards this goal throughout my junior year. 

Academic Enrichment

The courses that I have taken and will take at Ohio State demonstrate a commitment to the goal of Academic Enrichment. I hope to work as a Foreign Service Officer in the future, and the courses I take as an International Relations and Diplomacy major have taught me about the important role diplomacy plays in promoting a more peaceful world whose governments respond directly to the needs of their people, which is the State Department’s main goal. For example, I am currently taking a course called “Intelligence for Diplomacy” that is teaching me how diplomacy can be used to engage with and influence the way a leader behaves without resorting to violence. The GE courses that I have chosen also play a role in increasing my understanding of different cultures around the world. For example, in my Cultural and Physical Anthropology classes I learned about the diversity of practices and beliefs that constitute different cultures around the world. Additionally, the courses I take as a German major will prepare me to work at the Consulate in Frankfurt this summer and will be useful if I am ever placed at a German post as an FSO in the future. Language is a useful skill, especially if I work as an FSO in the future, because it helps to create deeper, more meaningful connections between people of different cultures/backgrounds and can be an important tool for diplomacy. 

Leadership Development

I currently serve as the Volunteer Coordinator for a student organization called Students For Refugees.We currently work with 2 different sites, ETSS After school program (working with elementary aged refugee students at Columbus city schools) and ETSS ESL (working with adults to help them improve their English skills).  As the Volunteer Coordinator, I am responsible for assisting new members in the completion of any necessary forms or training needed in order to volunteer with our partner organizations, tracking all member attendance at the volunteer site and sending volunteering reminders to all volunteers. I also attend biweekly Board meetings and help our President organize monthly club informational meetings. Additionally, last semester our board put together a panel event for professionals to speak to Ohio State students about the refugee community in Columbus. Serving as the Volunteer Coordinator has helped me gain leadership skills while helping a community I am personally passionate about, and I plan on running for run Vice President to help further this development.

Service Engagement

Students For Refugees has provided me with networking opportunities that ultimately helped me land an internship last semester with ETSS, an Ethopian Social Services program in the Columbus Area. ETSS’s Family Care Unit is dedicated to helping refugees who were also victims of domestic violence or human trafficking. Through this internship I was responsible for tracking donations and creating spreadsheets and I occasionally completed odd jobs, such as painting ETSS’s logo onto an office wall. As I mentioned before, this is a community that I am passionate about helping, and for the past year and a half I have tutored elementary aged refugee students on a weekly basis with ETSS’s After School Program. Every Wednesday, I drive to one of their schools to help kids with their homework, play outside and generally help them reach their weekly goals. Most importantly, by going to see these students on a weekly basis we as volunteers are providing them with stability in their often hectic, unpredictable lives. This shows the kids that there are people out there who care about them and want to see them succeed. Students For Refugees is planning on an end of the year event to bring the kids to campus in the hopes that seeing Ohio State has an impact on their future education. I plan to continue working with these kids and engaging with the community throughout the rest of my time as an undergrad. 

 

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.]