Month: August 2016

About Me

Hi there! My name is Alisha Schroeder and I am a freshman at The Ohio State University studying Mechanical Engineering. I am a proud member of the Humanitarian Engineering Scholars program. Originally I am from Findlay, Ohio but I intend to make Columbus my home.

A few fun facts:

– I have a toy poodle named Mira whom I love and miss dearly

– I really enjoy running and the outdoors

– If you want to win me over, just buy me Chipotle

– I love fashion, shopping in particular

– Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is my second home

Strengths:

-Discipline

I enjoy routine and structure. I plan more than I “experiment”.

-Significance

I desire to be viewed as important and independent by others. I want my actions to be significant enough to be recognized.

-Woo

I love meeting new people and making the most of networking situations.

-Communicator

I am a good conversationalist and presenter. I easily transform my thought into words.

-Activator

I adore putting my thoughts into direct action. To me, words truly mean nothing if there is no action behind them.

I like to think of myself as a very driven and ambitious person, therefore I have high hopes for my time at OSU. I know HES will only push me harder to achieve all I have dreamed… GO BUCKS!

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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.]

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

During my freshman year of high school I made the decision to sign up for a volunteering opportunity under a program called Gliding Stars. Gliding Stars is an adaptive ice skating program for those with special needs, particularly children. When signing up I had no idea how large of an impact this weekly volunteering commitment would have on me. To be completely honest I just wanted to use this service for my college applications. But after the very first practice I knew this would turn into so much more. Fast forward four years and I was saying goodbye to my “Star”, a little girl named Piper whom I had watched grow so quickly in those short years. Tears rolled down my face as I gave her one last tight squeeze. Piper was nonverbal but she always shared her emotions in such powerful ways. On that last day with her she must have known it was the end because she held on to me just a little tighter.

I don’t want to make it sound too easy, though. Piper and I had been through some tough times, including violent tantrums that would roll on week after week and never seem to end. But those weeks that I got to witness her pure joy or hear her little laughter hour after hour made me forget anything else. I learned so much from that sweet girl, including values like patience, appreciation of diversity, and unconditional love. I will carry these values with me for the rest of my life.

My time with Gliding Stars greatly influenced the direction of my life now. This program and the values learned through it impacted my decision to be a part of engineering as well as my choice to join Humanitarian Engineering. Because of Miss Piper I know now that I want to help others with my career, whatever it may be. I no longer think of success as being measured just monetarily, but more so with how much impact I can make on the lives of others. I am so grateful for my time with Gliding Stars and for that sweet little girl who opened my eyes to the love that is available in every soul. All it takes is a little compassion.

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