Name: Ashlee Balcerzak
Type of Project: Study Abroad
- This past May, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in the lovely country of Panama with The Ohio State University and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. In country, I studied tropical field ecology and learned so much because this area is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world.
In Panama, I saw a sloth up close on the Smithsonian’s Barro Colorado Island.
2) While over the years I have become increasingly interested in international travel, it was not until going on this trip that I realized how important travel was to me. What transformed me was the idea that I want to integrate world travel into my future career because I have the ability to make a difference around the world.
I am passionate about water. There are approximately one in seven people around the world that lack clean drinking water and I will change that. My passion for water began at an early age as I was a competitive swimmer for ten years and my passion has only grown stronger throughout my life. As a junior now, I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, specializing in water science. My academic goals include obtaining a doctorate in environmental sciences, or a related field. My dream is to work in academia as a professor conducting research on international water quality issues. I plan to use my education to provide clean drinking water to people around the world. This study abroad experience finally solidified how I want to make a difference and that I am a leader of today.
This picture is of the beautiful skyline of Panama City from the Smithsonian’s canopy crane. I was strapped in looking across the rainforest and the city!
3) What I loved most about STEP is that it was so focused on the questions of who am I and who do I want to be? During my second year, I thought very deeply about these two questions and where those two questions would take me in my life. From these deep thoughts I was able to determine what my true passions were: world travel, science, cultural awareness, and mental health awareness. These passions are part of me and helped me determine which path I should take for a career.
While my career plan may not fully include mental health awareness as it does travel, science, and cultural awareness, my STEP mentor did. I was so lucky to have Dr. Darcy Granello because she actually designed the
In country, our study abroad group helped collect fruit bats (pictured above) through mist netting, a method to capture bats for research projects, in the rainforest at night!
REACH suicide prevention that I am trained in with my job as a Resident Advisor on campus. I loved her enthusiasm, energy, and perspective on life because it was so genuine. It was nice because I am also a very excited and energetic individual, so we got along well. She really wanted to help and I am very happy we met. She has also traveled the world, which really gave me the idea that I could do the same with my own career as a professor. There was one point where she had invited the STEP group to her house and after seeing her happy lifestyle, I had this epiphany like moment where I suddenly realized this is the life and the life I wanted. I can travel the world and make a difference like she does in my own field. I wanted to be like her.
During my STEP experience, my cohort group also participated in an activity about documenting your life through pictures and how all those pictures throughout your life represent who you are. I really liked this idea, so I started to actively work on taking meaningful pictures. In panama, I took pictures of interesting species, national parks I hiked, indigenous people our group met and so much more. I continued doing this throughout the summer and now have a diverse collection of pictures I will remember forever. This whole reflection upon my own passions, relationship with my STEP mentor, and picture documentation
I also hiked Panama’s national parks. Thanks STEP!
guided me into the transformation I made in Panama.
4) The transformation I made in Panama matters because it is part of who I am and what I am passionate about. Traveling allows for personal growth and I learned so much about myself in country. For my academic and professional goals, I plan to incorporate travel into my career studying water quality issues at an international level. I have also been able to apply the knowledge I gained about tropical ecology and apply it to other classes in my environmental science degree. I am really thankful for this transformative experience I had through STEP!
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