The foundation of the Honors and Scholars program at The Ohio State University is built on the G.O.A.L.S. This stands for Global awareness, Original inquiry, Academic enrichment, Leadership development, and service Engagement. Global awareness represents each student’s ability to cultivate and develop his or her appreciation for diversity. Original inquiry revolves around the research process and students understanding it; as well as, students engaging in a myriad of research experiences. Academic enrichment is the facet of Honors and Scholars that encourages students to pursue excellence in the classroom through rigorous coursework. The Leadership development and Service engagement aspects help prepare students for their future as it provides a foundation for leadership skills and community service. Two of these facets that I believe are the most applicable to me are Original inquiry and Leadership development.
Original inquiry is all about understanding the research process and getting involved in research opportunities. This category of G.O.A.L.S. is applicable to me because of the interview assignment that I had to complete as a STEM EE scholar. This assignment consisted of three interviews that I conducted of an upperclassman, a graduate student, and a professor. As a result of these interviews, I gained a myriad of information on the research process from the graduate student and the professor. Also, the interviews helped establish possible connections to the people who I interviewed which will assist my future endeavors in searching for research opportunities.
In addition to Original inquiry, another section of the Honors and Scholars G.O.A.L.S. that applies to me is Leadership development. One of the characteristics that I value most is leadership, and STEM EE scholars have helped tremendously in the development of my leadership skills. For example, I am currently filling my community service requirement for STEM EE through the Wonders of Our World program. As a part of this program, I travel to elementary schools, perform science experiments, and interact with the students on the wonders of science. This experience has enabled me to refine my leadership skills as I lead a small group of elementary school students through a different experiment each time I visit. These leadership skills that I have developed will surely benefit me in the future as I will apply my leadership to my future career in the workforce whenever I cooperate with or lead a group of co-workers.