G.O.A.L.S

  1. Global Awareness:
  • My second year at Ohio State University, as for many other students, was significantly impacted from the global pandemic of COVID-19. I decided to take the STEP program, which would have allowed me to study abroad, but my plans cancelled due to the pandemic and I decided to use STEP in a different way. This pandemic is showing us the importance of different countries and people being united in fighting obstacles and crisis, like the global pandemic. To live in the United States, we should consider ourselves lucky as U.S is one of the few countries that has started mass vaccination against COVID-19. Going forward, more plans and strategies need to be implemented to avoid next pandemics, and this can only happen if we stand united and work with each-other on a global level.
  1. Original Inquiry:
  • As previously mentioned, research was significantly impacted from the COVID-19 pandemic. During my first year, I performed research in Dr. Christoph Lepper Lab, where I got to learn more about how research is conducted and also had the chance to help in the lab. This experience was cut short during my first year, but I plan to continue working in the same lab for my third year at Ohio State. My role would be to perform research on the mechanisms that maintain satellite cells’ pool size and are responsible for muscle fiber regeneration. I cannot wait to get back in lab and perform research with my PI. Furthermore, I decided to use my STEP project towards research during the summer of my third year, where I can explore more about the mechanisms mentioned above.

 

  1. Academic Enrichment:
  • The honors program offers many classes that challenge students, but the result at the end is precious. Starting with classes I took towards the end of my first year such as Sociology 1101H, I got to experience a different perspective of how the world developed to this day, but also the role that people play in their communities. I also got the chance to experience honors science classes as well, where the traditional method is transformed in a way where students think differently about many topics, and are guided to take their own approach in solving problems, which helped expand our horizons. Finally, my goal is to attend medical school and become a physician, thus I am taking different classes to guide me towards my goal such as College of Medicine 2000.21 and 2022. In addition, I decided to pursue pharmaceutical sciences minor which not only informs students about the healthcare system in the U.S and its problems, but also is very current with the global pandemic and vaccine development happening around the world.

 

  1. Leadership Development:
  • Leadership is key component that I need to further develop in order to be successful in academics but also later in my career. So far, I have served as the Networking Director for the AED (Pre-Health) club at OSU, where I had the opportunity to connect students with healthcare professionals but also other activities happening around campus. I was also part of the Mirrors Honor Society, which gave me the opportunity to volunteer at The James Hospital, but also perform many other activities to help our community. Furthermore, being part of a research lab, helped me develop valuable skills such as teamwork, staying organized etc., which will be very important towards my future career. I plan on participating again in other activities and leadership positions during my third year, as the second one was performed from home and online.

 

  1. Service Engagement:
  • During my second-year at OSU, service engagement was very difficult, and I did not get the chance to participate and help my community. However, being a volunteer at The James Hospital, I got the chance to virtually participate in meetings with the staff there. I plan on volunteering more in my third year at OSU as hopefully U.S is transitioning back to a sense of normality with the mass vaccination that is happening right now. Furthermore, I plan on volunteering in other places as well, and also hope to perform shadowing which would help me explore more about my future career.

G.O.A.L.S.

 

  • Global Awareness:
    • To start with, I come from a small country in the heart of Europe called Albania. Even though, it was heavily dependent on other nations up to 1912, this country kept its own language, culture and traditions, making it one of the most unique countries in Europe. After moving to United States 3 years ago, the change in culture and language was significant, but I always saw this in an optimistic way. In this new environment, I can donate and get back from the new culture, enriching my experience and life in the United States. As this school year has started, most of my new friends can now place their finger on Albania in a world map, which means that they are learning something new about this country, thus diversifying their experience. In addition, I am multilingual, meaning that German is my third language. Throughout my academic career at OSU, I plan on joining the German Club and many other diverse clubs as well in order to maintain another culture which was so significant during my previous years. Also, I plan on going back to Albania several summers in order to contribute to the community over there as a part of me is still there.
  • Original Inquiry:
    • The Ohio State University offers a plethora of opportunities in original inquiry, such as research and many advanced and interesting classes, which will better shape us as human beings. So far, I have started my research journey in a field that I was always had passion on, which is biology. I joined a lab which studies stem cells in muscle fibers, and my curiosity on this field has gone to another level. Learning new concepts and ideas everyday, and their influence on human lives, has triggered my curiosity in gaining more knowledge and experience.
  • Academic Enrichment:
    • My dream is to become a physician, and Ohio State University offers many beneficial classes which not only teach you about the profession, but also understanding human beings as this profession requires a lot of interaction with other people. My major is Biochemistry, and I chose this major because I want to be in between biology and chemistry as both these subjects play a crucial role in our lives and the understanding of human beings in general. In addition, many other classes offer different aspects of humans lives, which I plan to pursue in the near future.
  • Leadership Development:
    • Throughout my career at Ohio State, I plan on further developing my leadership skills, as those are significant in being successful in life. Even though I have not had many leadership positions so far, I think that the language barrier deprived me on pursuing one in high school. Now, that I feel more comfortable with the new new environment and culture, I am ready to lead, as I have done before in Albania, where I was the class President. Being a leader is difficult at times, but gives me satisfaction as something done might make the community better and change the lives of many people. Here at OSU, I plan on pursuing multiple leadership positions, as those will later guide me through life.
  • Service Engagement:
    • Dedicating time to the community around us is a valuable contribution that will influence the lives of many people at the same time. Throughout high school, I have participated in different organizations with the main goal of helping the community by volunteering and will do so again in college, as it always makes me feel better. One of the best experiences I had, was the summer of my second year in high school when I went back to Albania to contribute to the community there in topics such as gender violence, sexual reproduction etc.. It is an indescribable feeling when something good is done for the community, and I will do the same for my new community in Columbus as well.

About Me

Hello,

I am Glenis Tocaj, a first-year student at The Ohio State University, and I am so excited to start my first ePortfolio. My major is Biochemistry under Pre-Medicine track. My long term goal is to become a physician, but I am still unsure on what type of physician, because every field is so interesting that I can’t decide. It took some effort and dedication to be at this point in life, considering the fact that moving from another country has brought language and culture barriers. However, I think that I was able to overcome these obstacles using the same determination and hard work that I grew up with. From now until the day I become a physician, I will use the same approach as devotion to this profession comes naturally for me, because medicine is something I am so passionate about.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]