1: I completed a State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA) course to obtain a certificate that I can use to apply for patient care jobs in the hospital. This was a two week course where I learned important medical information to be an STNA, completed labs where I learned the skills required by the state of Ohio, and completed clinical days at a nursing home in Upper Arlington.

2: My view completely changed after taking this course. I went into the course very biased assuming the people completing the course would be just like me- college students who are a pre-health major looking for a certification to get a job for patient care hours. I was completely wrong. My class had people ages 18-65. There were people who were even there from other countries! Some of the people were taking the course as a requirement to begin nursing school, some people were taking the course to continue advancing their nursing education though a route that did not include an undergraduate education, and some people were there to obtain a certification to be able to apply for a full-time job the they would use for the rest of their lives. With this diverse group of people, I also realized how I was very ignorant thinking concepts were “common sense” or “easy.” The information presented to us was not “common sense” or “easy” for everyone. It made me step back and think about how I have been fortunate to have the education and experiences that have exposed me to the concepts and skills that were taught in this class. For most people, everything was brand new and challenging. I now recognize that I cannot assume things about other people, and that I always need to keep an open mind about others and their stories. This will be an incredible mindset for the medical field as I will be exposed to many people who have different backgrounds and stories that I do, and I need to make sure I learn and respect other peoples’ backgrounds.

3:I made a group of friends through the people I practiced the lab skills with. Two girls had just graduated high school and were trying to start nursing school, one was 36 looking to get this certification so she could get a pay raise at her current job, and one was 38 with 3 kids looking for a full-time job at a hospital to provide for her family. We were all very different people, but we got along very well and worked together to support each other to succeed. We all shared stories about our lives and how we got here today, and that was what made me realize I was wrong thinking everyone at this course would be just like me. My peers struggled with the content and work load, especially those with families at home, and that was also when I felt ignorant for thinking the content was “common sense.” I helped share my tricks for learning the material or how to work through questions to find the right answers to help my peers study. We all shared resources and tips to help everyone master the content for the exams. When my peers struggled with content or an exam, they felt comfortable to reach out for help and how to improve for the next one. The main takeaway is that we all wanted to help each other, despite what we already knew. The older women who had experience in healthcare settings helped me master the lab skills because they had experienced that in real life. Everyone worked really hard together and everyone was able to pass.

My instructor, Angie was also huge in transforming my perception. She is an RN who works for the company, Alia, to teach students the skills required by the state for the state examination. Angie taught the class because she loved what she did and she loved the students. She wanted to make an impact so the students she taught felt comfortable and excited to further their STNA careers. Her work environment and staff was not superb, but she was able to put that aside because of her love for what she does. Angie’s passion and knowledge was really inspiring. It made me think how that is exactly who I want to be in my future career. She treated everyone the same with so much respect and kindness. She never judged anyone for their story or their performance in the class. She transformed everyone in that course. During clincals, she set a great example for us because she was so excited to see her residents and always gave them her 110%. She treated them all so kindly and never made them feel uncomfortable, even if something she had to help with was very personal.

The last two days we had to complete clinical hours, which we completed at a nursing home in Upper Arlington. Again, I had very little experience with nursing homes, and I was ignorant making assumptions about them and the people who are in nursing homes. My grandmother had cancer that metastasized to her entire body, but she had at home hospice care. The state and care of my grandmother was what led me to make assumptions in nursing homes. There were people of all abilities in this nursing home. Many could talk, eat by themselves, and function very independently. Some were still running their businesses from the nursing home! There were also many who could not speak or function independently at all. My partner and I worked with a sweet woman with vascular dementia. She could not speak, her arms were contracted, and she could never move from her bed. We spent time talking to her, feeding her the meals, cleaning her, and adjusting her position in bed. She had many pictures around the room, as many residents do, of her family and friends before vascular dementia took over her body. It broke my heart looking at her and her family from when she was more functional. It left me thinking how sad it is that she was in this nursing home all alone, with this family still out in the world. I thought about how the family must feel, and I thought about how our patient could not do the things she used to anymore. These residents are real people with friends, families, and hobbies. No matter anyone’s condition, they still deserve all the love, care, and respect in the world. At first I was nervous to feed and bathe residents, but after I realized how incredibly important it is. Again, everyone is different with a different story, which is why making assumptions is very dangerous.

