1. From May 6^thto August 16^th, I worked as a Technical Sales Intern at Trane in Columbus, Ohio. In this position, I shadowed and learned from the sales engineers and was able to develop technical knowledge about HVAC’s and the energy solutions that we can provide our customers.

2. This summer was very transformative for me, because it gave me a sense of direction for my future career. I love engineering, but I did not know what field I wanted to go into, or if I wanted to do a typical engineering job for the rest of my life. The idea of engineering sales really interested me, because it was a combination of problem solving and working with people. I have gained a deeper understanding of myself through this internship, because I now know that this type of field is definitely something that I have a passion for. Being able to find energy solutions for customers that not only saved them money, but also helped reduce the carbon footprint is something that really motivates me. I found that I not only love sales, but I love the HVAC industry and the different opportunities it has. This was a huge shift in my view for my career, because I thought I would end up in a chemical engineering role in a company.

3. One of the biggest projects I was a part of was a project at a school district here in Columbus. Their HVAC equipment is 20-30 years old and failing, so the superintendent reached out to a member of the sales team at Trane. That salesperson included me in the process from the very beginning. To begin, the team was given their electric, gas, and water bills for the last two years so that we could do utility analysis. I did this utility analysis to find how much the customer was spending per square foot. This is very impactful, because it gives Trane a benchmark of where money and energy can be saved if capital improvements are made.

The next step was to do walk throughs of all the buildings on the school district’s campus to analyze the current situation of all the HVAC equipment and lighting. The salesperson, a project developer, a technician, the superintendent of the school, the schools head of maintenance, and I walked from one mechanical room to the next to take inventory of the equipment at each site. After, a project bid was put together with our proposed solution including equipment replacements, controls, lighting, and future utility savings.

The final step in this process was to meet with the superintendent, the chief financial officer, head of maintenance, and the business manager to show them the proposal that was put together. During this meeting, the head salesperson asked me to speak about the utility analysis I did, and how much it could save them in the future. This project was so transformative for me, because it allowed me to participate in a project from beginning to end and build relationships with the employees at the school, the technicians, and the sales staff at Trane. It showed me how much I loved what I was doing, and how I loved helping the customers find a solution that they could afford while also being environmentally conscious.

4. This change was transformative for two main reasons. One, it showed me that the field of technical sales is something that I am very interested in pursuing. I think a lot of engineers have not heard of technical sales, or do not think it is something they would be interested in. Taking a chance on an internship that was different than my peers in chemical engineering really paid off, because I found a job that I love and want to pursue. It was also transformative for my future, because I found a company that I love. Trane has an amazing culture of balancing work and life, while simultaneously giving the sales staff a flexible schedule. Trane also has transitioned into focusing heavily on controls and Intelligent Services in order to become more environmentally friendly than they already currently are. I think this is so important, because every company should be making active strides to reducing their energy consumption and we get to help our customers do that.

This summer, I interned as a mechanical engineer in research and development department at Etegent Technologies. I was involved in various projects and got the taste of different aspect of engineering design and research.

Because this was my first internship, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wanted the opportunity to not only gain experience in professional setting but also to explore various routes mechanical engineers can take in the industry. I first thought that working in professional setting would be more restricted as there are numerous factors that must be considered for the success of the team. However, the general atmosphere of the company was chill and provided flexibility to the work I’m doing. The image of working in industry as an engineer in my head was the first thing that changed as I began working. I learned that working on industry projects require creativity and thinking out of the box and allows more flexibility to how I can approach the problem.

Another thing I realized from this internship is that my interest, skills, and working style fits into research and development area. Research and development engineers are the first to take a look at the problem and come up with all the possible solutions. As I mentioned flexibility previously, I had minimal restrictions to brainstorm ideas and express my thoughts when approaching the problems. I was able to freely explore different aspects of the project.

One of the main tasks of mine was prototyping. If the description of the functionality of the device is given, I come up with design ideas and keep iterating until all the requirements are met. This design is 3D modeled and the prototype is built based on the design. This work sparked my creativity and flexibility to stretch beyond my limits when solving problems. It also allowed me to understand that I enjoy product design and rapid prototyping and I have good skills for it.

