Year in Review

As the first semester of my first year in college comes to an end, I have already seen myself grow in so many ways. Ignoring how cliche the last statement sounded, college really is a reality check. I came into college with the ignorant, and slightly conceited, viewpoint that I would be fine on my own as I excelled so well in high school. And yeah, that didn’t happen. I struggled with chemistry laboratory and dropped a math class, risking my full-time student status. But I have pushed myself into situations that I would never have in high school: going to office hours and pushing myself to get a research opportunity. The chemistry advising office has become my half home because I go there almost every week, talking to my advisor or networking with another professor.

I am not the person I was in high school and that’s not a bad thing. I’m finally starting to figure things out, and I’m looking forward to what the Ohio State University has to offer me next.

G.O.A.L.S.

Being a part of the Honors and Scholars program means that are a few ideas that we focus on and develop throughout our time at the Ohio State University: GOALS.

First, the G stands for Global Awareness. With global awareness, the focus is on diversity and individual differences. This can be accomplished through study abroad or just joining an organization that promotes a certain culture. For me, this is very important to me as someone who is Asian American, so my background was always different from most of my classmates. Currently, I have joined a couple of clubs on campus that promote Asian heritage.

The O stands for Original Inquiry, which is a bit like research, but the concept of taking a research topic and being able to utilize it in the outside world/community. This does not necessarily have to be research, but it can be anything you think of that can be implemented in the real world.

The A is for Academic Enrichment, and this is the plan students take to maximize their academic achievements, both in and out of the classroom. This includes academic extracurriculars and GE selections. This part of GOALS keeps students in check and responsible for their selections, making sure their time at OSU is 100% beneficial.

The L is for Leadership Development. This part of GOALS focuses on the position Honors/Scholars students should take in their classrooms or extracurriculars and how they help develop leadership skills for future professions.

And last is S, for Service Engagement. This focuses on how committed students are in participating in community service. This is also something I will be focusing on because I have been involved with community service for a large part of my life and I will want to continue with it.

Artifacts

I want to get into research as soon as possible and continue with it for as long as possible. For me, research is something that interests me because I want to be a part of the movement to further medical and scientific discoveries. To some, research may seem repetitive and mundane, but I think the years of research and work is worth the breakthrough that will benefit a large amount of people. The Biological Sciences Scholars program is a great resource for me as it provides many opportunities to either visit research labs or meet people who have been involved with research for many years.

For example, I attended an Opioid Research Panel put on by the Scholars program. This was a great experience as it gave me an opportunity to see how many ways one research topic can be implemented. 

About Me

I am currently a first-year student at the Ohio State University, aiming for a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry, and possibly minoring in Bioethics and Microbiology.

I am originally from Louisville, Kentucky, a first-generation American, daughter of Taiwanese parents, and the proud owner of a Goldendoodle. I am very interested in the STEM program, which is why I chose to go into Biochemistry.

My plans for the future are still unclear, but I would like to go into research as a career, go into pharmacy, or attend medical school to become a pediatric cardiologist.

This link will send you to my resume.