G.O.A.L.S.

The University Honors & Scholars Center at The Ohio State University serves high-ability, motivated undergraduate students. While embracing diversity in both ideas and people, the Center fosters purposeful learning communities that enhance students’ academic and social experiences. The Center facilitates impactful, rigorous, and unique opportunities that further student success and involvement in our G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement.

G.O.A.L.S.

 

The Honors and Scholars G.O.A.L.S. are the fundamental attributes to a student in the Honors and Scholars program.  Each facet takes on a role in making the student more open minded and aware of the world around them as well as striving for excellence in academia.

The “G” stands for Global Awareness. This is the appreciation and understanding of not only one’s own culture, but of the various other cultures that one may find themselves surrounded with on a day to day basis. Understanding other cultures is essential to being able to work with others and to get along with other. The “O” stands for Original Inquiry. This means that one must be able to think creatively and critically to advance the world in all fields. Doing research is one way to develop original inquiry. The “A” stands for Academic Enrichment. This facet is where one must gain knowledge through academics and rigorous studying. By advancing one’s academics, one may learn more about cultures and ideas, develop one’s own ideas, and do research to promote various fields and contribute to society. This facet is a critical one.

The “L” stands for Leadership Development. One must be able to use the skills they have gained (perhaps with respect to the other facets of the G.O.A.L.S.) and lead others. One should take charge and share his or her knowledge with others to help advance the rest of society along with them; to do this one must be able to lead. Leadership development is essential and should be given the proper time so that one may be able to lead others forward. The “S” stands for Service Engagement. Society has given much to help one grow and achieve that status they are at. So to continue to growth of society and the expansion and to make the community stronger, one should give back in the form of helping the community where is needs, be it in teaching children, helping the elderly, or giving to those who aren’t fortunate enough to afford some of the things he or she was able to have. Service engagement promotes a reciprocity virtue in the community that only serves to benefit everyone.

The two facets that are most relevant to me are academic enrichment and global awareness. As an engineer, it is important that I understand the needs and wants of the people who will be the people I am serving. Thus it is important that I am aware of their values and ideas so that the solution to whatever problem I am working on may be mindful of their ideas. Furthermore, knowing the ideas and cultures of others may help to bring solutions that would not have been thought of before. Academics will be a vital piece in my future since the majority of the work I plan on doing will be math heavy. Thus, I should take it upon myself to grasp the fundamentals of math and computer science as well as specializations in these topics so that when the time comes that I must employ the skills I have I have the proper knowledge and keen critical thinking skills to efficient solve the problem given to me.