4:I first thought I was taking the course to obtain a certification, but I left with a new perception of people and the world around me. Now knowing that no two peoples’ stories are the same, I feel like I have a more open mind about those around me. This perception is incredibly important for me as I will be exposed to many different people in my future career in the medical field. I will be working one on one with many people, and I need to do my best to learn about their lives, their needs, their wants, and what makes them happy. It will be very rare to care for a person who is just like me. My main goal in my future will be to learn about my patients and getting to know what makes them special. Approaching people like this, and not assuming things about them, will allow me to build strong relationships and help people get the care they deserve. I will be working with people in very vulnerable states, and it will be my job to be there to listen to them and empathize with them. I also know that everyone’s learning and processing is different, so I will be able to help patients in a way that is easy for them to understand. I also know how to respect people and where they come from, and how to incorporate their backgrounds into their care. I want to make an impact in my future by going above and beyond for my future patients, and this course helped me learn how to approach others to do that. I left this class with great relationships with my peers, and I know I will do the same with my future patients. This mindset will also help me be a better person overall and allow me to maintain a positive reputation and develop relationships with all the people I will meet in my life.

During my time in Boston, MA, I attended the American College of Sports Medicine conference. Each day consisted of presentations discussing research done in the sports medicine field. I also attended a recognition ceremony for Exercise is Medicine – On Campus to represent our organization.

At the ACSM conference, I learned a lot about current research going on in the field. I have been interested in the role and impacts of mental health on athletes and their return-to-play, and I was able to gain valuable insight on different research that has been done on this topic across a variety of athlete types. Also, as an exercise science major, I got to see real-life applications of different exercise testing strategies I learned in class. At the conference there was a poster symposium where people could submit their sports medicine research they have been working on, and it inspired me to want to participate in research at OSU. I would love to attend the next ACSM conference next year and present research, especially with our Exercise is Medicine organization at OSU.

One of the main events during my four days at the ACSM conference were the variety of presentations on special topics. With so many different presentations on different topics from people across the world, I got to expand my knowledge of research done in the sports medicine field. Through these presentations, I got to dive deeper into a topic I have been interested in since high school – the impacts of mental health on athletes’ recovery. I learned about the main tests and questionnaires that people administer to assess mental health in athletes, and it made me more excited to do more of my own research on the topic.

Another event at the conference was a big poster symposium where students and professionals got to go and present their research. After seeing the research students were doing across the world, it inspired me to want to participate in research more at Ohio State. I have always been interested in research, but I never participated in it before. Now, I would love to be able to have a presentation to present in the future.

Finally, I was very interested by the technology booths that were set up at the conference. With a similar set-up to the poster symposium, exercise technology companies were there with booths showing off their work. It was an amazing experience to see newer versions of the technology I have used in class and see how they are progressing. Last year was my first time getting to use the equipment myself in class, so I was fascinated with how fast the technology has been developing.

My favorite moment from the conference was when I attended a presentation on research done on dancers at the Boston Ballet Company. I grew up in Boston and was a dancer at the Boston Ballet Company myself, and seeing research done on the athletes there from their physical therapist and sports medicine coordinator was truly fascinating. As I am applying to physical therapy school, I am still trying to figure out what I want to focus. Going to the ACSM conference increased my interest in the sports and athlete side of physical therapy. The conference also opened me up to the research side of physical therapy and exercise science. Since I am graduating after this year with an Exercise Science degree, the ACSM conference broadened my horizons and showed me all the opportunities that are open to me once I graduate.

Leadership: The Toronto Experience

The Toronto Borders and Boundaries Experience 2024 is 8-day program that focuses on leadership. The goal of this program was to instill leadership in participants, learn about the multicultural history of Canada, and to also promote positive changes at home and abroad. We did this by visiting multiple historic and cultural museums in Canada, participating in food tours, volunteering with a local food bank, and learning from the black and indigenous organizations in Toronto.

I learned a lot more about the cultural aspects of Canada. Prior to going to Toronto, I had assumed that it was a like like the United States. While we do share the same languages, I quickly learned that the environment in Toronto was much different. It felt much more diverse as there were people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds that we interacted with.

