Through my STEP signature project, I completed a certification course in phlebotomy through Phlebotomy Training Specialists (PTS). With the help of this course, I gained a better understanding of the procedure and importance of drawing blood. This training consisted of a lecture component which provided the students with the fundamental knowledge of phlebotomy and a hands-on component during which we practiced venipuncture. 

This STEP Signature Project helped me gain confidence in myself in the context of interacting with people I meet for the first time. When I go to a clinic to get my blood drawn, the phlebotomist often does not know me and may strike up a conversation with me in case I am apprehensive about venipuncture. Personally, I am not the type of individual who tremendously fears the insertion of needles. In fact, I am the complete opposite, and I like watching when my blood is being drawn. I do acknowledge, though, that many individuals despise getting their blood drawn due to their fear of needles. This certification course helped me discover a few techniques to help comfort the ones who hesitate during blood tests. 

For me, the first step in learning to communicate with new patients was not knowing a single classmate before this certification course. Every face was new and unknown, so I had to learn about their backgrounds and their experiences relating to venipuncture. I have more of an introverted personality, so I was initially hesitant to go and talk to my classmates. However, I have learned to keep this in mind because even when I have patients in the future, I will not know them in advance. Our class consisted of twenty women between ages 18 and 60, and nearly half of them were hesitant to have venipuncture performed on them. This is a common feature that can be seen in many new patients because they seem petrified of needles being poked into their skin. Being able to draw blood from people who were anxious allowed me to get a better insight into how scared one can be during this procedure. 

Another activity that helped me enhance my communication skills was when we performed venipuncture on each other. Every time we partnered up, we were required to ask certain questions ensuring that the “patient” did not have any allergies or did not have any medication that might influence whether blood can be drawn. This activity helped me because not only does it provide me with information about the patient, but it also acts as a segue way to start a casual conversation about any topic that will temporarily distract them from the procedure. Thinking about this even further, these small talks would be useful, especially with children as they are at a higher possibility of being more fidgety. 

Being able to interact with my instructor while drawing blood was a huge form of guidance for me as a newcomer. It helped me to realize that I am not alone even in the future when I draw blood. Everyone has different veins, some being extremely apparent while some residing deep in the arm, so sometimes even professionals may need help. My instructor had to help me a few times to find or verify the vein before I inserted the needle into my partner’s arm. Clear communication of my next steps with her and my partners became one of my strengths over the class. 

This image was from the first day we learnt to use butterfly needles. My partner had performed her venipuncture well, so I barely felt any pain!

This transformation is significant to my life because it made me realize how much responsibility is on my shoulders with a simple procedure. Patients come in with a blind trust that we are doing this for their benefit, and we will not hurt them in any way. Being able to carry that big responsibility is a form of leadership for me. As I practice with my knowledge and the techniques I have learned, I can build my confidence over time, and it will help me in working in a clinical setting where I can be a part of a patient’s care team. Furthermore, being able to enhance my communication skills will help me in the long-term of my future career in medicine. Communication is a key aspect when we work in a healthcare team, and this certification course was a strong first step for me to build my relationships so that I can succeed in my career. 

High School Design Showcase Presentation

HSDS Landscape Architecture

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) 2024 Convention is a 4-day conference with various workshops, presentations of research, and socials for the purpose of networking with professional athletic trainers. This convention is an amazing opportunity for athletic training students to meet and build connections with certified athletic trainers of varying years of experience.

One thing I understood about myself while completing my STEP Signature Project was my ability to make connections and network with people I’ve never met before. Due to my involvements in other organizations and the skills I’ve brought with me from those experiences, I was able to foster meaningful connections with many talented professionals in the career field that I aspire to be a part of. I left the convention feeling abundantly confident in the networking I did and the resources I now have access to because of these interactions. This convention allowed me to practice these skills so that I feel more comfortable attending future career-related events as a professional.

One event during my STEP Signature Project that led to the change that I discussed in the previous paragraph was the NATA Expo. The Expo was an opportunity for all participants to walk around and observe the different companies that had tables with Athletic Training related items. During the Expo, I met the Chair and Program Manager of the Kinesiology and Online Master of Public Health Program at Morehouse School of Medicine in addition to other Athletic Directors and Athletic Trainers from other states. These connections could likely lead to a job opportunity for me once I become certified because they foresee openings in some of their positions by next year.

