To say that this past school year has been different would be an understatement. Alongside being involved in various activities across campus and dealing with some of the most challenging workloads in my academic career, I spent the last five weeks of it all stuck in my old bedroom under the glow of my laptop screen. However difficult this year may have been, it has nevertheless been a time of much personal and academic development to me.

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          Throughout my undergraduate career, research has been a big focus of mine and continues to be my primary career interest. During fall semester, I was tasked with my first independent research project at CCHMC; this project dealt with the developmental effects of pesticides in the brain and how the resulting cognitive deficits change over time. Later in the year, when my mentor finished her dissertation, I was invited to conduct research in the neighboring lab, where I spent the remainder of spring semester assisting with stem cell research. I have almost zero knowledge about this topic, but nevertheless, I spent my time asking countless questions and reading literature in order to understand my research. During the lab switch, I had to balance a fine line between figuring things out on my own and asking for help; I often thought to myself, “the lab expects a student with experience, so how do I tell them I’m completely lost on what I’m doing? Am I asking too many basic questions?” Thankfully, the other members were supportive and encouraging as I was getting used to the new environment.

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           Just before UC switched to remote learning, I was introduced to my next independent project dealing with stem cell differentiation, and I plan on making this project my capstone should the lab take in students next semester.

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          Although my time in the lab was cut short, I was able to continue my involvement in research through the Undergraduate Research Society. I joined UGRS at the beginning of this semester in order to get others involved in undergraduate research across campus. Earlier in the school year, I met in person with students to talk to them about my current research experience and how I got involved. I also answered any of their questions about starting in a research lab and how they could best approach the matter. Thankfully, I was able to continue to meet with students virtually during remote learning.

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          Additionally, UGRS has connected me with people such as Dr. Megan Lamkin, the director of Undergraduate Research at UC. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this organization, and next year I will be the Treasurer and Events Committee Chair. I’m excited to plan all sorts of events across campus, so I’m spending the summer brainstorming ideas to get more students involved in our organization!

This year was also my first year as an Honors Ambassador. I spent most of my time here volunteering at Open House tables telling potential students about my experiences in UHP. Throughout my time at these events, something I noticed with a lot of students and parents was that UHP’s nontraditional approach to an “honors program” tended to turn them away. I would say “we don’t necessarily offer more difficult classes like a high school would”, and the look on parents’ faces would turn bleak, and they’d respond bluntly with “Oh, okay. Thanks.” I had to learn to not only state the unique benefits of UHP, but to articulate them in a way that seems “worthwhile” to people who only know and seek academic benefits. I plan to express this more next year as I return to be an ambassador.

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          Another big accomplishment for this year was being offered a Peer Leader position for next year’s Neuroscience Learning Community. I am thrilled to have this opportunity on campus, and I cannot wait to help my students through their first year of college.

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          Next year marks several responsibilities for myself. I will be an Honors Ambassador, Peer Leader, the Treasurer/Events Committee Chair for UGRS, and I will hopefully be returning to CCHMC to conduct research. Additionally, I am looking at graduate school programs and considering what I will do following my undergraduate education. I plan to graduate in three semesters, and I feel that my time at UC is quickly slipping away. However, this only gives me more reason to embrace the opportunities I have this coming year and make the most out of them. With this motivation, I will continue to develop myself and help those around me as I begin my final full year at UC.