Year 1
My goals from the beginning of my freshman year at UC, to now have changed significantly. At the beginning of the year, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to make out of my time at UC, and how to develop myself as a person, student, and global citizen scholar.
Going through my first year, I struggled a lot when it came to balancing classes, joining demanding clubs, and trying to make friends and meet new people while maintaining my past relationships as well and trying to figure out what I wanted for myself in this new chapter. I used the Gateway to Honors course to learn more about how to balance my mental health and work, and I learned a lot about my work ethic and strong ways to motivate and discipline myself.
Coming into UC, I originally had plans to complete an Economics degree on a pre-law track and eventually become an Immigration lawyer. However, as my second semester progressed, I realized that my heart was not truly in law anymore. I loved my business courses and started to narrow down the fields of business I wanted to focus on, which led me to pick up my second major in Insurance and Risk Management!
I also finished an incredibly impactful study abroad in Belgium and the Netherlands (check out my Honors Experiences tab)! I ran for and started the role of Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in my professional business fraternity, got an insurance internship in downtown Cincinnati at Great American as an Underwriting intern, and learned to effectively network. I'm looking forward to continuing my journey at UC in my second year as I continue exploring classes and organizations that will help me reach my goals and make the most out of my four years!
Year 2
My sophomore year at UC has been amazing in terms of my personal and professional development. I love learning and keeping myself busy, and I was able to constantly learn and adapt during the 2023-24 school year. I started officially serving my first year as VP of DEI in Alpha Kappa Psi, where I threw various events like a Movie Night focusing on the pay gap between men and women and had a successful discussion afterward, along with a Friendsgiving event to bridge the gap between pledges and active members. My committee and I also hosted a "unique things" event that pushed many students out of their comfort zone to talk to members they may have never met, along with a DEI Speaker Panel with different staff members in Lindner, and finally, a Culture Awareness crash course which included an educational slide deck and entertaining videos to pair with them. While not all of these events were original plans, they taught me to effectively pivot and delegate work to a group.
I also joined the Gamma Iota Sigma insurance fraternity and was able to learn so much more about the insurance industry. This organization has given me invaluable opportunities to network and meet students from outside Ohio. I completed my second year of UC Mock Trial and learned a lot professionally. I gained a lot of confidence and met a lot of stellar students that I would normally never run into, while learning organizational skills, elevated speaking and interviewing skills, and more. Unfortunately, the time commitment that comes with Mock Trial caused me to juggle a plethora of tasks, which caused more stress throughout the year. I have never been confident in my ability to take a step back and quit things I start, but I have grown and realized that the cost of this organization exceeded the benefits. My second year of mock trial was my last, but I have learned a lot and appreciate my coaches for all they have done!
Next, I completed an internship at Great American Insurance Group, where I worked for about 11.5 months. I had an amazing experience with this internship and every person in my department, and I loved the analytical/risk management aspects of my role. The view was unreal too! I honed my skills in Excel, learned to ask more questions, developed my love for learning, and learned to productively fill slow periods of time in a corporate setting.
After this, I went on a study abroad to South Africa! I talk about this a lot in-depth on my Honors Experience #2 section, so make sure to check that out! I also won various awards in Lindner and was able to significantly raise my GPA in the course of one year. I am extremely proud of the progress and impact I have made. To be a Global Citizen Scholar, you should always want to learn and seek out opportunities to grow. You should also have confidence in what you are doing and what you are passionate about, and pour everything into it. As I begin my third year at UC, I will carry these values with me and hope to continue growing in a personal and professional sense.
Year 3
During my third year, I have managed to accomplish and commit to many activities. In the fall, I completed a full-time co-op with Kroger while taking 9 credits, maintaining leadership and involvement in 3 organizations, and became a UC Homecoming Queen finalist (and was able to sit in on the Lindner Dean's board meeting as a result). When returning as a student in the Spring, I was awarded multiple student awards, accepted into a 10-day study abroad course for the upcoming Fall, was tapped into one of UC's Honoraries, and worked with a private company as a risk consultant for one of my business courses. Along with this, I was able to take both of my honors seminars, The Human Condition and The Warren Bennis Leadership Accelerator.
These courses both had a big impact on my mindset as a student and human being. The Human Condition was a theology-based course where we completed and discussed readings by Shakespeare, Plato, and Tolstoy, along with readings on topics such as religion, friendship, love, freedom, and more. This course was incredibly challenging for me, with readings of 40-80 pages assigned every class. Despite this, the in-class discussions broadened my mind and way of thinking, and I was able to grow while also taking the Warren Bennis Leadership Accelerator. This course focused on a multitude of leadership practices, but the lesson I took away the most was identifying my saboteurs. I tend to hold myself to incredibly high standards, and I always viewed that as being ambitious. In actuality, it causes me to diminish my accomplishments as I feel like I am never doing enough. I am extremely grateful for these experiences, which have given me a level of self-awareness to continue developing as a well-rounded student, friend, employee, and daughter. This next year, I am hoping to focus more on prioritizing myself and my mental health, while working to maintain a strong academic record and celebrate the successes that may come from my hard work!