As I was performing my job, I had to interact with the team, the clients, and various people professionally. I didn’t really have a good interpersonal skill as I always tried to minimize communications and conflicts with other people. This was a good opportunity for me to improve professional and interpersonal skills as I communicate with the people at work on diverse parts of the project.

Another major job of mine was testing, data analysis, and creating diagnostic tools. I tested the prototypes for various projects, collected data, and analyzed the data based on my understanding of the subject. As I performed testing and data analysis, I encountered some trouble due to insufficient diagnostic tools. For later uses, I documented all the issues with current tools. Based on these, I developed new diagnostic tools that compensate the defect in the original tools used. From this aspect of the job, I was able to improve documenting skills as well as the ability to detect any faults in the model or software tools. I also learned that this I enjoy and am good at this iterative process of testing, analyzing, fixing, and providing good result. This experience opened up the research/development side of engineering and helped me to figure out what I want to be doing when I get a full-time job as an engineer.

This transformation is valuable to my life because it changed my view on engineers working in professional setting and allowed me to explore my interests and potentials. I gained a lot of valuable skills that I couldn’t get from academic setting that would be useful for my future career. Because I worked as a research engineer, I believe the research skills I obtained from this opportunity can build a strong foundation for my undergraduate research and graduate career. The professional and interpersonal skills I gained will be useful when I’m competing for full-time positions after graduating college. All these skills will be transferred to my future career and make myself a more appealing candidate for whichever job I desire.

*The specific parts of the projects I worked on cannot be shared. Instead, I shared pictures of part of a project that is open for sharing.

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My STEP signature project comprised earning my Emergency Medical Technician certification followed by completing an internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. During the Summer of 2018, I took a class at Columbus State Community college to earn my certification.  This class was comprised of a lecture section, lab section, clinical section and ride-along section, where we not only acquired the knowledge needed to be a good EMT, but also practiced the skills that are required.  During the Summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to become a student intern in the neonatology department at Nationwide Children’s hospital, where I shadowed different medical professionals, as well as attended neonatology and pediatric grand rounds.

At the beginning of my STEP signature project, I was a little unsure of the career path I had chosen as a pre-med student. At that time, I was wondering if I truly had enough discipline and confidence to be a good doctor.  My intentions were always to help people and give them hope, but as a sophomore in college, I began to realize that you needed a lot more than pure intentions to become a truly good and reliable doctor.  I wanted to use my STEP signature project as an opportunity to explore who I was, what I wanted, and what I was capable of.  I think that the process of completing the STEP project helped me to understand myself in terms of what I wanted as a career, as well as what was important to me in terms of achievement.  At the beginning of my sophomore year of college, when I began the STEP program, I was pre-med.  At the beginning of my senior year, after completing my STEP project, I am now pre-PA.

During my EMT class, I had the opportunity to work with and learn from a great group of classmates. My class was comprised of students younger than me, older than me and even students from OSU who were also completing their certification for their STEP project.  There were different people there for different reasons and it made me realize how many options and opportunities there are for all career paths.  Some students were looking to become firefighters, some students were looking to become EMT’s or paramedics, some were looking to use the experience to get into nursing school and some people were hoping to use experience as an EMT as a stepping stone for medical school.  Ever since I was young, I had said that I wanted to become a doctor—a pediatric oncologist, to be exact—but working alongside people from all walks of life helped me think more broadly about my options.

As mentioned, the EMT class included a ride-along portion and clinical portion where we had to use the skills that we learned in the classroom and lab and apply it in a medical, such as in a hospital or in an EMS vehicle.  During these sections, we learned bedside manner and how to interact with patients.  It was during this part of the class where I realized how much I value patient interaction.  Though my interactions with patients were quite brief, I learned so much about who they are and what they are going through.  The moments where I could talk to the patients and give what little comfort I could give during our brief interactions were significant to me.  It was at this point that I started explore more options in the medical field, such as becoming a nurse or a Physician Assistant.

