My first year here at OSU was a rollercoaster. While I had the chance to make amazing memories and try various different and new things, I had to do so while adjusting to the college atmosphere. Figuring out the best way to stay on top of my classwork while balancing all of my different involvements and making time for myself presented with a hurdle initially, but resolved as the year went on.
One of my most notable experiences this year happened because I joined the ServUS start-up team. I got to pitch at the President’s Buckeye Accelerator (PBA) where we received $50,000 in funding, got to participate in various different start up cohorts, and began the web design process. Although I never envisioned myself enjoying the start up venture side of things, this experienced significantly impacted my vision for the future. Now, I hope to one day build my own start up within the realm of advanced healthcare practices.
I got to start my own OSU student organization by the name of OSU Red Saree: South Asian Health Initiative working with a team of other biomedical science majors. We united through our shared passion for improving nutrition and lifestyle practices within our local south Asian communities while providing them with much needed resources and connections. It has definitely been a lot of work getting everything started and a lot more is yet to be done. However, I am extremely excited for what the future holds.
I also began as a student research assistant in the COPPER Laboratory working with with Dr. Black MD PhD. Though I was uncertain about wet lab research in general, my perspective quickly changed as I began working with mice and rats and watching complex animal surgeries.
As I began pursuing these involvements among others, I quickly realized that there is so much more opportunity in the world than I had initially imagined. Instead of being boxed into “traditional careers,” students have the opportunity to build their own. With so much left to explore and so many diverse experiences present, I can’t wait for this coming academic year!