As I begin to finalize my Honors Contract, I have been reflecting on how I have been achieving the G.O.A.L.S. of the University Honors and Scholars Program.

Global Awareness: There are many ways for me to learn about the world around me here at OSU. I am especially interested in learning about different cultures, so finding ways to be involved in global awareness is always easy. I am exploring diversity through my course work by taking classes about Bollywood film, and world religions. I think my primary education left global awareness out of the curriculum, so it is especially important to take advantages of classwork about people around the world. In addition to this, I am currently working on becoming D.I.C.E. certified, which is a program through the Multicultural Center where you participate in events about diversity. So far I have learned about stories of immigrants, and learned about the experiences of Native Americans. I am planning on doing research abroad in Germany this summer, which will be a great opportunity to learn about my own culture and how German life is different than life here in the United States.

Original Inquiry: I have always been involved in the art aspect of original inquiry. As an art minor, I have been able to continue to develop my art skills through many medias, including clay, drawing, painting, digital imaging, and sculpture. I have explored the more scientific aspect of original inquiry in my research with two different research labs. I have been working in Dr. Pyter’s neuroscience lab since August of 2018, and her research explores the roles of the immune system and the gut-brain axis on chemotherapy associated deficits in learning and memory using a rodent model. I have been working on behavioral testing with mice, and hope to present the findings at various state, national, and international research conferences. I joined Dr. Gerhardt’s lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in January of 2019, and have been learning about how cancer affects family and patient decision making, and how social relationships are affected by cancer. I have begun to understand the limitations and strengths of all types of research. Being involved in both clinical and basic research is the perfect match to understand how the body affects behavior, and how that behavior varies among different people. I am planning on completing a Thesis Project my fourth year of school and going to graduate school to get a Ph.D.

Academic Enrichment: So far, my academics have challenged me to be the best student I can be. Because the honors program requires rigorous coursework, I have been pushed to excellence in the classroom. I chose to pursue psychology because I was interested in improving mental health, but I have come to realize that psychology is so much more than just diagnosing mental illnesses. My exploration in classwork and research has exposed to me to many of the different subfields within psychology, and I have become interested in preventative care, and health psychology. I believe that the coursework I am taking now will prepare me for graduate school, and a future career as a clinical health psychologist.

Leadership Development: So far in my college career, I have had many opportunities to act as a leader. I currently work as an Honors Community Advocate and my job is to help first year students navigate transitions, and guide them to resources they may need to be the student they want to be. I serve as a leader to them by planning programs about research, diversity, wellness, and more. I also serve as a peer mentor to them by having one on one conversations with students to talk with them about anything they might need. In addition to this, I am a Wellness Coach for the Student Wellness Center and lead undergraduate students towards a life that they want for themselves, no matter what aspect of their wellness they want to improve. Over the summer, I was a camp counselor for teenagers interested in volunteering and leadership development. This was a wonderful way to lead other students in community service and character development. I am looking forward to continuing my leadership experience by being a Resident Advisor next year and being a mentor for students on a more personal level.

Service Engagement: Service engagement has always been important to me. I feel like my talents are meant to be given to others, not to keep to myself. I am currently using my talents at Riverside Methodist Hospital, where I pass out art kits to patients on the Oncology floor, and also make monthly decorations for each patients door. I have volunteered there for over 250 hours, and am planning to continue volunteering there every weekend until I leave Columbus. I also participated in Semester of Service in the spring of 2018 and volunteered at a youth drop in center and worked to organize resources available to the youth who go there. I am going on a Buck-I-Serv trip to Taos, New Mexico this spring break, and will be building houses for Habitat for Humanity. I also enjoy doing volunteering on the side for programs that different student clubs organize. I hope to continue to serve the community in even bigger ways as my skills continue to grow.

I am proud of how far I have come, and I look forward to all of the opportunities I can continue to pursue to strengthen my involvement in global awareness, original inquiry, academic enrichment, leadership, and service.