1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.

For my STEP project, I took private dance lessons at EA Dance Art. In my sophomore year, I joined OSU’s dancesport club, dancesport basically being the sporty name for competitive ballroom. I used my STEP funds to get Latin heels and lessons to deepen my understanding of dance technique.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? 

I don’t think I’ve ever had the kind of hobby that made me want to go out of my way to get better at it. I took guitar lessons all through middle school and a bit into high school, but I’m honestly not 100% sure why. I think it was the kind of thing where my parents just wanted me to have a hobby and I thought guitars were cool. I mean it was fun to play, but I never tried particularly hard to get good at it beyond the surface. Or maybe I’d practice a bit for a specific event, but it was never anything super complex. Same thing went for any sport I tried. Like yeah I ran a few miles every day during cross country, but I never ran during the off season, did any sort of cross training, or even paid attention to what I was eating (mostly junk food, the flow of the universe, and my own spite).

Ballroom might possibly be the first time I’ve ever actively tried to get better at something. It’s so easy for me to think I’m just bad at practicing on my own and I should be giving more time to it, but looking at it through the lens of all the things I’ve tried before, I’ve actually come really far. Of course I’m going to be bad at practicing on my own. That’s something people are supposed to learn, I just never had anything I cared about enough to force myself to learn. And that’s probably the most fundamental change in my understanding of myself. It’s hard to hold onto and I’m going to have to continuously relearn it, but it’s an important realization.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? 

Part of what’s made the whole process of trying to be nicer to myself about being bad at dance is having people who tell me “Hey um, you’re good at dance actually.” Or they tell me what specifically is bad about the dancing and then how to fix it. And during this project, I got to pay people to dedicate hours of their time specifically to telling me those things!

Enoch and Anastasia, the instructors I was taking lessons from, were absolutely fantastic at telling me the things I needed to hear. I’ve never taken an anatomy course, so these dance lessons were probably the most detailed explanations of how my body works that I’ve heard in my entire life. And they dished out enough genuine and specific compliments that I left almost every lesson feeling better about my dancing than when I came, even though we just spent 90 minutes tearing apart everything I’d previously been doing.

I did also genuinely get better at technique during these lessons. Higher level dancers who saw me when I was starting out have seen me at social dancing events or doing practice rounds at club lessons and came over to me to say they could tell that I’d been cooking on Latin/rhythm. With the semester starting, we’ve gotten a lot of new people joining dancesport club, and I feel like a minor deity. There are so many things I can identify because I was doing it the whole time and literally just figured out how to fix it. It feels good to see where I came from and know I’ve surpassed it and then watch as the advice I pass onto new people helps them surpass it too.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

I generally don’t feel proud of the things I’ve accomplished. It’s something I’ve always struggled with and will most likely struggle with for the rest of my life. Taking a few dance lessons won’t fix that, but it was nice to practice thinking differently about my approach to learning. Dance has been the most positive influence on my mental and physical health since coming to college, and I’m so glad I got to spend these weeks doing a deeper dive into it.

1. In my STEP project, I built a PC. This consisted of searching for parts, building the PC, and installing software on the PC.

2.
Since I had never built a PC, the task was daunting. There are so many parts from so many different websites, and sometimes it is difficult to know where to start. However, I was able to get started on the project, despite my hesitations and anxieties. I honestly thought it was something complicated that I wouldn’t be able to do or have a chance to do. However, the STEP project gave me the opportunity to build a PC, which I had always been wanting to do. I lacked confidence at many of the parts of the process since I had never done this before. Again, this led to hesitation and anxiety. However, after each step, I began to feel more and more confident that I knew what I was doing and that I would be able to complete the project. This project helped me transform my confidence with unfamiliar activities. I began to realize that, just because I hadn’t had any experience in building a computer before, doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be able to learn how to do so through learning and hands-on experience.

3.

To start the project, the first steps were learning about what the different parts in a PC do. This was facilitated by the program leader, Ty James. This was done in order to help define what I wanted my end product to contain and what I wanted to do with my PC. As a computer science major, I wanted to build a PC that could handle my schoolwork and future workload, as well as one of my hobbies, video gaming. After this, I spent a lot of time researching parts, which is the process that helped build up confidence to ordering. I continuously looked at different products and their reviews on different websites. However, I understood that, when it comes to ordering, I wouldn’t ever be 100% certain about my decision to purchase, as there are always more reviews I could read, some good and some bad, which could change my opinion about what I was buying.

Next, I had to commit to ordering the parts. Again, although I felt fairly confident about my potential purchases, I was not certain. At this point, I just had to go ahead and order and be comfortable with taking the risk. I ordered from several places, some online and some in person. I ended up being satisfied with all of my parts except one, which I exchanged for a more powerful part a couple days later. I also ended up needing one more part than I originally expected. This taught me that, although I wasn’t certain, I was still satisfied with my purchase, which helped increase my confidence in this unfamiliar project. I also learned to understand that things do not need to be perfect the first time around, and that is okay to make mistakes and change plans, as long as the final product is to my standards.

