– Jacob Sargent
As a student at The Ohio State University there are always opportunities to better yourself and your community outside the classroom. It is objectively harder to do nothing and be apathetic toward school activities, outreach, and events rather than be constantly involved. Ohio State helps students find hidden passions and like-minded people through events specifically geared toward advertising the hundreds of clubs here. One such event is the involvement fair, which is hosted at the beginning of the fall semester. At my first involvement fair this year I was able to find one of my new favorite clubs: the S.T.E.M Outreach club.
As a tier one research institution, Ohio State has made countless efforts to share and explain the plethora of knowledge available here. From research papers to guest speakers to reaching out into the community, all individuals are committed to bettering the world through teaching. The S.T.E.M Outreach club has been credited by Ohio State for being an outstanding program and their director, Dr. Betty Lise Anderson, has won countless awards for her service. Being a part of a club as distinguished and helpful as this has helped me to see a clearer path for my future in pediatric medicine.
My undergraduate experience began with the knowledge that I wanted enter the medical field, but I was unsure of any specific path or type of medicine I would be interested in. After joining S.T.E.M Outreach and going to some of their projects, I was soon told that I was very good at handling children. Being able to go to different types of middle schools and elementary schools, each one very different than the other, has been not only an experience but a privilege.
One such occasion was at an after school program in the inner city of Columbus. The students we were explaining the project to were not interested and un-involved. After a while it had seemed like we were wasting our time and should help the few that were participating and leave. We were shocked to see that after one individual became interested the rest fell in line soon after. It was an incredible thing to see those so un-enthused children suddenly spring to life and have questions on the nature of magnetic fields.
S.T.E.M Outreach is by far one of my favorite activities, and something I look forward to doing when I can. It easily works with my schedule and allows me to give back to a community trying to give me so much. At The Ohio State University, it is important to find something you love to do outside of class that still stimulates you positively. Finding your passion and finding your future is a lot of what this university is about. The worst thing you could do for yourself is not explore the countless opportunities available to you each and every day.