Hi all! My name is Rithvik Turaga and this my E-Portfolio. This is a gateway to my life and my experiences. I wish to show you my development into the person I am today. So, to get to know me better feel free to browse around. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Author: turaga.3
Year in Review
This semester was an interesting one. Moving to a new city and leaving my family behind was a tough decision but I a decision I don’t regret. I feel that I was able to explore new things, meet new people and learn new things academically, socially and as a human being. I am taking challenging courses that help me learn more about myself. The type of student I was back in high school is completely different from how I am now.
The cultural shock was hard for me to take in especially the time at which people eat and how late the sun is out during the summers. I took all of these changes in stride and learned to adapt to them. I also found people that were interested in my heritage and found that talking to them widened my horizons and I gained new perspectives regarding things that I knew before.
Academically I have always been hard on myself to do well. This year was no different at least at first. However, I realized that by putting pressure on myself to do well, I was not able to avail the other opportunities at OSU such as clubs and sports.
Overall these past few months have taught me to be independent and have brought about changes in the way I perceive society.
G.O.A.L.S.
GOALS
The honors and scholars GOALS stands for:
G – Global Awareness
To me, Global Awareness is the ability to respect, understand and appreciate the values of people across the world. Having global awareness means gaining perspective on subjects such as culture, tradition, social and political issues, etc.
O – Original Inquiry
Original Inquiry showcases imagination, creativity and critical thinking. A student approaches a problem and finds a solution in a unique way. To be original means to go against the norm. This is extremely useful for students interested in research like myself.
I would like to highlight a research project that I did. The research that I did in high school was on anti-proliferative properties of Heliotropium indicum, an herbal extract, in three types of cancer cells. Through this project of mine, I developed a research question and made a procedure from secondary sources.
A – Academic Enrichment
Academic enrichment is having the passion to learn and excel in the class.
L – Leadership Development
A leader, in my opinion, is having the ability to create a workspace where we can debate, work together and produce quality results.
I would like to highlight the Waste Management Program that I started in the summer before my junior year. The community that I live in did not segregate dry and wet waste products. The local government started this programme and needed participation from all. They provided color-coded trash bins at nominal cost, but there was no implementation. I took it upon myself to do something as it had become a necessity and was high time for a change. Through this experience, we made a positive impact on society and it helped me develop into a better leader.
S – Service Engagement
Service engagement is defined as offering help in the form of resources or work for the underprivileged.
Career
Artifacts
The Quiz Club
I held various leadership positions as part of student council, a student representative and captain of soccer teams. The most recent experience as one of the three founder members of quiz club, in my junior year, remains very dear to me.
We were required to make a presentation to the school committee that included a clear plan of intent, structure, and execution of the proposed quiz club. The club aimed to have students exposed to several types of quizzes and work together as a team. It also sought to send teams or individuals out for competitive quizzes as representatives of the school.
To get students to invest their time in the club was challenging. I took an approach to one-to-one interactions with the students to convince them that it was worth their time. We divided students based on their individual strengths through weekly quizzes. I spent hours designing quizzes. The questions had to be original, appealing and incorporate variety, without being too scholarly; keeping the participants engaged and motivated to continue. We also encouraged the members to discuss topics in informal sessions. We, as quiz makers, would sometimes mine questions from these discussions, which prompted the members to take these sessions seriously. Winners were allowed to conduct a quiz of their own making; this proved to be an instant hit and an incentive for serious participation. Open feedback sessions and transparency was the key strategy that prevailed in coming up with probable teams. Coordination between us, the leaders, led to better planning, executing, administering the club.
It was a bittersweet moment as I left the club in the senior year. The members reiterated that they had a lot more confidence and believed in the efforts of the team rather than the individual. They are now accepting of ideas, methods, and strategies to form a formidable team for competitions.
As a founder member of the club, my communicative and presentational skills improved. I understood the importance of strategy. Overall, it was a gratifying experience, a real privilege to lead the first student-organized club of the school.
Soccer Game
The first scholars event that I attended was a memorable one. The soccer game that we attended was the first time I truly felt like I was a part of Ohio State University. I loved watching soccer and rooting for my team. That day I went with strangers who were different than me but, I left the stadium, disappointed that we lost, but happy that I met new and unique people that I could build relationships with.
About Me
Hi! My name is Rithvik Venkata Turaga and I am pursuing a major in Biomedical Engineering at Ohio State University. I am a part of the Biological Sciences Scholars here at OSU.
I was born in Livonia Michigan and lived in metro Detroit till we moved to Hyderabad, India when I was 8 years old. I lived close to extended family and we all celebrated all festivals and special occasions together. Education was different in India and I was in a class where there were students from different parts of India and eventually learned about different cultures. My time in India helped me develop into the person I am today.
Although I lived in Michigan but coming back to Ohio after 9 years was like stepping on American soil for the first time. I was excited and nervous at the same time. My nerves were taken care of by the energetic OWL team that helped with the move. Also, my roommates became instant friends and some mentors from upper-class men made my transition easy and exciting!
I have always been interested in the sciences, especially biological science. However, as I understood more about the world, I was fascinated by the engineering marvels that surrounded me. I had this epiphany when I injured my knee and had to get an MRI. My internship at a manufacturing company compounded my interest in engineering. Biomedical engineering provided a perfect platform to pursue my interest in nanotechnology and tissue engineering. I see endless opportunities in this field.
I have always heard of how big OSU was and I knew that I have to belong to a smaller group for daily interaction. So, I decided to apply to the Scholars program and was accepted. A high school project of mine got me engrossed into doing research on how plant extract of Heliotropium Indicum inhibited cell proliferation in cancer cell lines and this helped me choose Biological Sciences Scholars.
I was not a natural leader. However, being involved in student government helped shape my leadership skills. As a sports captain I got the shy students out to participate in sports and as an academic captain, I opened a communication channel between the teachers and students. I also initiated a waste management drive and formed a team to educate the maids and elderly people about the urgency and benefits of segregating and managing waste.
Moving on to the fun stuff. I love playing and watching soccer (futbol). In fact, I did not miss a single game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. I play soccer and watch different leagues and analyze the games and hoard statistical information. My contribution to the game comes in form of introducing the sport to kids. Through the sport, I have learned to become a team player and all the members contribute to the success of the team.
I also love traveling and experiencing new cultures and foods. Learning the differences make me feel like there is no one way to do something. An aspect of this interest is to learn as many languages as possible and I am currently learning French and Spanish.
Through the E-portfolio I wish for whoever is reading this to be able to get to know me for more than just a face. I wish to showcase my development academically, professionally and personally to build an understanding with those willing to know me better.
Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio
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