Another event during my STEP Signature Project that led to the change that I discussed earlier was the Minority Women in Sports Medicine (MWISM) Social. This outing gave me the opportunity to not only meet other minority women that are athletic trainers, but also minority women in other sports medicine related career fields. This social was so transformational for me since I met a Soror (another member of my sorority) who just recently graduated from Physical Therapy School which is the program I want to pursue in graduate school. We were able to build a connection due to this event and she’s already helped me with aspects of my graduate school applications.

A final event during my STEP Project that led to the change that I discussed was the EDAC Town Hall. This was a premier networking event for Athletic Trainers and Athletic Training students who have a passion for diversity and cultural competency. During this town hall, I was able to watch and meet different trailblazers in the athletic training field and I found resources to help me prepare for my Board of Certification Exam that I will take next year. This was yet another opportunity for me to meet other healthcare professionals that could assist me in my journey to becoming a certified athletic trainer and physical therapist.

This transformation is significant to my life because it provided me with the basic knowledge of how to make connections in a career-related setting. The skills I learned from this convention will allow me to excel not only in my future professional goals but in life. It’s important to possess the ability in fostering relationships with other people no matter what career you go into or where you end up. It’s impossible to collaborate with others without the presence of communication and this convention helped me enhance those skills so that I can build necessary relationships to help me succeed in my career.

My STEP signature project was a trip to San Francisco to attend Figma’s Config conference. Figma is an industry standard software for user interface design and bridges the gap between designers and developers. The conference offered many talks from leaders in the industry and activities to network and learn more about design software. 

I experienced a major shift in the way I viewed the design and tech industries. Before this conference, I had a narrow view of what it would actually look like to work in either industry, with a gray area in between that seemed very unclear to me. I hadn’t had too much experience in the actual design field outside of school, so I had no idea what to expect. Config really gave me a good idea of jobs I could potentially aim for as well as expanded my potential options for where I want to position myself in the industry. Originally I thought my only options were working in teams for apps spending months deciding where a button should go or freelancing and doing brand design, but I realized there is a lot more creativity and expansion in the design industry especially when it comes to tech.

Something that really stood out to me from the conference was Josh Wardle’s talk on how he created the hit internet game Wordle. He detailed his process of developing the game for his partner and how that focus on someone else gave the game the wholesome feel it has today. He went over a lot of the things that typically you are not supposed to do when making a game or experience that he did when making Wordle. In this instance, breaking the rules made him more successful and kept him true to himself. This led to some dismantling of my cynicism on the future of technology and social media and motivated me to find a solution where I originally felt like there was none.

I really enjoyed Andy Allen’s talk “Serious Play”, as well as the Humane team’s discussion on the future of AI. These talks both challenged my assumptions about the future of technology and the role of AI in our lives. Allen is a software engineer at !Boring Software, a company that makes everyday utility apps more fun. They approach their development by asking how they can turn a tool into a savory experience for a user, employing game design strategies to achieve this goal. According to Andy, it is important to give users rich experiences when they use your software. Typically my perspective has been that software should be as little of a distraction as possible in order to let users return to their real lives. Another opinion that was brought up was the Humane team’s talk about their AI Pin. The AI Pin is a piece of wearable tech that brings a laser display to your hand only when you call on it. Humane founder Imran Chaudhri explained that he wanted to eliminate the barrier between the user and the world around them that usually accompanies wearable technology. He argued that AI and wearables are inevitably going to become prevalent in the near future so we should go about developing them in a less overwhelming and all-consuming way. This also challenged me in the ways I think about artificial intelligence and the idea of always being plugged into technology. Although I don’t necessarily fully support the AI Pin, I was also glad to gain a new perspective to such a hot topic.

Overall an aspect of the conference that pushed me a lot was the fact that I went alone. A lot of the time in academia it is easy to lean on your classmates and teachers to stay in your comfort zone, but that wasn’t an option for me at Config. I wanted to get as much as I possibly could from the conference, so I kept myself on time for every talk, took notes, and introduced myself to the people around me. I got the opportunity to meet so many cool people who showed me innovative products and software. I also got to take away some nuggets of advice for working in design and development. As one of 37 students at a conference of 10-15k professionals, I feel like I got a very unique perspective and tried to soak up as much information as I could. Pushing myself to do this on my own really helped me branch out and get out of my comfort zone; I’m glad I did it this way. It kept me focused on what I could take out of each talk and interaction.

