Here at OSU we strive to be enriched in culture and appreciate one another’s differences. There are many courses that I will be taking here including introduction to philosophy, comparative studies, and geography. I am also aware of the customs and traditions of southeast Asia as my family is comprised of Buddhists from parts of Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. I have friends that grew up in India and the England that have told me about the food they eat and the things they believe. I am apart of a few clubs where I socialize with people from around the world. The best way to learn about another culture is to make friends with someone that does not share your ethnic background and slowly learn about how they lived at home. I have also already traveled abroad to Costa Rica and I may decide to go back with OSU or perhaps find a different country to visit. I’ve been to New York and Washington D.C. but they did not compare to my experience in Costa Rica I really do believe you need to visit a country and talk to the locals to understand their living conditions. I did take Spanish in high school and I was taught a lot about Spanish speaking countries and so I believe that I may take another foreign language at OSU where I can learn more about the geography of other countries.

As a physics major I will be participating in original inquiry a lot. Sometime in my sophomore year I hope to know enough about physics to be of use to a professor. Then, I can analyze data from the lab and compile data. Eventually I may be able to work on my own projects and test my own hypothesis but this won’t be until later in my undergraduate career. As for creative productions I do want to take some art classes here at OSU and perhaps I will be able to create a masterpiece that I am satisfied with by the end of my time here. Actually getting funded for research in theoretical physics is unlikely as that is an advanced field that requires you know the most advanced physics by heart so that will not likely happen. I may be able to do some research with the astronomy department as I may minor in astronomy.

Academic enrichment is something that I find very important. I don’t want to take hard classes and do well just to get into a good graduate school or land a nice laboratory position somewhere. What I want is to be able to advance my field of study. If I am to become a physicist I need to know everything and I need to be able to answer any question unless nobody knows its answer. This is why I am taking honors physics courses and I am also going for a double major in math. Some mathematical concepts that were once thought to be useless found applications in advanced physics. That is why I want to be on the cutting edge of math. As for GE courses I am very excited about philosophy and art courses. In philosophy I ask the weird questions that you think about while showering and they seem like perfectly reasonable questions to everyone there. It is the class that gets you thinking about the things you take for granted. Art is a creative outlet for everyone. In physics you pursue an answer and you will never know for sure if you’ve found it but to come close one must have creativity. Creativity is more important than intelligence. In art you can materialize your thoughts and make them reality similar to physics. Right now I am trying to get into the physics honors society called Sigma Pi Sigma, being a member is not my goal for joining but I hope it will demonstrate my resolve to be the best I can.

It would be great if in a lab I could lead the undergraduate research team but that seems unlikely so I will find opportunities elsewhere.  As for student organizations I want to become the president of the society of physics students so that I can coordinate the meetings and make the atmosphere fun and enjoyable for everyone. Right now I work at Mcdonalds, not the most glorious job in the world but I want to get promoted to crew leader so I can train the new employees as I know it was confusing for me when I first started too. In high school I was apart of a model united nations group where I debated against other delegates and created issue resolutions for our group. I hope to find a similar club at OSU or maybe some kind of debate team. In physics labs sometimes I get put with a group of timid students but someone needs to cultivate their abilities so occasionally I will direct who takes measurements and who does calculations and give a list of all the things that need to be done.

As of now service engagement is something I lack but will improve on as I move forward. I recently signed up to volunteer in a climate awareness group. I believe that climate change deserves more attention and it will become a bigger problem within our lifetimes. Following for my concern about the environment I want to work in a greenhouse or help clean up litter around campus. The Running Club volunteers at BuckeyeThon and I want to participate in it next year to raise money for the kids struggling with cancer. I have volunteered at Race for the Cure downtown and I want to do it again when it comes back around. I already discussed the possibility of going back to Costa Rica and if I do go I will get the chance to do a service for the locals by helping EARTH University on one of their ongoing environmental sustainability projects. Tutoring is something I already do with my friends and I wouldn’t mind settling down somewhere to help people I don’t know with their physics and math work. Another service that people take for granted is voting. Voting is actually doing a service to the community. As college students we are very educated and we are responsible for making smart decisions about this country.