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Year in Review
This semester has marked some big changes for me. When I initially arrived at OSU, I was positive that I wanted to be an exotic animal veterinarian. I was sure that I was going to be a part of pre-vet club and that I was going to shadow multiple veterinarians at the animal hospital. As I look back, I realize that most of my goals have not changed. I am no longer in pre-vet club due to a time conflict with my classes, but I have found other ways to become involved with animals. I currently volunteer with Columbus’s Canine Collective every Saturday during their dog adoption event. I am still in the process of shadowing. I have made plans to shadow a small animal veterinarian over christmas break, but I would still like to get experience with the veterinarians and residents on campus. I recently had an office meeting with a kind woman who worked in OSU’s Vet School Dean Suite. She recommended some veterinarians on campus and gave me their contact information. I am currently in the process of contacting these people. During my time at OSU, I was introduced into the field of meat/food science. Since then I have had a growing interest in bovine and food animal medicine and have decided to complete a meat science minor. I now realize that when I first entered OSU, I was naive to think that my future would be as clear as I believed it would be. Now, I have a better idea of what my interest are, and will hopefully join at least 1 or 2 clubs that heighten these interest.
The biggest change that I have noted this semester is in my maturity level. I did not realize how different my life would be living eight hours from home. Since I have been here, I have been to the emergency room and moved…three times. The stress of these changes came unexpected, and this kind of stress was one that I have not experienced before. Luckily, I was able to get through it with the help of some great friends. It took moving hundreds of miles away from home for me to realize how important the people in my life are to me, and how much of a difference they make, but now, I am all the wiser.
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
Zaria Smith AU’15 Resume
Artifacts
This past summer, I was in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Summer Bridge Program here at the Ohio State University. LSAMP is a program designed to increase underrepresented minority participation in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. The LSAMP summer bridge program selected 20 freshman undergraduate STEM majors. For three weeks, these students took various stem related classes, explored downtown Columbus, performed experiments at Stone Laboratory, and attended college-success workshops. At the end of the program, six awards were given out. I received the award for best attitude in Integrated Sciences; this was a class which introduced both college level chemistry and biology. I was given the award because I was always eager to learn more about the subject which I was studying and was willing to help anyone with concepts that they struggled with. As I look back now, I realize that I was and still am eager to learn. The visit to Stone Laboratory introduced me to the world of herpetology, which I am now determined to take a class in. The integrated sciences class reminded me of just how interesting biology is. I recent trip to the aquarium had my friend and I competing to memorize as many facts as we would before the exhibition ended. My desire for more knowledge is everlasting, and will propel me forward in my future endeavors.
About Me
Hello! My name is Zaria Smith and I am currently an undergraduate zoology major at the Ohio State University. I was born on March 13, 1997 in Durham, North Carolina, but was raised Plainsboro, New Jersey. I graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro High School North on June 18, 2015 with Honors in French.
I enjoy playing sports, listening to music, studying biology, and, as you have probably already assumed, working with animals. In addition to being a zoology major, I am on a pre-veterinary medicine track. My aim is to be admitted into an exotic or wildlife medicine program at an AVMA accredited veterinary school. In time, I hope to become a zoo veterinarian for a nationally ranked zoo. My ultimate goal is to establish or volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary either in the United States or Abroad. So far, the only animal experience I’ve had was shadowing a small animal veterinary at my local animal hospital. I was able to watch a spay and aural hematoma surgery, as well as stand-in on a number of check-ups involving both cats and dogs, but I am eager to get more experience working with a more diverse array of species.
Eventually, I hope to volunteer at the Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital, and intern at the Columbus Zoo. I also plan on studying abroad in either New Zealand, Brazil, or Australia, in order to work with organisms that cannot be encountered in the Northern Hemisphere. Lastly, I intend to do field research within the next two years. I currently have ties to a professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, and soon hope to join her in her lab.
Although I lack animal experience, I do possess leadership experience. In high school, I was the Marching Band Vice President, Swim Team Manager, and Varsity Track athlete. All three positions required a large time commitment, as well as organization skills and a strong work ethic. I am extremely hard-working, committed, eager to learn, and open-minded.
Please feel free to navigate my page and thank you for reading. Have a great day!