This conference was really important not only for my career development but also my perspective on my skills and learning. I realized I need to expand my mind much more and think outside the box when it comes to design. Since leaving San Francisco, I have started the habit of coming up with one innovative idea a day so I can develop the ones I think are worthwhile when I have the time. This practice will help me be less serious when problem solving and think more creatively. A key takeaway from most of the speakers at Config was that they approached design like play, and that is how they come up with such bright and innovative ideas. It seems cliche, but it is really easy to just follow rules and regulations in academia without leaving room for play, and it takes experiences outside the classroom to find this sense of enjoyment in your career.

1. For four weeks in early summer, I took an online course via Zoom to become certified in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from the International TEFL Academy. Over the course of these weeks, I attended daily courses during the week where I learned about the practical and theoretical elements of teaching English to non-native speakers, learning a lot about the various teaching, cultural, academic, and technical knowledge necessary for this field. Throughout the course, I also taught a few lessons to real ESL learners to practice my teaching after observing some other lessons to get me prepared. I also completed various assignments throughout the course that gauged my understanding of the material but also that mimicked tasks I may have to complete in the field, such as dealing with schools and new students. 

2. I would definitely say my experience in this course was transformative. By working with my instructors, classmates from all different walks of life, and my students, I was able to broaden my worldview throughout this course. Hearing from my peers in class, they often shared their many life experiences that brought them to pursue this course, and I gleaned a little more insight into the world through each person. I also obtained a greater appreciation for viewing all the different potential ways people can go at solving or breaking down a problem based on their previous life and professional experiences. Working with my students also provided me with a greater sense of understanding of the world and different people. I worked with adults of all ages from all over the world, and I was able to learn something about all of them through the ways they interacted with my lessons and through the anecdotes they shared. Lastly, this course also changed my self perception. Before now, I had always considered being a teacher/professor in some capacity, but I had worries about my teaching abilities and how I’d like it. By working with my course instructors and teaching my lessons throughout the course though, I came to find a new passion in teaching, looking forward to engaging with my students and the material in every lesson. This really built my confidence in what I was doing and allowed me to explore this new potential career path in a safe, supportive environment.

3. The people I worked with throughout this course truly shaped this experience for me. My classmates helped me by creating a sense of camaraderie between all of us, allowing myself to be at ease and really focus on the material of the class. We were also able to all support each other by sharing experiences we were going through together and sharing our own unique background knowledge and approaches to things to help all of us develop a more rich understanding of the material, ourselves, and the world. My instructors in the course were also phenomenal and supportive, always being available and answering questions. They allowed me enough room to make mistakes and helped me become comfortable in this new role for myself. The students I taught were also amazing in this course. By being so attentive and receptive to what I was trying to teach, they made me motivated to do my best, but they were also incredibly generous and understanding when I was still working some things out as I learned how to teach. All of this support throughout the course allowed me to confidently take on what was being expected of me, and I feel a better person with a better understanding of myself for having completed it.

4. This course was very valuable for me. As teaching is a professional path I have considered from time to time, having this training and experience makes me feel a lot more knowledgeable about the actual job of teaching itself and how I adapt to it. Knowing now how I feel about teaching, I will be more likely to consider more teaching opportunities going forward in an attempt to stay in touch with the field. I am also currently considering grad school, and many grad schools have their students teach while studying, so I feel that having some practice in this domain will greatly help me if I follow that path. This also connected to my personal goals of exploring new things, trying to combat anxiety, and becoming a better speaker. In this course, I was definitely taken out of my comfort zone by talking and presenting a lot to my classmates and my students. This helped me with my hesitations about speaking/leading, allowing me space to practice these skills, ultimately allowing myself to feel more confident and comfortable in my abilities. Even if I don’t end up a traditional teacher, I will carry the knowledge and skills, both practical and life-related, that I learned from this course and the people in it. 

Photos:

A screenshot from the first lesson I taught.

A screenshot from me teaching an intermediate-level class

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.