During my internship, I had the opportunity to shadow multiple different medical professionals including, a nurse practioner, Physician assistant, social worker and nurse.  It was during this time that things started to click for me.  Experiencing a full work day was truly eye-opening.  What I admired about all these professionals that I shadowed was how much they interact with the patients and families and how much support –physical, mental, emotion—that they provide to the patients and families.  There was so much teamwork that went into taking care of each child, and that was touching to me.  I realized how much I wanted to be part of team as a medical professional.

I think this STEP project helped me think deeply about what I want and what I value as a person. Being young, it is easy to be guided to a direction that simply is not meant for you because you simply do not have the experience to know what might be right and what might be wrong.  It can be scary to take a chance based on intuition because you cannot know for sure what the end-product might be, but this project helped me make a life-changing decision based on experience.  I had the chance to experience what it is like to be a first responder, and I had the chance to experience the day in the life of different medical professionals.  I think I knew what I wanted all along, but completing this project helped me trust my intuition a little bit more.  It helped me decide the type of medical professional I would like to be and how I want to make a difference in other people’s life.  The skills that I have learned throughout the duration of my project are skills that can be applied to my personal and professional life.  I have learned life-saving medical techniques, life-changing communication techniques, and have learned life-molding personal development techniques and I am looking forward to using them in whatever path lies ahead.

Project Description: 

For my STEP signature project, I interned with Southwest Airlines. During this internship, I was responsible for supporting the Network Operations Control (NOC) executives’ team and promoted employee engagement throughout the department. I implemented new strategies that improved executive leadership communication and implement programs and initiatives that will align with and support the strategic vision of NOC and Southwest. One project that I am extremely proud of overhauling and creating a whole new employee onboarding process

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

I had a lot of transformational changes that happened during my internship. The first transformational experience was being able to connect with amazing industry leaders and form amazing relationships with them. Having their guidance has helped me understand and refine more of what I want to do. I know now that I want to take a gap year and return back to southwest before I got to graduate school and law school. I am able to narrow down and really truly understand if I feel fulfilled with the work that I am doing. In addition, with this experience I found out that I am worth more and can do more than I imagined

I also was culturally transformed by being able to fly to 30 places all over the US and being able to explore. I had the chance to meet online friends that I’ve never met before to or the fact that I had a chance to tour our great country and see some of the struggles that our fellow brothers and sisters are going through. It was eye opening to go to a place that is full of life and vibrant to places that need some tough love and care. It made me ask what things I can do and relit a fire for politics.

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?

One extremely important interaction I had was when I met with a corporate lawyer and we spoke about my life, my passions, and my concerns about the life that I want to pursue, and he gave me so much fantastic advice and truly cared. He said that he wanted to take me under his wing and help me out the best he could. I figured out that it would be best for me after our conversation to get a bit more industry experience, take a deep breath, and move forward. If I didn’t have this conversation I would be scrabbling now applying to places and programs that I am not certain about. I no longer feel like I’m behind, but at my own pace navigating that odd turns life gives you.

My second important interaction is understanding the corporate world and working under other people’s priorities. I was hired for Employee Engagement and Executive Communication in a operations department. I believe the last part of that sentence is extremely important. In a operations department. The products and services I provide do not directly improve our operations per se, indirectly yes, but figuring our ways to show that to executive leadership and actually convincing them that this stuff is important is a bigger task. Especially when you are collaborating with very business minded or technological minded people. Explaining and advocating why would should implement my plan or an engagement plan may be very challenging. Especially if it could possibly conflict with the current leadership style. This taught me so many tactical skills to use in the future.

Finally, when I visited Portland, OR I noticed lots of people who are homeless, and it shocked me. Such a vibrant city, but it did not look like there was any support for these individuals on the streets. It really made me call into question what we are really doing for one another and how can we actually help. This lit a fire of service and advocating for political reform in me.

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

This change is significant because I was empowered and recognized that I can do bigger things than I think I can. That I do not need to compete and rush into things if I have a better battle plan. I have now great leaders and mentors that keep tabs on me, and I found a corporate family. I love southwest. Our mission, vision, values line up perfectly.

