Artifact 2: Informational Interview

Shiyuan Wang

Informational Interview

For my interview, I decided to interview Joe Staff, a fifth-year senior at The Ohio State University who is double majoring in International Studies and Economics and double minoring in French and Business. And within the International Studies major, Staff is specializing in Relations and Diplomacy. With such a heavy workload balancing out all of his majors and minors, it is no wonder that he is still at OSU after five undergraduate years, but Staff does not seem bothered by his busy life. While he definitely did not pick an easy combination of majors and minors his freshman year, he is satisfied with his decision to challenge himself by tackling a diverse array of fields of study.

I actually met Staff from one of the clubs I am currently participating in: the Collegiate Council of World Affairs, a club where Staff is the president. He has always had a friendly and approachable demeanor, so I felt comfortable in asking him if he could spare some of his free time in order to help me out with this assignment. CCWA is a club that focuses on domestic and international affairs and incorporates many branches including a Model UN team, a student-run publication called Alger Magazine, and the United Nations Advocacy. As someone who is interested in pursuing Political Science and History with a minor in French, this club perfectly fit all of my passions. But the main reason I wanted to interview Staff is because of his International Studies degree; even though International Studies is different from Political Science, the two majors are so similar and intertwined that I decided I could still receive some valuable insight into the world of Political Science from Staff.

Something interesting I found out from our interview is that Staff, like me, also started out in Exploration his freshman year before declaring his majors by the second semester of freshman year. But even after that, he was a Business major for a while before he decided that an Economics and International Studies major better fit his passions and believed that both were very applicable to the real world. And since International Studies majors also require a French minor, he decided to pursue French to extend what he had already learned from high school French. During his sophomore year, Staff had the amazing opportunity of studying abroad in Quebec for six weeks, and more recently he also had the chance to intern for the Columbus Council on World Affairs to combine both his International Studies and Economics skills conveniently into one internship. Staff is also part of a co-ed Honors Fraternity, which helps him with networking and connecting with other people who have similar interests to him.

While International Studies and Political Science are two different departments, Staff admitted that he took most of his classes for International Studies through the Political Science department. Overall, the faculty in Political Science is very helpful and accessible, with a wide and diverse range of scholars at the top of their fields. I felt reassured to learn that the department I was considering was such an amazing one, which solidified my interest in it even more. And it also doesn’t hurt that OSU’s PoliSci department is one of the top ten in the nation. In International Studies, Staff particularly enjoyed Dr. Randall Schweller’s class on Theories of International Relations, who is technically a Political Science professor. But since he focuses on international affairs too his classes are included in the International Studies major.

My interview re-solidified my resolve to further pursue Political Science, most likely with a focus on international relations. I also want to declare a History major because I have always enjoyed learning about it and I feel that college would give me a good opportunity to explore the culture and origins of different regions in the world. I learned a lot from Staff, and he also gave me some important advice on how to manage my time and classes toward the future. The various resources from Exploration such as the lectures gave me a chance to explore all that was offered at OSU in order for me to consider all of my options before making me an informed decision. While I have not used the resources given to us in the workbook, at least now I know where I can receive help should I ever struggle with anything during college. Now, I finally believe that I declare my majors with confidence and pride after my semester of college.

Year in Review

Global Awareness: 

I have always aimed to increase my global awareness throughout my life. During my freshman year, I was part of the International Learning Community, a community full of people of all backgrounds and all around the world. Through this Learning Community, I became more educated about people beyond my own small group of friends and connections, and as an Asian American I was happy to learn about the cultures of other immigrants too. Even though I am no longer in the International Learning Community, the connections that I made with the students that lived on my floor continue to sustain me throughout college. I have also become more involved within the Asian American community to become more connected with my own culture and background too, since I come from a small town in Ohio that had very little diversity. My ultimate goal is not only to reconnect with my own culture, but with cultures from all around the world, and the diverse group of people at OSU is the perfect chance to do so.

Original Inquiry: 

As an honors student, my main method to challenge original thought is by conducting research of my own. Starting in fall semester I will begin working on my Honors Thesis with a professor from the Political Science Department, possibly on the subject of development in developing countries. One possibility is Professor Erin Lin, who concentrates on Southeast Asian countries, an area in which I am interested in learning more about and doing more research on for my personal sake. I hope that through working with her I will have an enriching research experience that I will be proud to show.

I also want to take part in more internships. This summer I am participating in the Canadian Parliament Internship where I will have the opportunity to apply what I have learned in classrooms to real life, and I also want to sign up for the History class that also places students in internships nearer to the Columbus and campus area.

Academic Enrichment: 

My Honors Contract demonstrates the fact that I am planning out my future for the Honors Department and to follow the obligations that I have to my majors and minors. I am glad that my majors allow me some flexibility to pick courses that count toward my degrees that I find genuinely interesting, not just because my classes have to be set in stone for the next couple of years. I believe that by choosing classes that actually pique interest will I truly be able to enrich myself and my education. My commitment to Honors shows that I will continue to challenge myself in my academics and my endeavors instead of taking the easy way out.

Leadership Development

Apart from my academics, I have been very involved with student organizations on campus, including TEDxOhioStateUniversity, Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations, Alger Magazine, the Vietnamese Student Association, and Pen Pals in North Korea. Each of these student organizations has played a crucial role in continuing to develop my leadership skills even if I do not have leadership roles on each of them. These organizations might not directly correlate with my degrees, but they are still important for my future career development because my clubs teach me about passion, dedication, and other skills that I can hone in on down the road. My organizations and my leadership positions in them have taught me how to plan and organize, how to communicate with others in professional settings, how to work with others in small settings, and how to work for something I believe in.

Service Engagement 

I have not been as involved with service as I would like, and it is especially difficult to fit into my schedule due to my classes, involvement, and research in the future. But I plan on trying more in the future to fit service into my schedule.

  • Students for Refugees: during my freshman year, where students go to different refugee sites in Columbus and help them with schoolwork and other kinds of development.
  • Pen Pals in North Korea: ongoing establishment of a pen pal system between OSU students and North Korean refugees residing in Korea, I am also on the executive board of this organization.

As an immigrant myself, I have always been passionate about causes that affect the refugee community, so I want to continue engagements to help refugees of all backgrounds in whatever way I can contribute.

 

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand 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. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. 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 is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

My name is Shiyuan Wang, and I am a first-year at the Ohio State University. I am currently undecided about my major as I am in Exploration, but I am interested in Political Science and History with a potential minor in French. My interests include domestic and international affairs, listening to music, and keeping up with current events.