Abstract

My eportfolio is a journey through some of the most important events that have taken place over the course of my time at Ohio State. As you read through each post you can see my personal reflection on these events and how I have grown both academically and personally from them. I’ve learned a lot about my intended field during these past two years and it has really helped fortify my love of scientific research and my desire to pursue a PhD in graduate school. Everything I’ve learned so far has helped better prepare me for graduate school and the admissions process. I’m excited to continue to learn and grow during the remainder of my time here at OSU. I hope you enjoy learning more about me and my experiences and accomplishments while reading through my eportfolio!

Journal Publication and Hematology Conference

This past summer and throughout the school year I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate in sickle cell disease research at the Experimental Hematology Lab in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Over the summer I worked on a specific project that focused on searching for bio-markers that may lead to therapeutic solutions for sickle cell disease. The abstract for this project was published in the blood journal and chosen to be presented in a poster presentation at the 2018 ASH (American Society of Hematology) Conference in San Diego. I got to go to San Diego with my mentor and look at other poster and oral presentations at the conference as well as an exhibition for new drugs that are being produced for cancer and other blood diseases. This project was monumental in terms of my career path because I was able to contribute to a published abstract as well as get to meet influential scientists and graduate students who also do research on blood diseases. It was really cool to see the opportunities that are open to me and I am excited to keep working towards my future goals and see what the future holds. Below is the citation for our published abstract in the blood journal:

http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/132/Suppl_1/1077

Vision Statement/Statement of Action

Even though I’ve accomplished a lot during my first two years on campus, I still have many goals for my remaining time here. Here’s a prospective timeline of what I hope to accomplish within the next two years:

Junior Year:

  • Study for the GRE and take it for the first time spring semester
  • Apply to internships for the summer
  • Participate in a grad school admissions workshop/visit program
  • Find a student organization to get involved with that I am passionate about
  • Continue to study hard and get the best grades possible

Senior Year:

  • Retake the GRE over the summer if needed
  • Complete an internship
  • Apply to graduate schools
  • Continue to study hard and get the best grades possible

If everything goes according to plan, I see myself attending graduate school in the fall of 2021 in pursuit of a PhD in molecular biology, genetics, etc.

Second Year Growth and Development

Now that I have reached the end of my second year at OSU, I’ve found that I’ve grown both academically and personally. My freshman year was all about discovery and trying new things, as well as getting acclimated to college life and being on my own. After having a year under my belt, I was able to focus more on finding my niche and solidifying how I can actively work towards my future goals while in college. The summer before sophomore year I began doing research in the Experimental Hematology Lab at the Comprehensive Cancer Center and I continued to be heavily involved in research throughout this past school year. I’ve become very passionate about the research I do on sickle cell disease and this helped me confirm that I am on the right path in terms of my future goals. I even changed my major this year from biology to molecular genetics because I believe it aligns better with my goals and interests. I will continue to work towards going to graduate school and pursuing a PhD program. This school year was very challenging for me both personally and academically but I think because of that I’ve grown more this school year than I have any other year.

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio

Hi, I’m Sidney! Welcome to my Honors and Scholars e-Portfolio! I’m excited to share a little bit about myself with the OSU community and I hope you enjoy getting to know me! Feel free to look around and read about some of the activities I’ve participated in as a scholars student at OSU.

Freshman Year in Review

As I come to the end of my first semester at OSU, I’ve made many new friends and have experienced many amazing things. I’ve met people who come from many diverse backgrounds and experiences and hearing their stories has opened my eyes to new perspectives of the world. As I continue on my journey through my undergraduate career, I plan to keep opening up to new people that I meet so that I can build a large network of friends and colleagues that I can exchange ideas with. At this point in my academic career I’m mainly focused on my courses but soon I plan to find ways to enrich my education outside of the classroom through opportunities such as research, volunteering, and internships. I currently participate in a few student organizations and I plan to continue to be an active member of those organizations in the future. I’m still pretty set on my goal of becoming a research scientist and going to graduate school when I’m done with my undergraduate education, but I’ve considered a few other options as well and I have learned that is important to keep my mind open to all of the opportunities that are out there for young college graduates. I know that my interests and goals could possibly change over the course of these next few years so I don’t want to rule out any options too soon.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: I plan to further my skills in French by minoring in it and hopefully I will get the opportunity to study abroad in a French speaking country such as France or Quebec.

Original Inquiry: Throughout my time at OSU I plan to either participate in research or a research related internship.

Academic Enrichment: I’ve joined organizations such as women in math and science which will give me unique opportunities that are related to my major. Doing research or having an internship in a lab is another way to enrich my education outside of the classroom. I’ve also found opportunities for academic enrichment through the Biological Sciences Scholars program.

Leadership Development: I am applying for a positon as an RA next year so if I get the job, it will be a great leadership opportunity. Another possible way to get leadership experience is through holding a leadership position in an organization that I have joined.

Service Engagement: I plan to continue doing community service like I did in high school, whether it be through volunteering at a lab or hospital or through volunteering at a homeless shelter or food pantry which is also a passion of mine.

Artifacts

An object in my life that has represented a goal that I have accomplished is my high school diploma because it exemplifies all of the hard work that was put into earning it. My diploma is especially important to me because I earned the diploma of distinction in science and French. Both of these subjects are very important to me and I plan to make them a part of my college degree through majoring in biology and minoring in French. I also earned the honors diploma which is an important distinction to me because it shows the extra effort I put into my education outside of meeting the minimum graduation requirements.

Honors and Scholars Events

One event that I attended with the biological sciences scholars program was a discussion with a genetic counselor. I really enjoyed this event because I learned about an alternative career opportunity that I had never really considered exploring before. I find genetics to be very interesting and after hearing about the typical daily tasks of a genetic counselor, I plan to look further into that career path.

About Me

Hi! My name is Sidney and I am a freshman here at OSU! I’m from Worthington, Ohio which is a small suburb of Columbus. I plan to major in Biology and minor in French. I am in the Biological Sciences Scholars Program as well as the Morrill Scholars Program. My goals for the future are to graduate from OSU with a B.S. in Biology and to then go to graduate school and work on my Ph.D. I aspire to become a research scientist and work towards finding cures for life-threatening diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease.