This year was my favorite yet! I'm not sure if it was due to the transition back to in-person, my campus jobs, or my classes (probably all 3) but it was definitely a great senior year :)

This year was heavily shaped by my on campus positions as a Peer Leader Coordinator and a Supplemental Instruction Leader. Being a Peer Leader Coordinator has been the most meaningful and transformative experience within my undergraduate years. I learned so much about being a leader, holding others accountable, working with a team, and staying motivated towards the task at hand. In this position, I created my own training for Content Review Leaders and lead a first-year service learning initiative called the Better Place Project. Both of these took hard work and collaboration and I am so proud of how they turned out! I also was able to grow meaningful relationships with my peers, coworkers, and the learning commons professional staff. This job made UC feel like home and always gave me something to work towards and look forward to. That can also be extended to the SI position where I was able to make connections and work with students in a better capacity this year. Last year online was difficult to really help students grasp concepts on an individual level but I felt like in- person I was able to be more of a resource for them. I am so grateful for being able to return in that position and I know I had a positive impact on so many student's undergraduate career. I am so thankful for both positions and the impact I was able to make in them.

I also found joy this year in serving as a mentor in class -- namely as a Learning Assistant in Cell Biology, a Teaching Assistant in Music of the Beatles, and an Assistant Teaching Assistant in Microbiology labs. In these capacities I was able to collaborate with students and professors to help increase class understanding and engagement. These reiterated my love for teaching and mentoring, which I was already exercising in other positions :) I also want to mention my capstone project here, in which I was actually able to teach a lecture in Cell Biology, a class of over 100 students! I made my own slides, worksheet, and questions that went along with their course content. This was an amazing experience and will be linked in this page!

My outlook on life was greatly changed this year. The pandemic was pretty grim, but through this year I have become more happy and content with the world around me. I took time off this winter break to focus on myself and my hobbies, which resulted in me reading almost 20 books and teaching myself to crochet! I also spent more time on myself in general and treated myself to things like hair appointments and nail appointments (when necessary). These small acts of self care really added up in the end. Along with this, I started working out again, focusing especially on weight training. I've eaten out less and really pushed for better health overall in my life. I also purchased a coffee machine and have been learning all the tricks from Starbucks. Overall, this year was necessary for my mental well-being.

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Lastly, I really loved my courses this past year. I learned so much from being back in- person and I forgot how much I love classes. Again, the pandemic was very hard to engage in courses, so coming back was just the greatest feeling ever. My favorite course was Human Genetics, which made me realize that genetic counseling is the way to go. I also enjoyed fun electives like Music of Woodstock and Disney Musicals, while also loving biology classes like Microbiology and Analytical Tools for Behavior. I could not have asked for better courses and semesters this past year.

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Looking ahead, I am expected to earn my Bachelor's of Science in Biological Sciences with minors in Psychology and Chemistry. I will be graduating Summa cum laude with Distinguished University Honors and a 4.0 GPA. I am so proud of how much I have accomplished here. I will be moving back to Columbus with my significant other and starting work as a Clinical Research Assistant at OSU Wexner Medical Center. I hope to apply to a Masters in Public Health and Genetic Counseling this fall. Thank you to the University of Cincinnati for everything, and many thanks to Honors as well.