Year 1
Coming into my freshman year, I was unsure what to expect at the University of Cincinnati. I am from a small farm town in rural Indiana and I had never lived in a city as big as Cincinnati. Also, I was rooming with people I had never met and was quite nervous to move into my home for the upcoming school year. However, the University of Cincinnati quickly began to feel like a place I could call home. I met three of my best friends and became very comfortable in my classes with my peers. A specific experience that shifted the trajectory of my professional pathway was the beginning of my volunteer experience with The Christ Hospital. Around this time, towards the end of my first semester, I was debating on changing my major from Neuroscience into something different, and I was not truly sure on what I wanted to do in my college career. When I started at The Christ Hospital, it helped me realign my perspective on my professional goals and made me realize why I chose Neuroscience as my major in the first place. Choosing Neuroscience as my major gave me a wide array of careers that I could choose from post-graduation that would allow me to help individuals better their lives. While volunteering at Christ, I was lucky enough to be able to help out many individuals and take in their perspectives on life that differed greatly from mine which truly opened my eyes on the different experiences people live through. My encounters I had while volunteering at Christ allowed me to solidify my choice of Neuroscience as my major and gave me a new motivation to continue to push through my courses in order to achieve my eventual goal of helping a countless number of individuals in life.
Year 2
The COVID year. A year full of not knowing what was coming next. I do not think anyone thought that the world would be experiencing a global pandemic. The world did not know what to expect following the summer of 2020; however, the world of academia trudged forward, proving to be necessary in the process of researching and providing a COVID vaccine. I struggled with the transition from regular, in-person classes to completely online courses. I did not necessarily struggle with academic portion of school, as I stayed on par with my academic success achieved in my first year at college. The struggles came with the lack of social connection with my fellow students. Unfortunately due to the health risks associated with COVID-19, I spent the majority of my school days in my room working on school work. However, this year also came with many positives. I was notified that I can graduate next spring (2022). This news came with excitement and anxiety. The excitement was filled with knowing that I can soon begin my career and chasing my dreams, but the anxiety was due to the long processes that will soon begin. I have decided to take a new path with my career, and I plan to apply to gain my doctorate in clinical psychology. This decision came about when I witnessed the many hardships in mental health experienced my millions of individuals around the world in lockdown. I realized that I want to help people control symptoms that they experience due to mental illness, so that they can live happy, productive lives. I was blessed to begin my journey on this new path by accepting a position with Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health. Here, I will be able to help homeless individuals suffering from mental illnesses by connecting them to services available through this great company.
Coming into my freshman year, I was unsure what to expect at the University of Cincinnati. I am from a small farm town in rural Indiana and I had never lived in a city as big as Cincinnati. Also, I was rooming with people I had never met and was quite nervous to move into my home for the upcoming school year. However, the University of Cincinnati quickly began to feel like a place I could call home. I met three of my best friends and became very comfortable in my classes with my peers. A specific experience that shifted the trajectory of my professional pathway was the beginning of my volunteer experience with The Christ Hospital. Around this time, towards the end of my first semester, I was debating on changing my major from Neuroscience into something different, and I was not truly sure on what I wanted to do in my college career. When I started at The Christ Hospital, it helped me realign my perspective on my professional goals and made me realize why I chose Neuroscience as my major in the first place. Choosing Neuroscience as my major gave me a wide array of careers that I could choose from post-graduation that would allow me to help individuals better their lives. While volunteering at Christ, I was lucky enough to be able to help out many individuals and take in their perspectives on life that differed greatly from mine which truly opened my eyes on the different experiences people live through. My encounters I had while volunteering at Christ allowed me to solidify my choice of Neuroscience as my major and gave me a new motivation to continue to push through my courses in order to achieve my eventual goal of helping a countless number of individuals in life.
Year 2
The COVID year. A year full of not knowing what was coming next. I do not think anyone thought that the world would be experiencing a global pandemic. The world did not know what to expect following the summer of 2020; however, the world of academia trudged forward, proving to be necessary in the process of researching and providing a COVID vaccine. I struggled with the transition from regular, in-person classes to completely online courses. I did not necessarily struggle with academic portion of school, as I stayed on par with my academic success achieved in my first year at college. The struggles came with the lack of social connection with my fellow students. Unfortunately due to the health risks associated with COVID-19, I spent the majority of my school days in my room working on school work. However, this year also came with many positives. I was notified that I can graduate next spring (2022). This news came with excitement and anxiety. The excitement was filled with knowing that I can soon begin my career and chasing my dreams, but the anxiety was due to the long processes that will soon begin. I have decided to take a new path with my career, and I plan to apply to gain my doctorate in clinical psychology. This decision came about when I witnessed the many hardships in mental health experienced my millions of individuals around the world in lockdown. I realized that I want to help people control symptoms that they experience due to mental illness, so that they can live happy, productive lives. I was blessed to begin my journey on this new path by accepting a position with Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health. Here, I will be able to help homeless individuals suffering from mental illnesses by connecting them to services available through this great company.