One of my favorite classes I have taken as an undergraduate so far is my first biochemistry course, Biochem 5613. My professor, Dr. Ottesen, makes the content extremely interesting by providing us with real world context for the information we learn. She often gives us research articles on different proteins and their functions on different organisms or studies on the coronavirus proteins. It makes the content so much easier to learn and makes me realize I’m learning science that is fundamental to our day-to-day lives. We have learned so far about amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and DNA/RNA, lipids, enzymes, antibodies and immune response, and so many other topics. I love the content so much in this course because its really is where the concepts I’ve learned in previous biology courses and chemistry courses intersect. I have developed a greater understanding of biological processes as a result of my class learning. I am excited for next semester to continue the biochemistry sequence and apply the fundamental concepts I learned in this course to new ideas. I know we will cover some of the topics in more depth in the future, and I can’t wait to deepen my understanding. Eventually I will also take a biochemistry lab where I can apply the laboratory techniques I learned in 5613 in real life. I am extremely passionate about this topic and am excited to continue to learn about it for the rest of my life. Even as a doctor, the concepts I learned in this course will apply and my knowledge on the topics will be enriched throughout my career.
Author: zafirova.2
2020-2021 Year in Review
This year has been very unconventional due to COVID-19 and the global pandemic, but I think I have made the best of my current circumstances and grown in ways that wouldn’t have been possible in a normal year of college. Navigating online classes and learning from home were difficult for me at first, but I adapted and developed new routines to support my learning. I also had to learn to advocate for myself in both my courses and in outside opportunities. My communication skills improved as a result of the online platform for most of my classes and extracurricular activities. Overall this year taught me to push myself and fight for my goals even during uncertainty.
This year I was especially challenged by my organic chemistry course. At first, I struggled to understand the new style of learning that goes along with it, but I kept going and gave my best effort. There were lots of ups and downs with my coursework, but I was always able to continue to push myself and do all I could to be a good student. Whether it was spending extra time reading chapters in the textbook, attending office hours, or doing extra homework problems, I kept applying myself. I am happy with my performance academically this year, especially with everything going on in the outside world.
I was also able to join a new campus organization this year that I love. I joined Universal Health Aid which is devoted to providing access to healthcare in the Columbus community and engaging in preventative health care measures by providing the local community with information and resources. We worked with other nonprofits like Safepoint and were even able to host our free health screening in person this semester in the Hilltop community. I was able to go and volunteer at this event, and it felt so rewarding to help others in need and to actively make a difference. I was a part of the Logistics committee which was in charge of planning the free health screening itself, so it was empowering to see all my hard work and ideas come to life. I plan on being a member of this organization during the rest of my time at OSU because the work they do aligns very well with my motivations for wanting to be a doctor in the first place.
Additionally during the academic year I was able to work remotely part-time for Huntington Bank. Even though this wasn’t a science related job, I still learned many valuable skills that I will apply in my future career. I worked as a member of a team, so I often had to communicate with others and cooperate to complete projects. I also was able to improve my professional skills and learned how to form relationships with co-workers. It was a great experience for me and allowed me to grow.
This year was challenging, but I was still able to accomplish many of my goals and learn more about myself as an individual. I’m looking forward to next semester and finding more enriching opportunities that will continue to push me and make me a better person.
Vision Statement and Statement of Action
My vision for myself in the future is to graduate from OSU and continue on to medical school and become a physician. On my journey to this goal I want to learn more about myself and what skills I have that I can apply to my future career. I also want to serve my community through more volunteer work to develop a greater understanding of others’ circumstances. I want to gain more networking experience and social skills during the next two years.
The actions I plan to take to reach these goals are to participate more in UHAC, the campus organization I joined this academic year. This organization is focused on serving those with minimal access to healthcare and to increase health literacy in the Columbus community. I also plan to volunteer at my local hospital again when it is determined to be safe, so I can help patients and visitors feel welcomed. Additionally, I want to work on my professionalism by having a job during the school year that allows me to interact with others in meaningful ways. I also plan on working hard on my studies and doing all I can to be a good student by focusing on my future goals and taking active steps with my learning to achieve them.