Our visit to the Kensington Market was one of the key things that led to me understanding how different Toronto was from Columbus. The diversity of the Kensington market spoke for itself but the tour guides also explained to us just how important it was to have a strong community there. The people and businesses there relied on each other for support and guidance when needed. The community also banded together to fight off gentrification and big franchises from taking over. I found this to be very inspiring because I feel like the culture here in the States is very individualistic and having a strong community to fall back on is more of a privilege than the norm.

Another thing that was I found to be very different in Toronto was the amount of small family owned businesses. While there were plenty of fast food chains, there were also many opportunities to try authentic ethnic foods all around Toronto. This key detail is also what made the diversity in Toronto very evident.

Learning about the history of Canada was also very interesting. For example, here in the States when we learned about slavery and the underground railroad, the stories usually stopped at former enslaved people escaping to the “north”. The very first thing we learned on our roadtrip was that many actually fled to Canada. We learned more about this a couple days later when we visited the Ontario Black History Society and participated in a walking tour. They showed us neighborhoods that were significant to Black Canadians, which was very informative and eye opening. We also learned a lot about the history of the indigenous people of Canada when we visited the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. Here we learned about the adversity and challenges that Native Canadians had to face and also about the efforts they are now putting forth to preserve their culture.

Learning more about Canada and breaking down my false preconceptions is significant for me because it allows me to be more culturally competent in my future interactions. This trip has also given me the chance to spread what I know about Canada if the opportunity presents itself. I am hoping to go into healthcare in the future and one of the most important aspects of a good healthcare professional is being culturally competent as well as open minded to the different people we may come across.

1. I enrolled in an accelerated State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA) program through Premier Choice Health Services this summer. The program consisted of ten lectures and two clinical visits throughout two and a half weeks. The program focused on classroom learning and assessments covering topics such as foundations of nursing, different settings in healthcare, residents’ rights, rehabilitation/restorative care, etc. Another focal part of the program was in-person demonstrations and practicing state-tested personal care skills. During the weekend of the second week of class, students practiced their skills during clinicals in a long-term care facility where we carried out the duties of a nursing aide for the day.

2. While completing this STEP Signature Project my understanding and perspective of healthcare has transformed greatly. Before my STEP project, my experience in the healthcare industry was very minimal and so was my understanding of the healthcare team. Growing up, I always saw doctors as the only important piece in the healthcare team due to their extensive knowledge and technical skills. However, through my STEP program, I now see how important other healthcare team members, like nurses, are in providing effective patient care. Empathy, communication, companionship, and holistic understanding are just as important when it comes to providing great care for patients. Also, through my STEP project, I gained a newfound appreciation for the challenges healthcare providers face daily. Working in healthcare can be very stressful and emotionally exhausting, however through this program, I have learned and seen the different ways to deal with work stress. This STEP project broadened my view about healthcare and reinforced the idea that meaningful change in healthcare requires a collaborative and compassionate approach that values the well-being of both patients and caregivers.

3. The in-class activities and interactions I had during clinicals throughout my STEP project led to my changed perspective of healthcare. My instructor Chambrell Bond is a Registered Nurse (RN) with years of experience. Throughout the length of the program, Ms. Bond would often give anecdotal stories about the importance of compassionate care. One of the stories that stuck out to me was when Ms. Bond told us how she was recognized and stopped by a woman at a gas station whose mother Ms. Bond used to care for many years ago. The woman explained to Ms. Bond that unfortunately her mother passed away a few years ago but her mother always said such nice things about Ms. Bond and the woman was appreciative of the care Ms. Bond provided for her mother. Ms. Bond would always remind us that the compassionate care you provide for your patients is what they will remember most. Hearing these stories made me realize the impact that small acts of kindness and compassion can have on a patient’s well-being. Also, during clinical at Darby Glenn Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, I had the opportunity to see the importance of compassionate care for myself. My group was assigned to care for and assist an elderly patient with his activities of daily living (ADL). Throughout the day my group worked diligently to assist our client with his personal hygiene, dressing, eating, etc. However, our patient was more interested in simply talking to us and learning about our experience taking the STNA class. The companionship we provided was more important to our patients than all the personal care skills we performed. This showed me that companionship and compassionate care are overlooked but such important aspects of providing great care for a patient. Lastly, listening to stories from nursing aids about dealing with work stress led to my changed perspective of healthcare. During clinical at Darby Glenn Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, we got the opportunity to hear from nurse aides who told us about their experiences in healthcare and how they handle demanding workloads and manage emotional situations, like losing a patient. These conversations highlighted the importance of having a support system and work stress management to continue to deliver high-quality care.

