2018-2019 was a year of achievement and growth. After my prereq’s came a barrage of challenging natural science courses, but I improved my work ethic and my grades remained steady. Meanwhile, I continued to participate in activities that I felt would lead to personal growth. To summarize my growth as a student and as an individual, I’ll return to the goals defined by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Global Awareness
This year, I tried to takes courses and participate in activities that would make me a better ‘global citizen.’ To begin, I thought it’d be appropriate for a lifelong christian like me to learn about the other religions of the world. Dr. Hugh Urban’s class in Comparative Sacred Texts offered me the chance to do just that. In this class, we studied numerous sacred texts, including the Quran, the Torah, the Vedas, and even the teachings of a Native American holy man. As we delved into each religion, we considered its historical context, and we compared and contrasted its values to those of other traditions. We even visited several place of worship to meet with members of each faith.
Meanwhile, my volunteer work at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus afforded me a better appreciation of cultural and socioeconomic diversity. At the LASC, I help low-income individuals (specifically, US veterans) apply for disability compensation. I also help rehabilitated criminals with record expungement. Though it can be difficult to connect with individuals across such socioeconomic and cultural gaps (not to mention age), this experience helped me understand the struggles of disadvantaged individuals in and about Columbus Ohio.
Original Inquiry
Last semester marked my second consecutive year in Dr. Qi-En Wang’s laboratory at the Biomedical Research Tower. Now that I’ve narrowed the gap between me and my coworkers, undergraduate research has been much more rewarding. I’m more comfortable running my own experiments, troubleshooting problems in the lab, and participating in lab meetings, and these experiences have given me a healthy respect for the rigorous process of investigation, validation, and dissemination of new information. Last semester, I presented my instigation of cancer stem cell differentiation at the undergraduate research festival at the Ohio Union.
Academic Enrichment
As I finish my sophomore year, I continue to shape my coursework to fit my research and my career goal of becoming a physician. My first class in biochemistry has already proven useful in the lab, and I have no doubt that future biochemistry classes will be the same. I expect MOLGEN 5300 to be especially relevant to both my research and my future career, since I work in a cancer lab and I’m entertaining the idea of being an oncologist.
In addition, I took several prerequisite classes in preparation for a minor in Insurance through the Fisher College of Business. Today, many doctors have described a shift in the medical field towards larger healthcare providers and less individualized care. In these circumstances, physicians may feel like they are losing their autonomy as they transition from smaller individual practices to a larger bureaucratic system. By minoring in Insurance, I hope to familiarize myself with the corporate aspect of healthcare. I think this will allow me to better navigate the healthcare systems as a physician, while also opening up potential career paths in healthcare administration.
Leadership Development
I try to strengthen my leadership skills through teaching and service. For me, leadership means bringing others’ to follow your example. This year, I continued tutoring at a local middle school through Adopt-A-School, an OSU student organization. As a tutor, I have to establish a positive and productive atmosphere with my tutees. To this end, it’s not enough simply to maintain order or demand quiet. Rather, I have to acknowledge their words, recognize that their goals don’t always align with mine, and find ways to channel their energy down a productive avenue. When there’s a friendly and respectful relationship between a teacher and his subjects, he can set a positive example, and his subjects follow his lead because they don’t want to jeopardize that relationship. Now, as president of the student org, I take the same approach while training new members and working with other tutors.
Service Engagement
As I’ve already mentioned, service has helped me grow as an individual and as a leader. In addition to my work and the LASC and with Adopt-A-School, I also volunteer with a local nonprofit organization called Pass the Class. PTC provides academic tutoring and career services for homeless youth in Columbus. As with Adopt-A-School, I try to lead by example when tutoring through PTC. I also assist with grant-writing, which comes effortlessly, thanks to my writing experience at the LASC and at the lab.