Year in Review

My sophomore year was a bit smoother than my freshman year in terms of transitioning to a new way of life outside of my small town in south Dayton, Ohio, but still brought tons of opportunities that taught me a lot and helped to make my sophomore year great. Early in the fall, I was fortunate enough to get a job at the Student Health Center as a Patient Accounts and Registration student employee; though this does not sound glamorous, it is a perfect gateway job for an introduction to my major (HIMS) and I have enjoyed working with all of the people I have met here at Wilce. As of right now, I plan to continue working here unless another opportunity to continue to further my HIMS career comes along. I also was initiated into Delta Omega Kappa, a pre-health academic sorority, that has introduced me to girls that I know will become life-long friends and who are also amazing role models and inspirations not just in the classroom, but life itself. I finished my business minor and the last of my GEs this semester and am extremely excited to start my major coursework for HIMS on med campus next year!

This past year was extremely eye-opening to me as I learned to juggle a whole knew way of life, friends, academics, and extra-curricular activities that were altogether different than my experiences in high school. Time management was a skill that I had thought I embodied well, but it took on a whole new meaning when my schedule and classes were completely in my control. I no longer had the watchful eye of a guidance counselor or a teacher in a small classroom, which I enjoyed, but at times was stressful to remember deadlines, assignments, and exam dates and locations. Academics overall definitely took some getting-used-to, as it is easy to slack off but extremely important to build a good base GPA for the years to follow. By second semester I felt as though I had a better grip on handling my grades, social life, and extra-curricular activities. I tried out for the Women’s Club Volleyball team on campus and spent a lot of my free time with the Club, joined Buckeyes for a Cause and got involved with the Thomas More Newman Center on campus to take part in service, and (again), by second semester, I had a concise list of other organizations on campus that I definitely want to get involved in my sophomore year after I had found my footing freshman year. One of the highlights of my year was interviewing for my major and finding out right before spring break that I had been accepted; I am very excited to finish my prerequisite coursework so that I can be ready to enter my major (HIMS) the following year!

G.O.A.L.S.

G[Global Awareness] – Spring break of my sophomore year (2019), I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Barcelona, Spain for the entire week. I was with a couple other friends and though none of us were studying abroad at the time, we spent the week visiting another friend who was studying abroad there for the entire semester. A week was not nearly long enough to explore the culture of a whole new country that I had never been to, let alone enjoy everything Barcelona had to offer; though we certainly made the most out of our trip! As cheesy as it sounds, it made me realize just how much adventure and experience there was outside of my bubble in Ohio. I had never seriously considered studying abroad before that trip, but the global awareness experience of even just visiting one country outside of the US has completely changed my perspective. I have already begun looking into both study abroad opportunities for coming semesters, as well as any experiences or opportunities that would allow me to branch out of Ohio to further increase my knowledge of global awareness.

O[Original Inquiry] – This year, I made it a goal of mine to look for job or shadow opportunities that related to my area of study, the HIMS major. I ended up getting a job at the Student Health Center on campus in the Patient Accounts and Registration department, which could not have been a more perfect step for me in order to help me get an idea of just one example of where a HIMS major can put you in the real world. I am hoping to be able to apply the knowledge I have learned here in these 6 short months to my major coursework, which will begin next semester (Autumn 2019). The valuable knowledge I have learned about HIPPA, patient security, insurance, claim submission, benefit determination, and the way a medical facility works at the administrative and “behind the scenes” level has been simply invaluable and though I have not started my major coursework yet, I truly believe I am in the right major for me and my interests. Many of my superiors that work here graduated with a HIMS degree and some have moved on to get their MHA, MBA, or MBoE and I am extremely grateful for all the time they have taken to sit with me and discuss not only what the HIMS major entails in the classroom, but show me where the degree can get you in the future as well.

A [Academic Enrichment] – I spoke to Rachel Knebel, my peer mentor, about a tentative career path pursuing Occupational Therapy. In weeks following the interview, I received notice that I had gotten into my major (HIMS) and confirmed that I wanted to go into Health Administration as opposed to Occupational Therapy, however. The interview questions and answered are summarized as follows. I asked Rachel about her classes and major now as well as schooling after her undergraduate degree. She plans on graduating in 4 years with a degree in Health Sciences and will start looking for post-graduate schooling next year to go to OT school. She would love to go to Ohio State to receive her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, but is looking into schools throughout the Midwest. Currently, her courses consist of mainly STEM field courses with a focus on the science courses, as she is pursuing a minor in Psychology as well. At the moment, she is not exactly sure in what environment she would like to work in as an occupational therapist, as she is open to any opportunity she gets. She likes this field because it is always in need of workers and she knew she wanted to be in the medical field, working closely with other people.

L

S [Service] – This semester I participated in a multitude of service projects and opportunities. Consistently, I worked with Buckeyes for a Cause to make handmade bracelets and cards every other Monday that were to be send to Nationwide Children’s Hospital at the end of every month. I enjoyed making the bracelets and cards because they were going to a good cause, of course, as well as it serving as a relaxing period of time away from schoolwork (yet also giving my time towards helping others). Other service activities I participated included the Garden of Hope, making and serving meals at the YWCA through the Thomas Newman Center, and going to COSI on the MLK Day of Service trip. It was a very busy and successful semester and I hope to focus in on just a few of the organizations I explored this year to devote my service to for next year.

Artifacts

To reach the 40 hour goal for service hours, this semester I was an active member in a club called Buckeyes for a Cause. In this club, we spend every meeting making bracelets and cards to be delivered to the children at Nationwide Hospital. It is a nice way to relieve stress (by braiding bracelets or making paper cards) but also very rewarding because I like knowing that they will soon be used to make a child smile. The way the club works is that one hour of serve equates to 1 bracelet or 5 cards. This club also takes a trip once per semester to the Ronald McDonald house to prepare and serve meals to the families there. I have been a member of Buckeyes for a Cause since my first semester freshman year and greatly enjoyed my time in this club; next semester I will be the Vice President and will be running the club alongside some other Health Science Scholars!

About Me

Hi! My name is Emily Willits and I am from Dayton, Ohio. I am currently planning to major in Health Information Management and Systems in the college of Health and Rehabilitation with intentions to pursue a graduate degree in Health Administration; that is my plan, though I am still keeping my options open regarding medical-field professions. I am also a part of the Health Sciences Scholars group. I am a visual learner and excited to be challenged in the classroom this year. My favorite school subject is anything to do with science and I am looking to pursue a career in the medical field one day. I am planning on joining clubs such as the Pre-Medicine Club, UHA, and probably rec sports for fun. Though I study well on my own, I also enjoy working in teams. I played on both the volleyball and softball team in high school, along with many extra-curricular activities. I consider myself a friendly and social person, as I enjoy participating on sports teams and in various clubs. I am happy and excited to get to know many new people on campus!