TAKING THE PLUNGE!
January 2013. New year, new you, new me right? That's commonly what most people think of when they think of such a significant month. A time to make new year's resolutions and to try to stick to them as much as possible. The excitement surrounding January 1st is unreal. Literally, the whole world is having a party. January 2013 for me was this exactly and tremendously more. I was about to have to adapt to a new country, state and climate in such a short amount of time. But I was so elated and overjoyed, I looked at this new change as the best thing that ever happened to me and I was ready to take the plunge, big time. Never had I felt so ready to embrace a new part of my life and make the most of it. Here I was on January 1 turning more than a new leaf. I was creating a whole new novel.
Beginning this new novel is the University of Cincinnati. This is where I will call home for the next four years and obtain my undergraduate degree in Chemistry. Also at the beginning of this novel is Cincinnati and the state of Ohio, a new city, state and country. These places are where I will live dwell and make the most of my out of classroom experiences. For thr first time in my life, I am in charge of my self, all the time. As I mentioned earlier, I was ready to take the plunge. I was ready to hit the ground running without ever having to slow down.
Once starting UC, I took the 'hit the ground running' saying very seriously. I wasted no time in getting involved on campus. I made sure to put myself out there because I was in a completely new environment where I knew no one. I thought that trying to get involved in some organizations on campus that piqued my interests would help me to become comfortable and adapt to this stark, new environment. I have always loved children and so when I found that there was a tutoring program specifically for elementary school children, I thought that this was the perfect way that I could get involved in the community and make a real difference. I was also gaining the experience interacting with children which is one of my passions. Through this experience, I learned so much about myself. This experience confirmed my desire to have a career centered solely around children, developmental-behavioral pediatrics. I learned that I loved to help people and that I love to let people use my time. I feel a sense of fulfillment when I help others and I know I am making a positive impact on them. When my tutee wrote to me that she enjoyed being with me and learned things that she had never learned before, that warmed my heart.
I continued to look for more programs that I had a deep interest in while beginning my life as a new college student. I had always been interested in minoring in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies but I wasn't sure how practical that would be to add to my already hectic schedule. While attending the Annual Student Leadership Conference this past February, I learned of a fairly new program on campus called Women in Leadership and Learning (WILL). After hearing more about this organization, I realized that I was becoming more and more interested in becoming a part of it. I remember telling the program coordinator Amy Howton that I was going to make sure that I applied to become a new member. I was accepted to the program and attended the mandatory retreat held the semester prior to when the new members start in the program. This retreat, though only two days, was such a life-changing experience for me. I met some great women. At this retreat, I was able to actively reflect on my personal story and how I will use it to make an impact on my community. I grew as a woman and as a person. I was forced to think within myself and become in touch with my emotions. I also reflected on what leadership meant to me and how I would use my experience and understanding of a leader to make a difference in my community. The retreat was the start to my four year journey as a part of WILL. I realized that I was thrust into a leadership role when becoming a WILLer. This experience was influential to me because I was able to reflect on my past experiences as a leader and what being a leader personally meant to me and to grow as a person.
The last significant event that has occurred throughout my time here at UC was being chosen as an Honors ambassador. I have always been thrust into a leadership role from the time of the birth of my younger brother and sister. I had the most influence on them through my actions being the eldest. And so I was always mindful of my decisions and choices. When I heard of the opportunity of becoming an Honors ambassador, I thought that I would be the perfect fit for it. The University Honors program was the reason I chose to attend UC. When I learned of the opportunities and roles as an Honors ambassador, I thought it was worth the risk to apply for the position even though I had only been an honors student for a short time. I was granted a position to be an Honors ambassador. This selection was a confirmation for me in terms of being a leader. I always thought of myself as a leader but to be chosen with very little experience really encouraged me and solidified my thoughts as viewing myself as a leader.
Through these significant events and experiences, I think that these are avenues in which I can use my gifts and talents to help serve my community and society. Through Bearcat Buddies, I am using my proficient mathematical and reading skills to help the city's public elementary school kids to improve their grades. I am also using my talent of connecting with children while being a Bearcat Buddy. As a WILLer, I am using my voice as a female leader to bring out issues of inequality facing women and to create projects that would improve female inequality in society.
I think that for next semester I will focus on making sure I leave an indelible mark in these organizations I am apart of. I will bring my different perspective and creative insight into these groups. I will make sure that I use my role to the fullest capacity. Whether that be making sure that a syllabus is created for Bearcat Buddies so that the program can run more smoothly or starting and executing a project in WILL. I think the advice I would give myself is to always be aware of the amount of my time I allow people to use. Also, to never put too much on my plate. Since I will have a busy schedule next semester, I would advise myself to procrastinate as little as possible and complete assignments as soon after they are assigned. This past year has been very eventful for me. A new city, state and country. I was ready to take the plunge and hit the ground running without ever having to slow down. I surely did stick to this saying and got involved on campus. I will use this involvement as a platform for me to use my gifts and talents and improve my community and society.
