Service Review – T Shirt Exchange

 

In addition to BioSci, another organization that I am involved in on campus is OUAB. Every year OUAB does a t-shirt exchange where students can bring in canned food items or clothing and receive a T-shirt for their donation. For me, it was so fun and rewarding to organize but it was also exciting and refreshing to see how many people were excited to donate their clothes or food. Not only were there many students that participated in the exchange, including myself but many graduate students, faculty members, staff, etc. also were excited to participate. Additionally, other student organizations also helped out as well. We received a ton of t-shirts from the office of student life who did not want anything in exchange, but we eventually convinced them to take a few t-shirts of their very generous donations. It was so much fun to interact with everyone who came in to donate but also was very delightful to see the community come together for a cause. It is something I am really looking forward to participating in next year as well!

Artifact 2022 – Neuro Research

Last autumn, I started working in a research lab. I have done research before in high school, but I had not yet had the opportunity to participate in research at the college level. The summer before my second year, I got to work in a retina clinic and see what day-to-day life in a medical setting is like. At the end of the summer, I was a bit uneasy because I enjoyed my time there, but it was not something that I could see myself doing every day. When reflecting on my experience, I remembered how, when I was in high school and doing research, I looked forward to going into the lab every day. Even though the tasks I did around the lab were minute and repetitive, I always looked forward to helping out. I did not have that same joy and passion for the work I was doing at the retina clinic. Therefore, when I got back to OSU, I scheduled an appointment with my advisor and told him about my concerns. I asked him if he knew of anyone who was looking for undergrads in their lab and he directed me to the lab that I am in today. It was the best decision I have made. I love it so much and always look forward to going into the lab and learning. It was the activity that really sealed my decision in switching from a pre-med track to a pre-PhD track.

Retina Clinic Internship Summer 2021

Last summer I had the privilege of working with some amazing ophthalmologists at Retina Associates Cleveland. For three months I had the opportunity to work as a tech and shadow some of the doctors that work at the clinic. As a tech, I got to prep patients’ charts before they went to see the doctor, give eye drops, take the intraocular eye pressure, conduct vision tests, schedule eye scans, and check glasses prescriptions. Overall, even though the job could feel very demanding, on our busiest days, it was very fun interacting with the patients and learning more about the retina and this type of medicine. Everyone was always very kind, willing to teach, and patient with all of the interns that were there over the summer. It was honestly so much fun! I had the best experience learning about how to treat and manage some common retina problems in addition to meeting some amazing people.

Class Review

The class neuro 3000 was a class that I really had to adjust and adapt to. Testing is not really my thing and it is a class where the grade is only based on four tests which was something I was really nervous about. However, it has helped me figure out what testing strategies work for me and which ones do not. It was a process of growth and the fact that I did push through this class really shows how much I love my major and what I am studying.

Statement of Action

In order to accomplish the goals that I have before I graduate, I will connect with more people in my major and more people who know about the graduate school process. I will also speak and develop stronger relationships with my professors as well.

Vision Statement

For the remainder of my time at OSU, I will continue to strive toward excellence in both my academic and extracurricular activities to work towards my future goals. I will go above and beyond to not only be successful but also to foster meaningful relationships with other students, faculty, and staff on campus.

Year in Review 2021-22

My second year at OSU has looked very different from my first year at OSU. This school year I finally had in-person classes, met so many new people, joined some clubs, and joined a research lab. Academically, moving from online to in-person has also helped me so much. Learning online was such a struggle for me and there was so much of a difference between the ability to meet my teachers in person and also meet and talk to other students in my classes. It made me feel less alone and gave me some people to study and connect with. Additionally, last summer, going into my second year, I got an internship at a retina clinic where I got to fill out charts, take intraocular pressures in the eye, conduct vision tests, give eye drops and so much more. I also had the opportunity to shadow a few doctors while I working there as well and I realized that medicine was not for me. In the fall, I fell in love with research again when I started working in a neuro research lab focusing on post-partum depression. This made me switch from the pre-med track to focusing on getting my Ph.D. at some point in the future.

The Beaches of Tobago

My artifact is a picture of one of the beaches I went to on my marine science trip last year. As a part of my senior year, I was a part of a marine science class through the whole first semester and then for the final three weeks of the semester, we had the opportunity to go to Tobago to get some hands on experience with research and talking to marine experts from another country. I choose this as my artifact because in college I really want to have more abroad learning experiences because I think I learn best through experience and also I love experiencing and learning about new cultures.

Year in Review 20-21

I can for everyone when I say that I have changed so much this past year. From being super excited about being a second-semester senior, committing to a college, traveling, meeting new people, trying new things, etc. Most of that was ripped away by the pandemic. However, I am not upset it just gave a new opportunity. I got to focus on myself, who I want to be as a person, became more mindful, spend more time outdoors, read more books, and just learn about things I was actually interested in because I had all the time in the world. Being alone with your thoughts is very hard when everything is happening at once and quarantine let me take a step back and let me see who I was, who I want to be, and where I was on that spectrum. I feel that this is something that everyone should do before heading to college but most of the time, we do not have the time to do that. Coming out of quarantine and meeting new people has allowed me to reinvent myself as a learner, a friend, an activist, etc. and made me more confident in the journey of the person who I want to be.