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.

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.

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.