Beginning this new novel is the University of Cincinnati. This is where I will call home for the next four years and obtain my undergraduate degree in Chemistry. Also at the beginning of this novel is Cincinnati and the state of Ohio, a new city, state and country. These places are where I will live dwell and make the most of my out of classroom experiences. For thr first time in my life, I am in charge of my self, all the time. As I mentioned earlier, I was ready to take the plunge. I was ready to hit the ground running without ever having to slow down.
Once starting UC, I took the 'hit the ground running' saying very seriously. I wasted no time in getting involved on campus. I made sure to put myself out there because I was in a completely new environment where I knew no one. I thought that trying to get involved in some organizations on campus that piqued my interests would help me to become comfortable and adapt to this stark, new environment. I have always loved children and so when I found that there was a tutoring program specifically for elementary school children, I thought that this was the perfect way that I could get involved in the community and make a real difference. I was also gaining the experience interacting with children which is one of my passions. Through this experience, I learned so much about myself. This experience confirmed my desire to have a career centered solely around children, developmental-behavioral pediatrics. I learned that I loved to help people and that I love to let people use my time. I feel a sense of fulfillment when I help others and I know I am making a positive impact on them. When my tutee wrote to me that she enjoyed being with me and learned things that she had never learned before, that warmed my heart.
I continued to look for more programs that I had a deep interest in while beginning my life as a new college student. I had always been interested in minoring in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies but I wasn't sure how practical that would be to add to my already hectic schedule. While attending the Annual Student Leadership Conference this past February, I learned of a fairly new program on campus called Women in Leadership and Learning (WILL). After hearing more about this organization, I realized that I was becoming more and more interested in becoming a part of it. I remember telling the program coordinator Amy Howton that I was going to make sure that I applied to become a new member. I was accepted to the program and attended the mandatory retreat held the semester prior to when the new members start in the program. This retreat, though only two days, was such a life-changing experience for me. I met some great women. At this retreat, I was able to actively reflect on my personal story and how I will use it to make an impact on my community. I grew as a woman and as a person. I was forced to think within myself and become in touch with my emotions. I also reflected on what leadership meant to me and how I would use my experience and understanding of a leader to make a difference in my community. The retreat was the start to my four year journey as a part of WILL. I realized that I was thrust into a leadership role when becoming a WILLer. This experience was influential to me because I was able to reflect on my past experiences as a leader and what being a leader personally meant to me and to grow as a person.
The last significant event that has occurred throughout my time here at UC was being chosen as an Honors ambassador. I have always been thrust into a leadership role from the time of the birth of my younger brother and sister. I had the most influence on them through my actions being the eldest. And so I was always mindful of my decisions and choices. When I heard of the opportunity of becoming an Honors ambassador, I thought that I would be the perfect fit for it. The University Honors program was the reason I chose to attend UC. When I learned of the opportunities and roles as an Honors ambassador, I thought it was worth the risk to apply for the position even though I had only been an honors student for a short time. I was granted a position to be an Honors ambassador. This selection was a confirmation for me in terms of being a leader. I always thought of myself as a leader but to be chosen with very little experience really encouraged me and solidified my thoughts as viewing myself as a leader.
Through these significant events and experiences, I think that these are avenues in which I can use my gifts and talents to help serve my community and society. Through Bearcat Buddies, I am using my proficient mathematical and reading skills to help the city's public elementary school kids to improve their grades. I am also using my talent of connecting with children while being a Bearcat Buddy. As a WILLer, I am using my voice as a female leader to bring out issues of inequality facing women and to create projects that would improve female inequality in society.
I think that for next semester I will focus on making sure I leave an indelible mark in these organizations I am apart of. I will bring my different perspective and creative insight into these groups. I will make sure that I use my role to the fullest capacity. Whether that be making sure that a syllabus is created for Bearcat Buddies so that the program can run more smoothly or starting and executing a project in WILL. I think the advice I would give myself is to always be aware of the amount of my time I allow people to use. Also, to never put too much on my plate. Since I will have a busy schedule next semester, I would advise myself to procrastinate as little as possible and complete assignments as soon after they are assigned. This past year has been very eventful for me. A new city, state and country. I was ready to take the plunge and hit the ground running without ever having to slow down. I surely did stick to this saying and got involved on campus. I will use this involvement as a platform for me to use my gifts and talents and improve my community and society.