The first of the GOALS series is a commitment to global awareness. This is the effort that a student makes to understand and cultivate diversity and individuality in order to better themselves as a person and as an educated person. This is because once we graduate, we will be entering the work force and hopefully changing the climate of the country to be more inclusive of everyone, no matter their race, profession, wage class, etc. I plan to study Russian and possibly complete a study abroad trip in Russia to fulfill this part of my GOALS. Also, I plan to volunteer for an global LGBT organization as part of this, as the U.S. is not the only country where the LGBT community faces discrimination.

Original inquiry is important for a student as it is the ability to ask a question and answer it themselves. It therefore becomes the transition from simply memorizing facts from class to actually applying them in the real world. This is how the world advances, and hopefully our honors education will prepare us to continue the cycle. I hope to complete an honors research thesis as part of this requirement.

Academic enrichment is critical to a good education. Trough the honors program, I will have the opportunity to  partake in hard classes that will allow me to challenge myself and learn as much as possible in these four years. Currently, I am in honors Psych1100, and in the future I plan to complete a neuroscience and a criminology double major, complete with plenty of honors class and general education requirements. This will allow me to get a well rounded education while still challenging myself.

Leadership development is necessary for students to develop leadership skills, as it is yet another possible application of our knowledge. It also cultivates confidence in students and our decision making, which will be important in our future careers where we may have to make important decisions without consulting others. I am currently in a couple clubs and I hope to gain a leadership position in one of those eventually. I am also interested in possibly becoming a Neuroscience ambassador in the future.

Service engagement is the idea that volunteering is essential for molding a well-rounded student. We are lucky and privileged to be able to get a good education at The Ohio State University, so we should give back to the community as much as possible. To do my part, I hope to start volunteering for Crisis Text Line next semester to help those that need it, just as those in my community have helped me get to where I am today.