Freshman Year in Review
Part I:
I have always known I was capable of giving back to the community in more ways than one and although UC and the Cincinnati area weren’t communities I was familiar with, I knew from the start that I would find a way to do some good no matter where I went. I have done all types of community service work, and tutoring is definitely a part of my list, but my experience with tutoring was limited to only high school math through an online program. Bearcat Buddies was a different kind of tutoring opportunity that I had not had the chance to be involved in, so I signed up for the fall semester session and although I didn’t know it then, that was a decision I am very glad I made. After being involved with Bearcat Buddies for both fall and spring semesters I came away with much more than I could have anticipated. I not only learned how to communicate with young students face-to-face, but I learned techniques for teaching language arts, I got to meet other UC students as eager as I to help our kids, I experienced first-hand what the Cincinnati public school system is like and most importantly I bonded with those kids not only as a tutor but as a mentor as well. I spoke with my students about college life and the importance of getting a full education; we traded stories, shared laughs and faced challenges every week. I felt like I was giving these kids a bit of myself in the hopes that they could look to me for help all the while knowing that I believe in their abilities and feeling more confident in themselves because of it. I am certain that my first-year college experience would have been very different if I had not become a part of this incredible program because it kept me grounded and allowed me to focus my energies on helping a little kid feel happier coming to school every time I was there. Bearcat Buddies has allowed me to grow as a community leader, I feel more empowered than ever in my ability to give back and I feel more connected to the Cincinnati community that I now proudly call my home away from home.
As an incoming freshman, I distinctly remember how curious I was about entering college and about pre-nursing and how anxiously I looked forward to the Bearcat Brunch events from the College of Nursing so I could find out what to expect from UC. I especially liked the student panel that told us about their individual experience at UC and answered all the questions parents and students had. I would look at those students in standing happy and proud in their red College of Nursing shirts and imagined myself one day on that panel as confident as the others. I had no idea that my fantasy would come true until I was awarded a position as a College of Nursing Student Ambassador and was told that one of my responsibilities would be to participate in the student panel for incoming freshman. I was able to attend two Bearcat Brunch events and when I stood on the panel I felt a sense of accomplishment. I am now very much a part of the panel that had felt so important to me only a few months before, and as a Student Ambassador I will put my best foot forward to represent my College and University. Leadership is a term I would not have easily applied to myself before freshman year, but as I enter my second year at UC I feel like a leader. My sense of pride for UC has only increased with my freshman year and I feel the need to encourage others to feel the same.
My major may be nursing, but my interest in the sciences isn’t limited to anatomy. I have always loved detective work and investigating new ideas so, it is only logical that I would wish to pursue an interest in research. However, research opportunities were not always in my scope of knowledge or my field of interest. I truly wanted a chance to explore nursing research but as an undergraduate, I had a hard time finding the right spot for me. After some more searching, I found the women in science and engineering (WISE) summer program and noticed they offered nursing research for undergraduates. I applied, was accepted and am now in the midst of a very exciting project with my research partner and mentor, Carolyn Smith. I never gave up on my desire to try research and I am glad I didn’t because after being in the program for about a month and a half, I have already learned so much about writing research journals, presenting, a career in research and ethics that I feel interested to continue exploring the field. There are so many opportunities that have become available for me as a result of the professional and personal development I made as a part of the WISE program. I see myself as a more mature and experienced individual after working alongside many respected researchers and colleagues as all our projects will be featured in a final formal presentation, viewed by many advisors, professors, deans, and even President Ono himself.
I have made and broken many relationships since coming to UC, and although they did impact my experience in positive and negative ways, these relationships were not nearly as significant as those that I formed with my two best friends Morgan and Jeff. I met Morgan and Jeff even before the start of the school year through the College of Nursing Facebook page. Even though I had never met these two people in real life, I felt an instant connection to both of them that I have the good fortune of continuing to have today. We compliment each other’s opinions, goals, interests, dreams, humor, and personality in ways that I cannot begin to express. I am extremely grateful to have met them and we remind each other how lucky we are to have each other more often than not. Morgan and Jeff were, are and hopefully will continue to be my support group. We practically lived as roommates last year since we all lived in Turner Hall; with Morgan and Jeff as neighbors and I on the floor directly below them, we could study together, eat together and walk to our classes together every single day. I don’t know how different my first-year experience would have been without them, but I am positive that I would not have felt as accomplished, comfortable or secure.
Part II:
As I look to my future years at UC, I can only see positive things in store for me. I feel like a better person after only one year and I intend to build on my achievements. I have plans to continue as a Bearcat Buddy tutor because I want to see those kids again and also continue to work on my involvement in the community. I know I may not be the best tutor, but I learned a lot and I want to learn even more about the ways I can help kids create a better future for themselves. I intend to practice my leadership skills by attending more events, conferences, and joining organizations. I know now not to limit myself to what I know I can do because I have proven to be capable of handling a variety of new situations and I see no reason for holding back now that I have gotten the ball rolling in the right direction. Finally, I hope to continue to discover ways to exercise my talents through educational programs; I may continue to pursue research, a minor in psychology, or maybe even go on a study tour. I think that my interests should not be limited to what is placed in front of me. Nursing is my major, but I deserve to expand my education and see how far I can make it reach. My advice for myself is to dream big and never be afraid to take chances. I have taken risks and put myself out there but I need to continue to do so, I cannot get confortable with the same routine every day because then I won’t accomplish anything new. To keep myself on board with my goals, I will keep up to date with all the UC news, even those that are from Colleges other than the College of Nursing, and look into anything that sparks my interest because I can never predict what will happen if I never even give it a try.