My step project was a naturalist internship in Avon, Colorado at a nonprofit called Walking Mountains Science Center. Walking Mountains Science Center’s mission is “To awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship and sustainability through natural science education.” As a naturalist I designed and carried out programs that worked with residents (of all ages, ethnicity , and social statuses) and visitors to the Eagle Valley to educate everyone on the natural world around them.

This project changed my perception of myself, my future, and the world around me. As an environmental science major, I spend much of my time hearing about the negative things that are occurring all around the world. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world through environmental science, but I never really understood how I would do it. Research always seemed like the answer, but honestly my personality does not fit well with research. I accepted a position for the summer in the environmental education industry, mainly excited to go to Colorado and to try something new. I went in with the perception that I had no desire to work with children and that this would be a summer job, not much more. I can honestly say that after working this job this summer, environmental education is the career path that I would like to pursue. I truly love working with children because they are our future and they are at a stage in their lives where they are the most influence-able.

I also found that I love working with a wide variety of people. Everyday that I was going to work, to learn to plan alternative activities for all different backgrounds. I loved talking to older people because they would tell me their perspective and I had the opportunity to hear stories of about different ecosystems and cultures all over the world. I have spent a lot of my life surrounded by people who have had very similar backgrounds, so having the opportunity to learn from so many visitors with different back grounds helped me to think in a more worldly manner. I spent a lot of time talking with people from different areas about issues that they were experiencing, and they would give me their personal stories. Hearing personal stories has helped me to think about environmental issues in different ways and has made me think harder about different solutions and how they affect different groups of people.

I had an abundance of interactions this summer that really influenced the way I think about things and where I see my career in the future. One of my favorite interactions was with a 10-year-old girl. She came into the nature center one Saturday while I was working and asked me a question about a scat game that we had at the nature center. After playing the game with her, I decided to bring out some skulls and try to match the animals to the skulls. I did an impromptu mini lesson on different skulls and saw that she had an interest in the birds. So, I brought her over to our bird watching section and taught her about bird watching and introduced her to a citizen science project called “ebird”. Both her and her mother were at the nature center for about 30 minutes and then the two of them left buying a field guide on the way out. I did not really think too much of the interaction, except that I thought it was fun. At the end of the summer (about 2 months later), the girl and her mother returned to the nature center. She walked in carrying a notebook and immediately asked if she could show me what was in her notebook. She began to show me that she had started her own field guide over the summer and was going online and reading about all the local wildlife. She expressed that she had gained an interest in wildlife conservation and wanted to ask me some questions about jobs in the industry. She had even started her own ebird account. Having an interaction like this was so moving for me and was really assuring that this is a field that I love and want to be a part of. Working with children is such an important thing when it comes to making a difference in the world and I think this experience was a perfect example of that.

Another interaction I had was with a retreat group. They were teenagers from all over the country coming together to do service for a week. None of the teenagers knew each other and when they arrived at the nature center none of them seemed too excited when I told them we were going to be removing invasive species from a swamp. Most of them were hesitant at first to even go near the water, however, their leaders and I were persistent that this was the work we needed them to do. By the end of the day, the teenagers had cleared out an entire section of invasive species from our swamp, they were able to accurately identify invasive and native species, and they had thoroughly enjoyed playing in the water as they worked. Some of them were curious about different inhabitants of the swamp and others were extremely zealous and had a mud fight in the swamp. All of them had to be hosed down at the end of the day and they said that removing the invasive species from the swamp was their favorite day on the trip. I found this day to be so encouraging! Seeing so many teenagers coming together and playing in the water like children and gaining an interest in the natural world, while not caring what others thought of them made the day fun for me too. I do not know if those teenagers will go home and continue to spend time outside or if they will take all of this knowledge home with them, but for one day I had take them outside and teach them while they also had fun and I hope that is an experience that they will remember.

The events above were two of my favorite moments this summer, but I had an abundance of interactions that helped to shape me and get me to where I am today. I led nature walks for so many incredible people. I had a volunteer program every week where I had one consistent volunteer who was truly dedicated to making a difference. I worked with 30 other incredible interns who helped to guide me and give me feedback throughout the summer. I was one of the youngest and the only one with no prior experience in the field. I also was privileged enough to work for Walking Mountains Science Center, which is one of the most well known and respected nonprofits in Eagle Valley.

