G.O.A.L.S. Reflection

G.O.A.L.S. is an extremely important part of the STEM EE Scholars program. It stands for Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development and Service Engagement. All of these aspects are trained and defined within the Scholars program itself. However, I have two aspects of G.O.A.L.S. that speak out to me the most.

Global Awareness is one of them. As a Scholar, my job is to be aware of the world around me, inspecting what kind of problems the world has as well as what kind of problems people less fortunate than me have. Another kind of awareness is noticing what is going on around me and how I could adapt to them. This speaks to me because I am eager to be aware of what is going on around me. In years to come, I will likely be incorporating this global awareness into my work in computer science, where I could be developing new technology in response to my own awareness to the world around me.

Original Inquiry is the other one. Original Inquiry is asking original questions that would push new boundaries and allow people to make new discoveries. Original Inquiries are important because without asking the questions in the first place, the responses to the questions would definitely not exist. It is important to me because as a computer engineer in the future, I will be making a lot of original inquiries on what kind of limits I could push on computer science and how I could help technology move forward with these kinds of questions.

2017 Engineering Expo Artifact

Image result for ohio state engineering expo 2017

I went to the Engineering Expo on September 27, 2017. I had several reasons I wanted to go, even though I was a freshmen. First, I wanted to experience the entire expo environment so that next year when I actually try and get a sophomore internship, I will be used to the crowded environment and pressure. Second of all, I also wanted to ask the different recruiters and people there what they were looking in for in potential interns. Last of all, this was a perfect chance to also get credits for STEM EE Scholars.

One of the companies I approached was Wolverine. The recruiter at Wolverine said that they were located in downtown Chicago, provided free food, free place to stay and a good walking distance from place of residence to the company building. I also approached various other companies and organizations, whose recruiters all said that they were more willing to hire people based on their passion for learning rather than people who already know a lot about engineering and programming. Furthermore, they said that a freshmen going to the expo is a very good thing because then they could get the experience before really going for it in the sophomore year.

In the end I felt like it was a very valuable experience. I felt like I got the information I really wanted, on what the companies want due to experience and attributes. This was important because then next year when I come back, I will definitely be much more prepared when I am trying to find an internship for myself in computer science.

Artifacts

I never thought the Scholars interview project would have such a profound impact on me. For the interview project I had to interview an upperclassman, a graduate student and a professor. I knew this interview project was important, as in it would help me get more advice about what I was doing during my freshman year here in college, but I never thought the interview project would take me so far as for me to develop an interest in what what my interviewee professor was saying. For me, it had enough impact for me to question whether or not I was going to take up on the offer for a research position my interviewee professor was offering.

The professor I interviewed was named Dr. Trivedi, who is primarily a research professor in the field of quantum physics and the properties of superconductors. I was extremely fascinated when she talked about how particles could travel from one place to the next through a hill full of barriers at zero temperature. I was even more fascinated when she said that this type of quantum physics research could eventually lead to the mass development of quantum computers, computers that are superior to the modern computer in terms of calculation speed and efficiency. This is most relevant to my major of computer science because computer scientists would have to observe quantum computers and run programs on them at later stages. I was offered a research team position during the summer by Dr. Trivedi that I am still currently and seriously considering. I am very satisfied with this project and I felt like a whole new world has opened up to me.

About Me

My name is Henry Xiong, and I am from Milpitas, California, bordering right on the edge of San Jose in Silicon Valley. I have traveled out of state to go to Ohio State University to experience new views on familiar topics as well as to establish my foundation in an educationally rich environment. I look forward on utilizing my experiences with the resources offered here to make the most of my learning experience.

Over the years back in California, I have participated in a variety of different extracurricular activities. I have played piano for over ten years, going from classical pieces all the way to modern songs. I enjoy playing piano in my free time as well as improvising music on the piano. I have also drawn traditional to digital art for almost a decade. I have drawn in pencil, watercolor, oil pastel, and pastel for traditional art. I enjoyed both art and music during my time back in California. However, I enjoy coding as well, and I look forward towards making different kinds of side projects and interactive programs. All these activities have tested my ability to think and do creatively, which is why in the end I aim to be a software developer or a software designer.

I do not have a lot of skill to begin with, even though I have taken Python programming and a bit of other programming back in high school. Only recently I have began to dabble a lot more in java in my free time. I plan on taking the classes as well as taking advantage of organizations, events and side projects to improve my programming skills.

I am excited to begin my experience here at the Ohio State University, and to utilize the different resources and opportunities here to achieve the goals I have always wanted to achieve back in California.

Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio

Welcome to my e-portfolio! I post updates and endeavors made here from the STEM Scholars Program of the Ohio State University. I write about my G.O.A.L.S. and different activities made throughout the year, as well as other information that is important academically wise. Enjoy your visit!

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

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.]