After attending an event hosted by the veterinary school, I have a better idea of what is needed to be a competitive applicant. Next semester I am planning to apply for a job at the veterinary medical center to get more veterinary experience. I also want to start volunteering at a food pantry and maybe also a pet vaccine clinic. I hope to do all of this while maintaining good grades and continuing to be involved in my student organizations and research lab. Over the summer I will be working at an outpatient clinic and studying for the GRE. Being a STEP participant, I want to use funding to apply to veterinary or animal care internships for the following summer which is also the time I will start applying to vet schools in the hopes of entering vet school right after I graduate. The near future seems hectic and busy, but I am fully committed to these things because I want to achieve my goal of getting into vet school. I hope that I’ll be able to utilize support from my professors, lab, and peers to accomplish all of this.

A memorable service activity I have done in SP21 was assembling safety kits for SafePoint Ohio. While I was assigned to pack tourniquets specifically, my friends were assigned to pack aluminum caps and mini cotton balls, and I learned about the importance of giving people access to safe and clean supplies while battling drug addiction. After assembling the harm reduction kits I tried to learn more about SafePoint’s philosophies and resources that help the community.

The acronym G.O.A.L.S stands for Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement.

• Global Awareness pushes students to cultivate and develop an appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. I have demonstrated global awareness in the past through my volunteering abroad and teaching at Chinese school. I plan to continue to show global awareness by getting involved in CASA, the Chinese American Student Association, and educating myself on issues affecting POC and other groups of minorities, especially in the health fields as a pre-health student.
• Original Inquiry entails understanding the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. In my Biology 1114 lab, my lab group and I conducted an observational experiment on captive orangutans at the San Diego Zoo and will present our findings about the activity levels of female orangutans of different age groups at the end of the semester. Starting in SP21, I am in Dr. Risa Pesapane’s Parasite and Pathogen Ecology Lab researching the prevalence of tick-borne diseases.
• Academic Enrichment means pursuing academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom. I have adjusted well to taking college courses, and based on my grades for each course that I am taking I expect to finish my first semester with a good GPA. Next semester I will challenge myself by taking more credit hours and getting more involved in student organizations. I also aim to compete in an event with HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) in the spring in order to learn more in-depth information about a certain aspect of the health field.
• Leadership Development involves developing leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in co-curricular activities, and in future roles in society. I held several board positions in high school, which taught me how to work with others to ensure the success of a larger group, and my teaching experience at my Chinese school improved my problem-solving and communication skills. I want to aim for leadership positions in college and learn how to shoulder more responsibility, starting with applying to be a chair for a programming team in the Biological Sciences Scholars.
• Service Engagement is committing to service to the community. Currently volunteer opportunities are hard to find or do consistently due to COVID-19, but I have tried to participate in service when possible through activities such as socializing rabbits at the Ohio House Rabbit Rescue and the plarn event organized within the Biological Sciences Scholars. A long-term commitment I hope to keep is volunteering at the Ohio Wildlife Center’s Hospital once they open new volunteer applications.