This past year at the University of Cincinnati has been a great success in terms of figuring out my career path and taking the appropriate steps to start. In just one year I have maintained a 4.0 GPA, I am involved in several extracurriculars, and I have had a position in a research lab since the beginning of spring semester. As I plan to pursue graduate school in the future, having a strong start to my undergraduate career is a valuable asset to me, and I have personally surpassed my initial goals and expectations when heading in to my first year at college.

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          One particular experience that has brought me so much experiential learning in the field of research was my participation in UHP’s Biomedical RaMP program, where I was able to be selected for a position in the Vorhees/Williams lab. I have participated in this program the past spring semester and I am continuing in the summer. As I touched on before, I plan to pursue a PhD in neuroscience and would like to pursue research as a career. This program provided me with general lab experience as well as a great introduction to the field of research in general. Not only did I gain experience in neurology research, but there were other emergent benefits to the program aside from physically taking part in research. For example, I had the opportunity to present my research topic in front of an audience – a skill that I recently learned is vital in this field. Not only did I improve my public speaking skills, but I also learned to analyze and explain my work to a broader audience. Additionally, the interview process in the RaMP program introduced me to the practices of breaking down the fundamental questions of 1) why I want to pursue research in the first place and 2) why I want to pursue neuroscience research in particular. Although they seem quite basic, I am told by graduate students and advisors that these questions appear frequently in interviews for graduate schools and scholarships – most notably the Goldwater Scholarship, which I plan to apply to next semester. Overall, the RaMP program provided an excellent segue of sorts into starting my future career path.

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          Relating to the RaMP program, getting involved in undergraduate research has provided me with connections and opportunities to talk to others in the field that can guide me on my undergraduate journey. For example, I was introduced to the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards where I found out about the Goldwater Scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing research as a career. From there I got in touch with director Jenny Hyest and past Goldwater winner Dr. Kevin Haworth; both of these people gave me a plethora of information about the award and how I can conduct myself in the coming months in order to better prepare myself. Moreover, much of the guidance I have received has come not from tenured professionals, but graduate students in my lab – people who are currently going through what I am preparing for over these four years. These students gave me plenty of advice not only on graduate school itself, but also on the importance of finding labs that fit your individual interests and enjoying the type of research you are involved in. Although this is not a particular experience, generally conversing with mentors in my field of study has given me much practical knowledge about my future endeavors that I will surely use in the near future.

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          As for the 2019-2020 school year, I have several plans for improving myself academically and personally, but I would say I have three goals in particular. 1) I plan to apply to the Goldwater Scholarship. Even though I am not confident as of now that I will win this award, applying will at least give me a chance to critically think about my research experience and future aspirations as well as to brainstorm ideas for what I would like to eventually pursue as a particular research project. 2) I would like to become a Learning Commons Peer Leader or Learning Assistant. As mentioned earlier, presenting my research and sharing the knowledge that I have with others allows me to analyze and reflect on all that I have learned and experienced. I truly enjoy sharing my experiences with others, and I feel that becoming a PL or LA will allow me to exercise that privilege as well as help other students in the process who may be having the same difficulties that I had (and still have). 3) I plan to find another lab focused on neurodegenerative disorders. Although I enjoy learning about brain development in my current lab, I find diseases such as Alzheimer’s and ALS and their potential reversal to be fascinating, and I would like to study that topic extensively in the future. I would find it to be an absolute privilege to potentially spend time in a lab focused on treating those illnesses. Given my fulfilling past experiences this school year, I am excited for what opportunities I may have at UC in the near future.