Year-In-Review
First Year
During this school year, I’ve had the privilege of participating in multiple experiences that have furthered my growth in different areas, one of which was joining the University Honors Program. As a transition student, I applied to the Program during my first semester of college. Hearing the news that I was accepted to UHP was one of the exciting moments of my first year of college. This experience of joining the Program has had a profound impact on how my spring semester has gone and my plans for 2021.
I decided to jump right into participating by signing up for my first honors class, honors English Composition. Additionally, I applied (and was accepted) into the UHP Discover summer research program. Both of these experiences continue to have a profound impact on my progression towards my post-college goals, however, neither would have been possible without first taking the step of applying to the University Honors Program. Joining UHP has had a major effect on helping me to achieve my goals of getting a summer internship and improving my English skills before applying to law school.
In addition to this profound change in my life, I also participated in a diverse class schedule this semester that helped to define my career goals. At the beginning of the spring semester, I had begun to consider changing my major. While I enjoyed Biology, it didn’t seem like a good fit for me or my professional goals. I decided to take gen-eds this semester as well as other classes, such as Introduction to Comparative Politics, to help decide what might be a better fit for me. After taking this class, I decided to change my major to Political Science. This experience of trying out new classes and exploring possible career paths was extremely valuable to my growth as a first-year student.
Going forward into my second year of college, I hope to grow from these experiences and move towards achieving new goals. One goal I have set for myself is to go to more networking events and career fairs. Now that I have discovered a path for my professional life, I would like to branch out and speak to individuals working in law. I believe it’s essential to conduct “informational interviews” or speak casually with individuals in my desired career path. Learning about what I could do in my field of interest aids me in discovering subfields of the profession or other paths I could take.
As I go forward into my second year of school, I am excited to work towards achieving my academic and professional goals.
Second Year
This year has brought about numerous changes in my personal, professional, and academic life. Specifically, I had a few experiences this academic year that changed my perspective on my plans.
Starting in the fall semester, I added a double major in economics. I had never taken an economics class before college, and I had no idea what to expect. Most of what I heard about economics included complaints from family and friends. Despite all of the complaints from my family and friends, I fell in love with the discipline. Adding it as a double major was nerve-wracking at first. It was a big step; one that could alter my professional career. That said, I’m excited that I had the faith to take it.
In addition to my changes academically, I also had experiences that shaped my professional outlook. Some of those experiences were from my time as a ROAR tour guide. I became a certified tour guide in October of this past year. Since becoming certified, I have given countless tours to prospective families and students. I have always enjoyed public speaking; my family can tell you first hand I can talk your ear off. However, as a ROAR guide, I practiced public speaking in a new way. Working with small groups of families and answering questions that change each time sharpened my skills of preparedness, poise, and clear communication. These skills are essential as a practicing lawyer, so, participating in this experience, gave me a chance to learn them in a new light.
Another experience I had this year was enrolling in Professor Godsey’s honor seminar, Blind Injustice. The course centers on wrongful convictions and the Ohio Innocence Project. Throughout the semester we had a speaker come in each week, all of which had a role in the criminal justice system and wrongful convictions. The information and stories shared not only enlightened my viewpoint but inspired me to continue learning as I continue my pre-law path. I had been aware of wrongful convictions and the basics of some of the underlying problems within the criminal justice system before taking the course, however, the depth of each topic we covered was illuminating. For example, one of the problematic areas in the criminal justice system that can lead to wrongful convictions is witness misidentification. I had very little, if any, knowledge about this specific area before taking the course. However, now, I have a much greater understanding of these problematic areas. The experience influenced me to do my research to educate family members of mine about the topic before our primary elections this past month. I hope to continue my learning in this area and use my knowledge to create change in my future career path.
These experiences have played a role in shaping my goals for next year. I plan to continue exploring new academic disciplines and skills to support my future career. I am studying abroad fall of 2022, an experience I hope to use to accomplish these goals. Finally, I hope to continue developing personally and using my time in the honors program to work on the skills I gained this year.
Second Year
This year has brought about numerous changes in my personal, professional, and academic life. Specifically, I had a few experiences this academic year that changed my perspective on my plans.
Starting in the fall semester, I added a double major in economics. I had never taken an economics class before college, and I had no idea what to expect. Most of what I heard about economics included complaints from family and friends. Despite all of the complaints from my family and friends, I fell in love with the discipline. Adding it as a double major was nerve-wracking at first. It was a big step; one that could alter my professional career. That said, I’m excited that I had the faith to take it.
In addition to my changes academically, I also had experiences that shaped my professional outlook. Some of those experiences were from my time as a ROAR tour guide. I became a certified tour guide in October of this past year. Since becoming certified, I have given countless tours to prospective families and students. I have always enjoyed public speaking; my family can tell you first hand I can talk your ear off. However, as a ROAR guide, I practiced public speaking in a new way. Working with small groups of families and answering questions that change each time sharpened my skills of preparedness, poise, and clear communication. These skills are essential as a practicing lawyer, so, participating in this experience, gave me a chance to learn them in a new light.
Another experience I had this year was enrolling in Professor Godsey’s honor seminar, Blind Injustice. The course centers on wrongful convictions and the Ohio Innocence Project. Throughout the semester we had a speaker come in each week, all of which had a role in the criminal justice system and wrongful convictions. The information and stories shared not only enlightened my viewpoint but inspired me to continue learning as I continue my pre-law path. I had been aware of wrongful convictions and the basics of some of the underlying problems within the criminal justice system before taking the course, however, the depth of each topic we covered was illuminating. For example, one of the problematic areas in the criminal justice system that can lead to wrongful convictions is witness misidentification. I had very little, if any, knowledge about this specific area before taking the course. However, now, I have a much greater understanding of these problematic areas. The experience influenced me to do my research to educate family members of mine about the topic before our primary elections this past month. I hope to continue my learning in this area and use my knowledge to create change in my future career path.
These experiences have played a role in shaping my goals for next year. I plan to continue exploring new academic disciplines and skills to support my future career. I am studying abroad fall of 2022, an experience I hope to use to accomplish these goals. Finally, I hope to continue developing personally and using my time in the honors program to work on the skills I gained this year.
Second Year
Third Year
This year was full of exciting new changes and challenges. I spent the year studying abroad in Birmingham, England at the University of Birmingham. While at first I was apprehensive, the experience was life-changing.
Studying abroad challenged me academically. I was enrolled in courses that, while taught familiar subjects, had different grading standards and expectations. For example, most of my courses base their final mark mostly on your final essay. In addition, the grading criteria also drastically differed. This presented an exciting opportunity to grow my academic skills and broaden my viewpoint on Political Science. I enjoyed learning from new perspectives and gaining an understanding of how British institutions teach politics. This experience has further informed my future career goals. Now, after studying abroad, I hope to move permanently to England and work as a lawyer or pursue a post-undergraduate degree after graduation.
On a personal level, studying abroad helped me come into my own. I truly feel that within the span of a year I have become a more independent, flexible, and open-minded person. Throughout this year I have continued to reflect on UHP’s motto of creating global citizen scholars. The ability to explore new cultures and meet new people helped me live out the role of a global citizen. While it wasn’t always easy to balance my personal life, travel, academics, and my commitments back home in Cincinnati, I found that my experiences this year have been formative in my growth and will continue to inform my future plans and personal goals.