If it were not for my internship this summer, I do not know that I would have a career path in mind at this point in time. I loved working with people and encouraging them to get outside. I went into this internship with low expectations. I was interested in what the industry was about, but really did not think much about it. I just wanted a break from research. I have learned through this job that I have the ability to take scientific research and present it to people of different education levels in a way that is fun and engaging to them. This job helped me to develop those skills and began training me for the industry. When I chose my major, I was set on going to graduate school to do research, but that changed this summer. While thinking about my future after graduation, a date that is quickly approaching, I feel excited about the opportunities that await me. I want to accept another long-term internship or two so I can gain experience in the field and fine tune the skills that I have started to develop. I would then like to return to school to get my master’s in environmental education. I have become more independent, confident, and aware of what I want in life and I am incredibly grateful that STEP helped to make this past summer of my life possible.

The picture above is one of the three nature centers that I had the opportunity to work at this summer. They were all this beautiful!

This is a picture of me and all of my outstanding naturalist coworkers during training. This picture was taken in the middle of June. If you look closely you will see that we were all wearing snow shoes for this hike.

Over summer I had the opportunity to stay in Columbus and work at the Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Research Laboratory. My responsibilities included general hive care, hive inspections, and various work on different research projects being conducted.

For a majority of my time at Ohio State University, I thought I knew what I was passionate about. I thought I knew that I was completely and full-heartedly content with the path I was on. I began to question this assumption I had when I fell in love with honey bees. After deciding to broaden my academic horizons to include entomology, I became determined to apply my research desires with my newfound appreciation for insects. The time I spent at Rothenbuhler reinforced that sometimes you need to be open to exploring new passions because you may just find that it’s a better fit.

I am happy I chose to try new things and give myself the opportunity to grow and learn. The experience instilled a new sense of excitement about my future. Besides discovering a new passion, I am excited about the prospect of doing important work – work that will impact humanity and the natural environment. Pollinators, and especially honey bees, play a vital role in healthy ecosystems and productive agricultural practices alike. The potential research I hope to conduct later in life has implications that are far-reaching and can be critical to maintaining food security, biodiversity, and life as we know it.

The team at Rothenbuhler is nothing short of amazing. Composed of staff members, professors, researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students, Rothenbuhler offered me the opportunity to grow and learn from many different teachers. As someone with little practical beekeeping experience, Chia Hau-Lin was a patient teacher who showed me the ropes. From how to light a smoker, to treating hives for Varroa mites, Chia helped me gain the foundational confidence to tackle hive related issues by myself. Dr. Reed Johnson, who graciously allowed me to be part of his lab, went from my boss to my research advisor. He has been a fundamental component of helping me develop my own research ideas and processes. With his help, I went from helping others’ on their projects, to conducting my own. I feel lucky to have met someone who pushed me to take on challenges I may not have otherwise.

While helping with other research projects, I got the opportunity to meet graduate students who work in the lab. The time I spent helping graduate student, Harper, with hive inspections has not only given me a new friend, but vital insight into the life of a graduate student. Although I don’t know what the immediate future holds for me, graduate school or not, Harper has given me an awareness of what my life would entail if I chose to continue on to graduate school.

Although everyone has been absolutely incredible, this experience would not have been as memorable if it weren’t for the rest of the undergraduate team. I spent most of my time over the summer with three other lab members, Nicole, Will and Colin. Although we collectively got the short end of the stick in many cases, doing less-than-desirable tasks (like counting thousands of dead and rotting bees) was made tolerable because of them. When curve-balls were thrown, I knew that we would all have each other’s’ backs, and I felt a sense of comfort in knowing I could rely on them for help. Together we struggled to find queens, wrangled small hive beetles, got stung countless times in unfortunate places, collected and bottled our own honey, and became good friends– all thanks to the bees.

