Author: zink.101

G.O.A.L.S Assistant for College of Dentistry

As a student at The Ohio State University, job openings on campus are occupied by students. As a Pre-Dental Hygiene Major I am interested in filling the spot as an office assistant. I will be working with other dental professionals and will learn more of what the College of Dentistry looks like from a student and faculty standpoint. This job would assist me in getting to learn dentistry from a different lense, something I am unfamiliar with. This job directly correlates with the GOALS in ACES with the research and learning I will be doing as a student and employee. The pillars that match with this job is Academic Enrichment due to it being outside of  class, but I am still furthering my academic success and exploring my profession more. It is also fit into the Original Inquiry with the research done in the College of Dentistry. This opportunity would help me build my continuing resume for graduation, and be an overall immaculate experience for me.

G.O.A.L.S. Peer Mentor for ACES

As a Sophomore in the ACES Scholar program at The Ohio State University, you are given the opportunity to mentor a freshman and be there as a helping hand and guide through their first year at Ohio State. As a mentor I hope be able to be a safe place to the person I am paired with and can help them with the struggles one may face as a freshman. Since I will only be a sophomore, my freshman year will be very fresh in my memory and I can share methods that helped me succeed in and out of class. This Peer Mentor role will help me grow as an individual and it is something I am very passionate about so I feel that I would always put my best foot forward and want to help with the best advice I can give. This role I want to take on fits into the GOALS that ACES has instilled because of its Global Awareness in diversity within the students (people may be paired with someone with a different ethnicity), Academic Enrichment while assisting in academic needs or study habits outside of class, and major Leadership Development to take a role to be there as a guide and is trusted to help or always put the best foot forward.

Artifacts: ACES Explore Columbus

In the first semester of college, I was matched with a Sophomore ACES member as a peer mentor. As a first year in college it is really helpful to have someone to talk to and ask questions about ACES, campus, or just Columbus in general. Molly Ridge my peer mentor and I explored Columbus and got to know each other on a personal basis and became good friends from being paired as buddies. We had dinner at Northstar, and I had the opportunity to ask many questions about ACES, the requirements, and how I can become more involved in the program and expand my college resume for Dental school. Molly was very helpful and gave me suggestions on service to do that counts for the ACES program, and things she did and enjoyed. As a believer in service and giving back to the community, it was good to communicate with someone that takes those things seriously also. It was an experience I will always remember and helped me on my journey to be more involved in ACES.

Artifacts: Team Smiles

 

This past year I volunteered for an organization called Team Smiles in Cincinnati Ohio. This was an immaculate experience for me to have before starting my career as a Dental Assistant/Hygienist. Team Smiles is a non profit organization that goes around one/twice a year to Ohio and offers kids within the city free dental care. I was very fresh to the organization and was not quite sure of what the processes were and what I was going to do while volunteering; although, I quickly learned. I was given the job to communicate with the nervous kids what their treatment would consist of and try to calm their nerves. As a passionate supporter of Dentistry, I loved to be apart of this. I love kids, and have a passion for assisting others in building their love for oral care, so this job was perfect for me. I was able to use proper terms and let the kids calm down and ask me any questions before receiving their treatment with the Dentists.

About Me

Hello, and welcome to my very own ePortfolio! Throughout this portfolio, you will be able to get to know me, my passions, community service I am involved in on campus and at home. My name is Kirsten Zink, and I am a first year (freshman) here at The Ohio State University. My major is in Dental Hygiene to get a Bachelor’s in Hygiene. After college, I will be working at either a Pediatric or Orthodontist office cleaning teeth. I have always loved Dentistry, and knew exactly what I wanted to be at the age of 15. When I was 10, I got braces and I would always make up reasons to go back because I loved being there and loved the people in the practice. My Dentist was always so lively and full of energy and I was too, so he would always make sure appointments were fun. My Junior and Senior year I went to a career technology school and studied Dental Assisting. From this point on, I knew that this was the profession for me and for the rest of my life. I hope to be a bright, shiny, outgoing, and welcoming light for patients in the future and to help people build a passion for oral health like I do.