I have always known I was capable of giving back to the community in more ways than one and although UC and the Cincinnati area weren’t communities I was familiar with, I knew from the start that I would find a way to do some good no matter where I went. I have done all types of community service work, and tutoring is definitely a part of my list, but my experience with tutoring was limited to only high school math through an online program. Bearcat Buddies was a different kind of tutoring opportunity that I had not had the chance to be involved in, so I signed up for the fall semester session and although I didn’t know it then, that was a decision I am very glad I made. After being involved with Bearcat Buddies for both fall and spring semesters I came away with much more than I could have anticipated. I not only learned how to communicate with young students face-to-face, but I learned techniques for teaching language arts, I got to meet other UC students as eager as I to help our kids, I experienced first-hand what the Cincinnati public school system is like and most importantly I bonded with those kids not only as a tutor but as a mentor as well. I spoke with my students about college life and the importance of getting a full education; we traded stories, shared laughs and faced challenges every week. I felt like I was giving these kids a bit of myself in the hopes that they could look to me for help all the while knowing that I believe in their abilities and feeling more confident in themselves because of it. I am certain that my first-year college experience would have been very different if I had not become a part of this incredible program because it kept me grounded and allowed me to focus my energies on helping a little kid feel happier coming to school every time I was there. Bearcat Buddies has allowed me to grow as a community leader, I feel more empowered than ever in my ability to give back and I feel more connected to the Cincinnati community that I now proudly call my home away from home.
As an incoming freshman, I distinctly remember how curious I was about entering college and about pre-nursing and how anxiously I looked forward to the Bearcat Brunch events from the College of Nursing so I could find out what to expect from UC. I especially liked the student panel that told us about their individual experience at UC and answered all the questions parents and students had. I would look at those students in standing happy and proud in their red College of Nursing shirts and imagined myself one day on that panel as confident as the others. I had no idea that my fantasy would come true until I was awarded a position as a College of Nursing Student Ambassador and was told that one of my responsibilities would be to participate in the student panel for incoming freshman. I was able to attend two Bearcat Brunch events and when I stood on the panel I felt a sense of accomplishment. I am now very much a part of the panel that had felt so important to me only a few months before, and as a Student Ambassador I will put my best foot forward to represent my College and University. Leadership is a term I would not have easily applied to myself before freshman year, but as I enter my second year at UC I feel like a leader. My sense of pride for UC has only increased with my freshman year and I feel the need to encourage others to feel the same.
My major may be nursing, but my interest in the sciences isn’t limited to anatomy. I have always loved detective work and investigating new ideas so, it is only logical that I would wish to pursue an interest in research. However, research opportunities were not always in my scope of knowledge or my field of interest. I truly wanted a chance to explore nursing research but as an undergraduate, I had a hard time finding the right spot for me. After some more searching, I found the women in science and engineering (WISE) summer program and noticed they offered nursing research for undergraduates. I applied, was accepted and am now in the midst of a very exciting project with my research partner and mentor, Carolyn Smith. I never gave up on my desire to try research and I am glad I didn’t because after being in the program for about a month and a half, I have already learned so much about writing research journals, presenting, a career in research and ethics that I feel interested to continue exploring the field. There are so many opportunities that have become available for me as a result of the professional and personal development I made as a part of the WISE program. I see myself as a more mature and experienced individual after working alongside many respected researchers and colleagues as all our projects will be featured in a final formal presentation, viewed by many advisors, professors, deans, and even President Ono himself.
I have made and broken many relationships since coming to UC, and although they did impact my experience in positive and negative ways, these relationships were not nearly as significant as those that I formed with my two best friends Morgan and Jeff. I met Morgan and Jeff even before the start of the school year through the College of Nursing Facebook page. Even though I had never met these two people in real life, I felt an instant connection to both of them that I have the good fortune of continuing to have today. We compliment each other’s opinions, goals, interests, dreams, humor, and personality in ways that I cannot begin to express. I am extremely grateful to have met them and we remind each other how lucky we are to have each other more often than not. Morgan and Jeff were, are and hopefully will continue to be my support group. We practically lived as roommates last year since we all lived in Turner Hall; with Morgan and Jeff as neighbors and I on the floor directly below them, we could study together, eat together and walk to our classes together every single day. I don’t know how different my first-year experience would have been without them, but I am positive that I would not have felt as accomplished, comfortable or secure.
Part II:
As I look to my future years at UC, I can only see positive things in store for me. I feel like a better person after only one year and I intend to build on my achievements. I have plans to continue as a Bearcat Buddy tutor because I want to see those kids again and also continue to work on my involvement in the community. I know I may not be the best tutor, but I learned a lot and I want to learn even more about the ways I can help kids create a better future for themselves. I intend to practice my leadership skills by attending more events, conferences, and joining organizations. I know now not to limit myself to what I know I can do because I have proven to be capable of handling a variety of new situations and I see no reason for holding back now that I have gotten the ball rolling in the right direction. Finally, I hope to continue to discover ways to exercise my talents through educational programs; I may continue to pursue research, a minor in psychology, or maybe even go on a study tour. I think that my interests should not be limited to what is placed in front of me. Nursing is my major, but I deserve to expand my education and see how far I can make it reach. My advice for myself is to dream big and never be afraid to take chances. I have taken risks and put myself out there but I need to continue to do so, I cannot get confortable with the same routine every day because then I won’t accomplish anything new. To keep myself on board with my goals, I will keep up to date with all the UC news, even those that are from Colleges other than the College of Nursing, and look into anything that sparks my interest because I can never predict what will happen if I never even give it a try.