Next, I built the PC, which was definitely the part that I felt least confident about. There are times that, if done incorrectly, it can break your computer and ruin the whole process, and I wasn’t confident enough in my abilities to feel very comfortable doing the process. So, I made sure to work hard at learning what the steps are in building the PC. Sometimes, I also recruited the help of a friend who had built a PC before. There were a couple times where I made mistakes and panicked. However, I learned how to keep calm, fix the issue, and continue with the process. I tried not to let my mistakes create more hesitation in the build, but when I made a mistake I was more careful for the following steps, as I did not want to make another mistake and slow down the process. Though, even with my mistakes, as I progressed with the build and got closer to finishing, I continued to gain confidence in my abilities. I realized that, if I make a mistake, I can fix it and continue on. I realized that, although it was a difficult project, that I am capable of learning and completing it with confidence.

Towards the end of the project, we learned about certifications in the computing world. We learned that there are many different certifications, and how those certifications can affect job outcomes. As a computer science major, I found this very valuable. I knew that certifications existed but I wasn’t sure about their cost, purpose, or outcomes. However, all of the certifications we learned about yielded a positive return in regards to salary and employment, which helps give  me possibilities on ways continue my transition from college to employment.

4.

This transformation in how I approach confidence with new projects is valuable in nearly every aspect of life. I am able to apply it to my classes, where I should be confident in my abilities to start the project and be okay with making a mistake during the process. The project is very relevant to computer science, as it is very natural to make mistakes in the field. In a real software engineering job, all that matters is if you make a mistake, then you should problem solve and figure out how to fix that mistake, just as I did in the project. It is not beneficial to panic or give up, but instead to persevere, push through, and be confident in problem solving abilities. This project gave me the opportunity to feel confident in my learning and problem solving capabilities, which will be helpful in the future with my career in software engineering or AI.

Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

During the summer after my Junior year, I participated in a 10-week program where I learned about the fundamentals of computer hardware design and creation. Throughout the program, I got to learn about a wide range of topics, ranging from part compatibility and power considerations to more advanced topics like network security and the cloud. This hands-on experience resulted in me getting to connect with other peers who shared the same interests and deepening my knowledge and understanding of how computers are modularized into a cohesive system and how to design them in a manner that suits specific needs.

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

In the past, I had used computers extensively through school and personal usage, but didn’t really understand the technical details behind how a computer works to process and compute information. Since I am a Computer Science and Engineering major, this project helped me gain more fundamental knowledge within my field, which enables me to pursue more advanced areas in the future. On a different note, when working on challenging projects similar to the STEP PC project, I often made decisions based on minimizing obstacles and avoiding complications, rather than actively searching for the most effective and optimal solution. Working on the STEP PC project changed my mindset to be more optimization-focused in that regard. It taught me to be more resilient and persist when facing challenges, allowing me to be more adaptable. Additionally, the progression of spending large portions of time researching parts (and their interactions) to actually implementing my computer decision gave me a greater sense of confidence in how I approached problem-solving through informed/data-driven decisions. Alongside this, the computer-building project truly made me experience firsthand how technology can create communities and help match individuals who share similar interests.

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

Undoubtedly, I experienced the most growth in my technical computer knowledge during the computer architecture lectures from the instructor. Here, I was introduced to the many different high-level components that make up a computer and why each of them was necessary to the system. Learning about this caused me to continue exploring in my free time regarding how these components interacted with each other and what effect they had on computer programs. The knowledge I gained from that experience has helped shape the way I think about technology and building computer programs well. 

Furthermore, I truly began to develop my optimization mindset during the research phase of the project. Contrary to my past experiences of working on tasks with strict guidelines, the task of researching what kind of computer I required was largely open-ended. And so I began to notice myself selecting parts that seemed reasonable, only to immediately swap them for a more effective set of components I developed as a result of further persistent research. Through this, I started to consider long-term features and capabilities as I continued to iteratively prototype and research. Ultimately, when I finalized the PC-build design, I was left with a newly-carved behavior to strive for optimization in my efforts in challenges and problems rather than simply settling.

Another crucial moment where I learned to be more resilient was during the build stage. Specifically, it was during the step where I had to apply thermal paste on the metal casing of the CPU before I installed the CPU cooler on top of it. When I went to apply the paste, I ended up placing too much, creating the risk that when I pressed down the cooler onto the CPU, it would end up spilling into other parts of the motherboard. This was problematic for several reasons, such as the paste getting stuck in sensitive areas where it would be incredibly difficult to remove. While I initially panicked, I realized that the only way to move forward was to properly assess the issue and develop a solution for it. I researched the problem on the internet and settled on carefully extracting the substance with isopropyl alcohol and lint-free cloth. And after reinstalling the paste properly, I was able to complete the setup. Realizing that I have the ability to tackle issues like this helped me become a more resilient person. 