This experience definitely marks a big era of growth me for. The growth I underwent occurred not only professionally and academically, but also emotionally and mentally. I’m someone who believes the personal growth is critical to continuously bettering oneself, and I am grateful to have gotten the chance to enact my beliefs. The fruitfulness of this experience will continue to make itself known years down the line. Change can be scary, but change is needed. The change I experienced over this summer has given me clarity. Although I don’t have a straight and narrow path to my future figured out, I know that the path has been given a new sense of direction. The future is never guaranteed, and I will never know what it has in store for me, but the lessons I learned, both practical/technical and psychological, have shown me that it is never too late to learn something new, discover a deeper passion, make new friends, or change the path you’re walking down.

I did my internship over the summer with the York Revolution Professional Baseball team in York, Pennsylvania. I served as one of their marketing interns where I helped organize theme nights, execute in game promotions, and assist with other day to day tasks that comes with operating a minor league baseball team.

I have always known I have wanted to work in sports. I have spent my collegiate career interning with Ohio State Athletics, and I thought for sure I wanted to work in college sports. Last summer I did an internship within minor league baseball in the same league as the York Revolution. I enjoyed the family-oriented aspect of the minor leagues, but I was not sure it was the path for me for my career. When I received an offer from the General Manager of the Revolution, I was a little hesitant. I was unsure if I wanted to spend another summer in minor league baseball. I took the job to be openminded and gain more valuable transferable experience. Little did I know that this experience would solidify that minor league baseball is in fact the route I want to pursue for my career postgraduation. I assumed I was not interested or not cut out for the long season, but this internship proved that I in fact can survive more than one summer in the minors. In fact, I did not just survive I thrived. This marketing internship helped me find my true passion in the sport industry.

The first thing that helped me come to this realization was the Revolution fans. When I was interacting with them, they showed me how amazing minor league baseball fans truly are. There is no more dedicated fan-base. These people will come out to games that will last hours and feature virtually no-name players that may never reach the major leagues. They simply come for the atmosphere and the fact that sport can provide an escape from day to day life. Those that were at the ballpark often took the time to get to know who I was and tell me about their baseball journey. They valued what I did for the team and constantly showed their appreciation for the hard work of the staff. Knowing that I was working to serve such great people made the job even better, and something I would continue to do for the rest of my life.

The second thing that made me convinced that baseball was the path for me was the element of creativity. Baseball is a long game and a long season. For some that can be daunting, it was for me in the beginning. Then I realized what that truly meant. It meant multiple games where you could try a new promotion or do a trial run on a theme night. Some days were a complete bust but that is the beauty of baseball. You have about 70 home games to try out all these ideas and see how the fanbase reacts. There is no other sport that you can do this. The minors are all about fun and family. I was able to create, market, and execute the business of fun. There is no better job than a game and no better office than a baseball stadium.

The final convincing factor was the relationship I built with my fellow Revolution staff members. With a long season means long hours. Minor league baseball often features small staffs. There were about 25 of us on staff including interns. This meant I was spending some very long days with the same 25 people. The staff became my family. We market to families and promote that we are a family fun entertainment business, but that is only successful because we as a staff are a family. As a unit we road some rough days out together and celebrated the great moments. My fondest memories from my summer experience almost always feature at least one of my coworkers right there with me. I was more than just a number on as staff sheet with this organization. I was an integral part of the operation and a valued member of the family. That is the kind of work culture I want to build my career within.

This transformation, I like to say realization if you will, is extremely significant to my life. For the longest time I thought I wanted to pursue a career in college sport. That meant that I would be taking the GRE, searching for a master’s program, and looking to become a GA at another university post-graduation. Instead I have signed up to attend the Baseball Winter Meetings in December and take my two summers of baseball experience to the Minor League Baseball Job Fair at the Meetings. Without this summer to solidify that baseball truly is where I belong, I would be on a very different life trajectory. There is no telling where I would have ended up or if I would have been happy. I am extremely grateful for that call out of the blue from the General Manager of the York Revolution. I decided to take a chance and not close myself off to the possibility, and boy oh boy did it open my eyes! I cannot wait to see where this journey takes me, but I am forever thankful for where it started in good old York Pennsylvania!

