Throughout the 2016-17 school year I have learned many things about myself. I have also developed new passions and skills. Before the school year started I had no thoughts of joining any type of research lab at the university, but after two semesters of chemistry lab I have developed a passion for hands on learning. I am going to find a lab to work in next semester. Additionally, I have come to realize that I am very passionate about chemistry in general. I am going to peruse a bachelors degree in chemical engineering after learning these two things about myself. I have also come to realize that I can be a leader in many ways. This realization came about from the course I took for my scholars program, Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars. Being a leader does not only mean leading a group of people, but it can be taking on a responsibility when you need to. There are multiple forms of leadership, and I know that I am able to conform as a leader in many different situations.
Throughout the 2017-18 I have come into contact with multiple professionals in numerous careers. These men and women are open to helping everyone in the Dunn Sport and Wellness Scholars Program (DSWS). They have offered to help with interview prep or help put us in contact with people who will further our college experience by means of opening doors for us on our path to our careers. I am grateful that DSWS has allowed me to come into contact with so many passionate people because it this has not only allowed me to start a professional network, but it has also shown me what type of person I have to be in order to enjoy my career.
By this I mean that each person who has talked in front of our scholars program has shown who they are and why that relates to their career. During each talk I sat and listened to a person who loved at least one aspect of what they did. There are so many different paths to travel down now, so finding something that really drives you as a person is the key to a successful career. Not everyone is going to find that path though which is something that I realized as well. Everything should be taken with a grain of salt. This fact does not discourage me in anyway thought because I feel that I have found a niche in the chemical engineering field which will allow me to find a career path that is both prosperous and enjoyable.
Along with these career lessons that I have picked up during my time as a Dunn Scholar, I have also learned the lesson that relationships are a major part of everyone’s lives. There are very few people who have found their way down a successful career path doing everything alone. I have not heard of one person to do so. Meeting such incredible people who are in the DSWS program, who run the program, and who come to help the program out has shown me that there will always be someone there to push you in the right direction as well. Additionally, along with finding someone to help you along the right path is nice, but helping others out is even more rewarding.
I am more than happy that I chose to come to Ohio State and participate in the Dunn Scholars program because I would not be the same person that I am today without it. I will take all the lessons I have learned over the past two years thought the rest of my life, and they might be the biggest lessons that I have learned thus far in my life.