This past year I have had a lot of experiences that have furthered my path in the G.O.A.L.S. and broadened my idea of what it means to be in the honors program. G.O.A.L.S. stands for Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. This is my reflection on my progress so far in these areas, and my plan to further improve on them in the future.
Regarding Global Awareness, I am an ambassador for an organization called GIVE volunteers, which sends people around the world to both volunteer and explore other cultures. This past summer I traveled to Thailand and Laos and learned a lot about their cultures, and I plan to travel to Tanzania this next summer to further broaden my global understanding. I plan to continue to travel and learn about cultures from around the world. These experiences have shown me how diverse the world is, but also how similar we all are, and that in the end, we are all human beings.
For Original Inquiry, I am currently in a research lab at the Biomedical Research Tower. The lab focuses on understanding and treating colo-rectal cancer, and it has challenged me to look at large-scale problems from new perspectives. I plan to continue research in this lab for the remainder of my time here at Ohio State and I plan to find a research position abroad in an upcoming summer. Through these research experiences I hope to expand my ability to look at problems from new angles and further my ability to create new projects for the future.
For Academic Enrichment, I am taking a variety of challenging courses that have pushed my limits as a student. I have achieved a high GPA by focusing on my studies and keeping up on assignments and projects, along with ensuring that I don’t just remember the content but truly understand it. I plan to continue taking challenging courses that will expand my experience in a wide variety of academic disciplines and push myself to be the best student I can be.
For Leadership Development, I try to act as a leader in everyday situations, both by leading by example and by guiding others in classes when they need help. I have also spent time abroad volunteering as a teacher, which has given me leadership experience in a classroom. This experience allowed me to see what it is like to lead a classroom and guide a group of kids. I have also applied to be on the executive board of my student organization and I plan to participate in a leadership development course offered by GIVE volunteers near Seattle, which will improve my ability to lead others in a variety of situations.
For Service Engagement, like I said before, I am an ambassador for GIVE volunteers, which has the primary purpose of sending volunteers around the world and supporting communities that need it. I volunteered with them last year, and I plan to volunteer with them again this next summer. I also volunteer locally with the GIVE Volunteers student organization, doing activities such as planting trees and working with local children. Additionally, I hope to guide for GIVE volunteers to spend more time volunteering in different countries around the world. These experiences have shown me how large of an impact I can have and have given me the drive to continue to do service for the world around me.
Overall, the G.O.A.L.S. have provided a guide for me to further myself as a student and as an individual in general. I have done quite a bit to achieve the G.O.A.L.S. so far, and I plan to continue to put in significant effort to further achieve the G.O.A.L.S. and my own personal aspirations to impact the world around me.