Year in Review
Each year, I will reflect on my goals from the previous school year, what I have learned, and what experiences I have participated in.
22/23 Reflection
My second year at the University of Cincinnati really flew by. I met so many new, amazing people, had both exciting and challenging experiences, and grew as an individual overall. While it was not always easy, I am proud of myself for where I am now. I hope that this next year is just as successful and full of new experiences.
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My first honors experience this year was the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. For this experience, I continued in the research lab that I had gotten involved in via RaMP. This was one of my goals at the end of last year, so I am glad that I followed through with it. Overall, this was an incredible experience. I fully took in all of the seminars offered through the fellowship and learned so much from the members of my lab. I was also given the opportunity to present twice; at the Ohio Miami Valley Neuroscience Day and at the oral presentation day at the commencement of the SURF-Neuro program. I am still involved in the Danzer lab heavily today, so this experience was obviously very impactful on my growth.
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My other honors experiences this summer both came from working as a Learning Assistant through the Learning Commons. I was a Learning Assistant for the class "Biomedical Lab Techniques." In this class, students learn everything they need to know to hit the ground running in a research lab setting. I found this course very helpful when I took it, and I have loved sharing my knowledge with other students. This class has helped me improve my leadership, teaching, and communication skills. I plan to continue helping with this course this summer and next fall.
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This year, I will be taking on new leadership roles through Student Government and studying difficult topics. I know that time management is going to be the skill that I will need to work on the most. My goal is to stay focused throughout the year and continue to be successful in my classes and extracurriculars Additionally, I would still love to find a healthcare employment opportunity that I can integrate into my schedule. I am also trying to set up shadowing and volunteer opportunities for myself this summer. I look forward to what this next year has to offer!
21/22 Reflection
Wow! What a great way to start my undergraduate career. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous coming into college. I was unsure what to expect from life in college: living on my own for the first time, taking control of my education, and being more independent than ever. While dealing with these life changes was stressful at times, it was exciting to watch myself grow and develop into a
young adult.
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When I look back on the previous year, I think of all the great opportunities I have been given through Honors and elsewhere. My first honors experience was participating in the Student Leaders Roundtable. It was very interesting to be a part of this group so early into my college career as I did not yet hold any leadership positions on campus. However, from what I learned from the older and more experienced members of the group, I have been able to improve my leadership skills. Everything I have learned from my peers in the Student Leaders Roundtable has been invaluable when taking on leadership roles of my own throughout the year.
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My second honors experience of the year was participating in the Biomedical Research and Mentorship Program. Of everything I participated in this past school year, I believe that RaMP had the biggest impact on me. I have had an amazing experience being taken under the wing of Dr. Dani Tapp in the Danzer lab. She has shown me so many new wet lab skills and I have been able to become a much more functional and independent member of the lab. I have found a love for research in the Danzer lab and because of this, I will be continuing in the lab through the summer through SURF and hopefully into the next school year.
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Other notable experiences I've had this previous year outside of honors include becoming a Medical Sciences Ambassador, participating in and completing the Student Government Mentorship Program, being elected as a College of Medicine Tribunal Senator, serving as a BIOL1082 ATA, taking on a new job at UPS, and being accepted into UC's College of Medicine's Connections BS/MD program. Some of these experiences are very big and some are seemingly small, but nonetheless, they have all helped to shape my trajectory for the future and discover myself. For the roles I listed that I am staying in into next year, I cannot wait to see where they take me and how they help me develop my character.
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When looking into the future, I have a few goals for myself. Firstly, I want to stay involved in research. Being involved in science in this way will help me to be more inquisitive and understanding of the scientific process, which in turn will be beneficial to my future career in medicine. Other ways I want to prepare myself for medicine include shadowing and clinical work experience. Since the summer started, I have been able to do a bit of shadowing, but I would like to get even more hours and experience with other specialties. While shadowing is amazing, I would like to also get a job in healthcare within the next year to gain patient care experience. My academic goals include remaining on the Dean's List in the semesters to come and also taking courses that truly interest me both in and out of my major.