Throughout the entire project, one of the most important things I became aware of was the importance of technology in building communities. Now importantly, the lectures and general communication for the cohort happened through digital channels. And so, during the research portion of the project, I got to reach out to many of the other individuals in the cohort and discuss not only considerations about the project but also personal topics, such as hobbies and other interests. Making friends through the course of this project, directly enabled me to not only gain better knowledge about computers through discussion but also build a bigger sense of perspective on how computers and technology in general can be transformative in social networking and building a larger sense of community in the world.

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

Ultimately, this collection of experiences and developmental changes has helped me grow in many ways. From a technical standpoint, learning more about computers and their inner workings continues to help me understand larger computer systems on a more fundamental level. As mentioned previously, such knowledge has vastly helped me improve my breadth of ability within Computer Science academics and the field overall. On top of this, the lectures where I gained exposure to more advanced computer-related topics continue to help me shape my career path in a manner that works towards those areas. On a more personal level, by experiencing the virtual nature of the cohort, I got to widen my perspective on how technology impacts society and community, which is important in helping me think about how I want to use my skill set to benefit the world. Truly, the STEP PC project has helped me grow my character and resilience, which assists me in handling daily challenges and problems. As a result, I am greatly thankful for the opportunity to be part of such a project and get to grow from it.

Excel spreadsheet of design ideas

Fabric selections

Me and the moment enough of the quilt was together to use it as a blanket!

Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. (2-3 sentences)

My STEP Signature Project was based around developing what I hope will be a life-long skill — sewing! I attended an introductory course at a quilting shop and I learned how to piece together fabric patterns, use a sewing machine, problem solve when a sewing machine mysteriously stops working, quilt multiple layers together, the principles of embroidery, and bind unfinished edges together.

What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? (1-2 paragraphs)

I know people who are fantastic at sewing. I, rather ignorantly, grew up seeing the ease with which they made such impressive projects and inferred that sewing is simple. Through completing my STEP Signature Project, I learned that my assumption was not at all true. Sewing can be easy, eventually, after years of dedicated practice, but for a beginner (especially one who does not enjoy not being good at something right away)? Very complicated! There are so many moving pieces, so many places you need to have measured correctly or something will not work, and all sorts of ways to jam a sewing machine. I quickly had to accept that I am not a quilting prodigy and start putting in the hours to improve. Luckily, I had a lot of support from the staff and my fellow classmates at Quilt Beginnings, and my grandma was able to FaceTime and help me diagnose machine problems.

I now have a greater appreciation for the people in my life and what their sewing prowess really means — not that it is easy, but that they put in a lot of effort to get so good. I myself have new technical skills, but perhaps more meaningful in the “transformative” sense is that I went out of my comfort zone to try something new and then worked at it even though it did not come naturally to me. As someone trying to reform my unhelpful perfectionism, this is a huge step.

What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? (3-4 paragraphs)

My positive experience was absolutely the result of the wonderful guidance and support from the people around me. The staff at Quilt Beginnings were there for me through the whole process — deciding which class, agonizing over fabric combinations, my first mistake, and even the first time I did something correctly. My teacher was not only an experienced quilter, but an experienced educator. She has been teaching at Quilt Beginnings for many classes, and before that she was a Home Economics teacher at a local high school. It was very evident in the way she communicated. She anticipated the questions we would have, gave us the why behind the methods we were taught, and constructively got us back on track when someone’s piecing did not fit together quite correctly.

For the rest of my classmates, despite no one being an experienced quilter, many people there had much more sewing experience than I came in with (not difficult to beat 0). It was a very welcoming environment. There were steps in our process where we specifically spent our class time helping one another so nobody would feel overwhelmed. Everyone was so kind and supportive of one another that I cannot imagine a better environment to develop the skill of developing a new skill.

I also appreciated the support of my friends and family — much more informal than the official setting of the quilting shop, but important all the same. I spent days over a sewing machine at my parents’ kitchen table and in my friends’ living room because my apartment is not big enough to be sewing-project-friendly. Everyone shared my excitement for this new project and I would not have been motivated without all that support. 

Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and future plans. (1-2 paragraphs)

First, I will address the growth in my technical skills. I started off as someone who had hand-stitched a stuffed animal in elementary school art class and thought there was nothing tricky at all. I learned that there are actually a lot of tricky parts to sewing and I learned how to do them. I have easily quadrupled the sewing capabilities I had before my STEP Signature Project began. I feel comfortable not only with the thought of quilting, but of mending clothes and other sewing projects which were not previously on my radar but could be super helpful. I also already have plans for my next quilt!

As for personal growth, I think increasing my willingness to try new things is a growth in my maturity. Having an experience where I not only learned new skills, but first had to overcome the thought that it would not be much work at all, was beneficial as I now can approach other topics with that same attitude. Crafting, yes, but also professionally and interpersonally. Just because I think now that I am not good at something, or maybe even that something is easy but not worth my doing, I can challenge that belief and recognize that maybe there is value there in trying and failing and keeping on anyways.