Joining Universal Health Aid: Columbus
This semester, my goal was to get involved with a student organization that addresses issues in the community that I am passionate about and would allow me to make a difference in Columbus. I joined Universal Health Aid: Columbus which is a organization focused on addressing health inequalities here in Columbus by providing free health screenings and preventative health care to those most in need. Everyone in UHAC is extremely passionate about improving the lives of people in the community by educating them on important health issues, connecting them to available resources, working alongside nonprofits such as Safepoint, and hosting community events like our free annual health screening in the Hilltop community. I am a member of the logistics committee which is heavily involved with planning the health screening and reaching out to nonprofits and businesses for their help during this event. I am excited to be involved this event which we are hoping to hold this spring in a way that follows COVID-19 protocols, but is still able to provide the necessary health resources to the Hilltop community. Our weekly meetings were an amazing opportunity to educate myself on important issues, both local and national, through group discussion and guest speakers. Even through zoom I was also able to get to know the members of UHAC and learn so much more about what others are doing to make a difference and the issues they are passionate about. I have included a snapshot from one of our general body meetings to show just how many students like me I was able to get to know and connect with through my passion for helping the local community. I thought this photo of the members during one of our Zoom meetings would serve as an appropriate artifact and reminder of the friendships I made even during a global pandemic. This organization was exactly what I was looking for and gave me the chance to volunteer my time and energy to improve the public health situation within Columbus during my time as an undergraduate. I am excited to get even more involved in UHAC in the upcoming semesters and plan on being an active member for as long as I can.
2019-2020 Year in Review
This year allowed me to challenge myself in many different areas especially my academics and service engagement. Due to Covid-19 and the stay at home order, I learned to become more independent and trusting of myself. This spring semester I took a second honors general chemistry course, a biology course, completed my required amount of college level calculus, and completed my Spanish language courses. The transition from in class learning to online showed me how flexible I am to change and how important being adaptable is. I learned how to use my resources more effectively and ask for help when I needed it. Overall, I would consider this semester very successful for my personal growth and undergraduate career.
I was able to participate and involve myself in many scholars events this year and connect with my peers to form what I know will be lifelong friendships. Having my three roommates also be involved in biological sciences scholars made the experience that much better and brought us closer. We will all be continuing to live together next year. Scholars has opened my eyes to many opportunities for involvement here at OSU and showed me how important it is to immerse yourself in the campus community. This year, my fellow scholars and I attended an OSU hockey game, volunteered at the Wesley Glen Retirement Community, volunteered at the Hot Chocolate 5k, danced all night long at Buckeyethon, studied together, and so much more. Through our service events as well as social events, I learned what it really means to be a biological sciences scholar. Being a scholar is about having empathy, serving your community, striving for growth, and always giving your all. Scholars helped me to connect with others in ways I would have never been able to on my own. I have found so much support through my involvement and am so excited for the years to come.
This year I was also able to begin volunteering at the James. This experience was so rewarding and I loved interacting with the patients and staff of the hospital. Many of my fellow scholars also volunteer at the hospital and shared the same passion I do. Through this position I saw my passion for working in a hospital and am excited for my future and want to find more ways to get involved.
Reflecting back on this year, I can see so much growth in who I am as a person and as a student. I am very serious about my future goals and know I have the necessary resources and opportunities here within Ohio State and Biosci scholars to achieve them. I can’t wait to find more successful ways to achieve my goals and serve my community. My first year of college was amazing, and I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I have learned so much and can’t wait to continue my lifelong journey of learning as I head into my sophomore year.
Volunteer Experience at the James Cancer Hospital
Starting in January of 2020, I was able to become a part of the volunteer team at the James, Ohio State’s cancer hospital. My position this year has been a Wayfinding Ambassador in the Brain and Spine building of the hospital. Going into this experience, I could have never imagined the role I would play in helping the patients through some of the scariest and most uncertain events in their lives. My job was to approach patients who looked in need of assistance, answer questions, provide support to visitors and staff at the hospital, and help navigate the building. I also worked closely with the information desk staff and was able to assist them in anything they needed. I would transport patients from one end of the hospital to the next and help alleviate some of this burden during their visit. The James is a very large hospital with many buildings connected by long hallways and many places for patients and visitors to park. It is very easy to be overwhelmed initially. I wanted to make this large, scary hospital where patients were receiving their cancer treatment seem like the warm and welcoming place I knew it to be. I was able to take away some of their fears and connect with these patients on a deeper level during my time as a volunteer. It was so rewarding to be able to brighten their days with a smile or comforting words and be one of the first people to welcome them. I felt a deep connection with every person I helped and found so much pleasure in this position. When I started, I didn’t realize how supported I could make each patient and family member feel through my presence and assistance. I have grown as a person through this experience, and it has increased my passion for working in a hospital so much more. I want to help others in a hospital setting for the rest of my life. Working at the James has allowed me to see how I can impact the lives of others and add happiness to their lives through kindness and empathy. I plan on continuing this experience throughout my undergraduate career and finding new ways to get involved in our hospitals.