My STEP Signature Project consisted of an internship through the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology. To be a competitive optometry school applicant, you must fill your application with optometric experiences. This internship gave me the ability to gain patient experience, learn more about the field, and understand the ins and outs of working in an MD/OD practice. As an optometric technician, I worked up patients for eye exams by collecting information about their medical history and checking things such as their visual acuities, eye pressures, and ocular movements. I also had the ability to complete visual testing, insert dilating drops, and scribe alongside the doctor as he finished exams.

This opportunity was valuable to my future career because it gave me the experience needed in a patient care environment to be prepared for my optometry interview and school in the future. My intrapersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with patients has increased through the constant exposure. I now know that I can be a great doctor because of my ability to collect information and put the piece together to come to a diagnosis. Being an optometrist is all about putting the puzzle together and being able to conclude with all the information given. My view of the field has changed with this experience because of the diverse population of patients that I was able to work with. Columbus offers students the experience to be exposed to people from all walks of life with different socioeconomic statuses. Growing up in Bay Village, everyone around my area was of a similar background and led similar lifestyles. I did not know until coming to Ohio State and having the opportunity to work with this department that most people do not have great health insurance and are not able to regularly visit the eye doctor. Because of this, I was able to be exposed to tons of ocular diseases that I did not even know existed.

My first week at the program was at our clinic on the east side of Columbus called Carepoint East. That clinic is in a less affluent area and the no show rate in the clinic is much higher than that of our other clinics in Dublin and Westerville. On my first day, I was exposed to 4 patients that were diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. This ocular disease is a product of poor control of blood sugars. The patient’s inability to visit the optometrist for many years has caused this disease to develop and worsen. After this experience on day one, I knew that I had a passion for ocular disease and treating the more difficult cases as an optometrist.

Dr. Melnyk’s other offices in Westerville and Dublin showed me a different side of optometry and was a good change of pace during the week. The patients in those locations were more reliable and more educated on their health conditions and medications. In these locations we completed contact lens fittings, refractive corrections, and more problem-based exams rather than diabetic exams. The exposure to these aspects gave me a more well-rounded view of the field that I am getting into. It gave me a more private practice atmosphere while still being in an MD/OD practice.

Dr. Melnyk has been a huge influence in my life over this summer and has shaped me into a more confident and prepared individual. From day one, he took the time to teach me things. Most doctors that I have shadowed in the past have not been as willing to take the time out of their busy day to allow me to look at patients and explain imaging and results with me. I was allowed to not only work up patients, but also use the slit lamp and examine the patients after Dr. Melnyk had completed the exam if there was something significant to be seen. Overall, the exposure that I receive with this internship has more than prepared me for the four years to come in optometry school. I have grown not only in my education of the visual system, but also about how a practice runs, the behind the scenes work of insurance and pharmacy information, and growth as a person with my communication skills and patient interactions.

Overall, this experience has transformed me as a person and made a significant impact on my life. I have always been an outgoing person, but when I went in with my first patient on my own, I was intimidated. The summer has built up my confidence and taught me how to interact with patients in a professional yet empathetic manner. I have learned how to explain ocular conditions to others who have no exposure to the medical field, and it has sparked my interest in teaching in the future. I am more excited than ever before to enter this field because I feel I have found my direction and formed a plan as to how I want to practice in the future. I see myself delving deeper into ocular disease and treating those hard cases that other doctors refer off to medical doctors. I see myself educating patients on the importance of ocular health and receiving annual eye exams. I hope to one day make a major impact in the field with my voice and knowledge and I think this internship was a great stepping point on my journey.

1. My project was the Washington Academic Internship Program of Summer 2019. During this project, I lived, worked, and studied in Washington, D.C. I worked as an intern in the United States House of Representatives, and was supported by Ohio State staff and faculty in D.C. that facilitated classes, policy salons and study tours that took us around D.C. and introduced us to incredible people and ideas.