4. This STEP Signature project is significant to my life because it has influenced my future career as a medical doctor. This project has allowed me to understand that the balance between technical skills and compassionate care is crucial to providing high-quality care. Medicine is not just about diagnosing and treating illnesses, but also about providing compassionate care and connecting with patients on a human level. This invaluable insight has inspired me to become a physician who prioritizes patient empathy and holistic care. This STEP project is significant to my academic and professional goals because this project has allowed me to learn more about the healthcare industry. Also, this project has given me the knowledge to sit and take the State Tested Nurse Aide (STNA) exam which will give me the proper credentials to work in healthcare. This will allow me to have more experience in healthcare and become a more competitive applicant for medical school as well as a much more well-rounded doctor in the future.

Mannequins used to practice personal skill care

This eight-day interactive event honored the 25th anniversary of MUNDO’s inaugural international educational road trip by giving participants a rare chance to explore their identities both domestically and internationally. In addition to participating in activities meant to encourage good change both locally and worldwide, participants learnt about the multicultural histories and legacies of one of Canada’s most varied metropolitan neighborhoods.

My concept of division and community underwent a profound transformation throughout my STEP Signature Project. My preconceived notions about cultural integration were called into question when I saw the calm and peaceful coexistence of people from various origins in Toronto. It was also enlightening to see how people with different immigrant origins and lifestyles banded together to support one another and their neighborhood, as seen in the struggle to save Kensington Market from becoming gentrified. Understanding the tenacity and solidarity of Native Canadians in the face of past injustice served to bolster the notion that differences cannot prevent people from living in harmony.

During our Toronto trip, volunteering at a non-profit organization called Simile Back and Human Intact Services was one of the most impactful activities I participated in. My role involved promoting the non-profit and raising awareness about its services, ensuring that those in need could access food, shelter, and basic necessities. Engaging with the community in this way allowed me to witness firsthand the challenges faced by marginalized groups and the critical importance of community support networks. This experience highlighted the power of collective action and the significant impact that even small contributions can make in supporting and uplifting vulnerable populations.

Additionally, the food tours we took at Lawrence Market, Kensington Market, and various restaurants in Toronto were transformative. These tours provided a deep dive into the city’s rich culinary landscape, reflecting its diverse cultural fabric. Each market and restaurant visit revealed stories of immigrants who brought their traditions and flavors to Toronto, contributing to a vibrant, multicultural community. This immersive experience underscored the value of preserving cultural heritage and the role that food plays in fostering community and understanding. It was enlightening to see how different cultures can coexist and enrich each other, reinforcing the idea that diversity is a strength.

Exploring other cultural landmarks, such as museums, vintage stores, and the islands, further broadened my perspective. Visiting these sites offered insights into Toronto’s historical and cultural evolution, emphasizing the importance of art, history, and cultural preservation. The stories and exhibits at these locations illustrated how various communities have contributed to the city’s development and how they continue to shape its identity. These experiences sparked a newfound curiosity and a desire to travel more, to learn about and appreciate different cultures and histories. Collectively, these activities demonstrated the importance of embracing diversity and the potential for peaceful coexistence, inspiring me to apply these principles in my life and future endeavors.

This transformation is significant because it has sparked a newfound interest in traveling the world to experience and understand different cultures. Experiencing the diverse and harmonious community in Toronto has made me realize the importance of cultural exchange and immersion. Personally, this change has deepened my appreciation for diversity and the unique perspectives that come from different cultural backgrounds. It has instilled in me a desire to explore new places, meet new people, and engage in activities that promote cultural understanding and exchange.

This transition is consistent with my objective of participating in programs that promote cultural awareness and global understanding. I’m now more interested in taking part in and potentially creating programs that encourage people to learn about and respect diverse cultures. This might include cultural exchange programs, overseas volunteer opportunities, or diversity-themed community activities. By encouraging cultural tolerance and inclusion, I aspire to help create a more connected and harmonious world. This transformation of viewpoint, along with a renewed enthusiasm for travel and cultural involvement, will shape my future activities and improve both my personal and professional lives.