Service Experience: Buckeyethon 2/7/20
In February of this spring semester, I participated as a part of the bioscience scholars team in fundraising for Buckeyethon. Buckeyethon is a 24 hour dance marathon with the purpose of fundraising to fight childhood cancer. The funds are for children at Nationwide Children’s Hospital located here in Columbus. I was able to ask friends and family to help and donate to the cause and received their support. Once I had fundraised a certain amount, I was able to attend this event on Friday night. I had chosen the overnight shift from 7 pm to 7 am the following morning. It was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had staying up all night in support of a cause near and dear to my heart. Children and families from the hospital came and shared their stories. I was so moved by each and every one of them and loved seeing how excited and happy they were to be with us. To see them and their families and know the money we had raised would directly impact their lives and care was the best feeling in the world. Every student who participated in Buckeyethon was touched by cancer in some way through family and friends. It was so rewarding to be alongside my fellow students fighting childhood cancer and doing our part to better the lives of not only the children with us at the event, but future children to come. This year Buckeyethon raised $1,606,087.99 for the kids. I could not be happier that I was able to help the Ohio State and Columbus community in moving one step closer to ending childhood cancer. I was able to make an impact through this event in ways I never could have imagined.
Scholars event: Wesley Glen Bingo Night
On August 29th, my roommates and I volunteered with our Biological Science scholars group at Wesley Glen nursing home. We played bingo and entertained the residents during their night of fun. It was a wonderful experience that showed me that even just by giving some of my time for one evening, I can brighten someone else’s day. So often just being kind to those around you is something that gets taken for granted during our busy lives. During this opportunity, I was given the chance to make others happy by engaging in conversation and taking an interest in their lives. Life is too short not to reach out to others and listen to one another. I am very fortunate to have had this experience. It serves as a reminder to me to spread joy wherever I go.
Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio
Hello and welcome to my Scholars e-Portfolio! This is a website to serve as an archive for my personal and professional experiences that have shaped me.
Semester in Review
During my time at Ohio State so far I have grown as both a student and a person. This semester, I decided to take an honors chemistry course. This class was much more difficult than I originally expected and forced me to reevaluate my study habits and take charge of my own learning. I learned how to study more efficiently and have rediscovered my passion for science. In particular, the lab portion of this course taught me how to be resourceful and adapt to challenges. I believe I have chosen the perfect major for me and am excited to continue my undergraduate studies.
In order to involve myself more at Ohio State, I joined two clubs this semester. The first, Mountaineers at OSU, helped me find other students who enjoy travel, camping, hiking, and appreciate the outdoors. This group sponsors excursions to some of the most beautiful hiking and rock climbing locations in the country. I am excited to participate more in the club and potentially even go on one of the bigger hiking trips next semester. I have also joined a more service based club, Blueprints for Pangea. The goal of this organization is to redistribute unused medical supplies from the larger hospitals in the city to the free clinics in the Columbus area and potentially other countries. I am excited to be a member of a club that can help those in need in my new community. Next semester I plan on participating in the volunteer opportunities that will be available. In both of my clubs, I have met so many students with similar interests to me who care about the environment and those less fortunate. My experiences in both these clubs have allowed me to explore these areas of myself and provide endless opportunities for my future.
This semester I was able to involve myself in many biological scholars events and different service opportunities. I participated in the Wesley Glen Bingo night as well as their Halloween party. This experience showed me that just by being a friendly face and offering my time, I can make someone’s life brighter. I was also able to attend the study session with my peers where we all bonded over our difficult assignments and encouraged one another. This scholars program has provided me with roommates who are now my closest friends as well as many educational and volunteer opportunities. It has been so wonderful to be surrounded by other students with scientific interests similar to mine. This program has showed me what it will take for me to get into medical school and how to set myself up for success in my undergraduate career.
Starting college, I was overwhelmed by the new surroundings and increased difficulty in coursework. After this semester, I know I have found my new home here. I am surrounded by motivated individuals who support me and push me to be my best self. I have become a more outgoing and confident person and have solidified my career goals. I am excited for my future and am no longer intimidated by challenge. I have found the resources I need to reach my goals and learned to utilize them in a way that best supports me. Next semester, I look forward to more opportunities to grow both academically, socially, and emotionally and pave my path to success.