2. Going into this project, I thought that the plan after graduation was to stay in Ohio and work hard in a job in Columbus or Cleveland. I never dared to dream bigger or broader than what was right in front of me. Instead, my time in Washington, D.C. opened new doors and possibilities for my life that I had never thought possible. I made connections with people who had careers in D.C., who not only provided their expertise and knowledge about their field, but also were invaluable resources for me in a job search in D.C. I also saw some incredible things during my internship in Congress, which made my assumptions on how government worked disappear. I was able to see how policy is formed, how interests of constituents are carefully tracked and influence policymakers, and how our nation’s democratic system is able to function with enough friction to let all sides be heard without resulting in major conflict.

Overall, my program transformed my view of myself the most. I had dreamed of living in Ohio, some small town where I would be able to live the simple life. My time in Washington D.C. allowed me to see in myself the ability to shape policy and live the life that I had never dreamed of before. I can see myself someday going back to D.C. and impacting the constituents that I spoke to while I was in D.C. I learned to dream bigger and I realized that one person, no matter who, can impact hundreds of thousands of people in the right place.

3. The first interaction that impacted my experience significantly was the interaction that I had daily with those in my internship office. There was about 10 of us in the office of a Congressperson, so there was a lot of work that was split amongst a small number of people. These people taught me the value of hard work and the selflessness it requires to spend hours and hours reading and researching, writing speeches and formatting bills, only to not have any of the credit to your name. These are the people that I learned so many different paths, from different cities and schools and backgrounds, can converge in one place. There were people in my office from California, Cleveland, and Chicago, to name a few, and they all came together to work for a cause behind a member of Congress. I really learned so much from this group of hardworking individuals and they shaped my future career and goals heavily.

The second activity that shaped my experience was being able to live with 30 other John Glenn Fellows from Ohio State during my time in Washington, D.C. They were truly some of the most passionate and driven people I had ever met, and I don’t think I would have met them if not for the Washington Academic Internship Program. They transformed me by showing that coming from a similar background (Ohio State), there is still so much to be learned and gained from each other. There were people in my cohort that worked for the Peace Corps, the National Archives, the Federal Judicial Center, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and so many more. I think it is extremely special that I was able to live so closely with people passionate about so many different things. Ohio State united us, but our interests took us all over the city and gave us the possibility of achieving more. I was really grateful for the other John Glenn Fellows and all that they did to transform me into a more confident and passionate human being who has big dreams and an even bigger passion for policy.

The last activity that shaped my experience in Washington D.C. and truly transformed me was sitting in on a markup of a bill in the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor. It was a bill introduced by the Congressperson I worked for, and it was a major step towards reforming the education system. This was transformative for me because I fell in love with education policy during the summer in D.C., and this was my first taste of the rubber meeting the road, and seeing what can actually be done to affect change. I took notes while each Congressperson was speaking, and this moment was when I knew that education and education policy was my future, and D.C. was the place to do it. I had always had an interest, but this moment was so special because not only did my office trust me to sit in on the hearing, but I was able to see so many powerful people make decisions on a bill that my office had sent to vote. This was a special moment that I will never forget, and it transformed my career path forever.

4. This change is huge for my life. As I said previously, I had planned to come back to Ohio after graduation and live a life that is simple and clean cut in a Midwestern city. However, after this summer, my entire outlook changed. I am now able to see myself living back in D.C. after graduation, making policy and hopefully working in the office that I interned for in the future as a full-time employee. This experience transformed me from having dreams of a simple life to having dreams of affecting change and creating policy that is able to not only impact constituents but hundreds of thousands of Americans who are crying out for help that is so desperately needed. These few months spent in Washington, D.C. allowed me to see more for myself and my life than just a Midwestern city. I can see myself going to law school or getting a Master’s degree in D.C., and then getting a job in Congress again so I am able to write and produce laws and policy changes. I am able to see myself being in front of some of the most important people in the country and presenting on issues and resources that I think are vital to be addressed and used by the American people. Most importantly, I am a much more independent and driven policymaker now. I want to help people, which I have wanted to do since I was very young. But now, I am able to shoot for the stars and I think that this life-changing kind of policymaking can only happen in one place and with one atmosphere: Washington D.C. Luckily, I was able to familiarize myself and make connections there through this program so I can hit the ground running and establish myself in Washington D.C. as a force to be reckoned with.