2024

This year in the University Honors Program, though being as brief as just one semester. I have been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to travel and expand my knowledge. During my spring break, I participated in a study abroad with the College of Allied Health Sciences to Costa Rica for the social work service abroad. This one week had a drastic impact on who I am and my aspirations in my personal and professional life. Throughout the 8 weeks of the course, I had been educated on what goes on in Costa Rica as well as its neighboring country, Nicaragua. We had been prepared so that once there, we would be able to be respectful towards those we interact with and the country we are in. I felt very prepared prior to going on this trip and felt that I had many resources to support me. Once there I realized that no matter how much preparation had went in to teaching us prior to departing, nothing was better at showing the true conditions of parts of the country and for Nicaraguan refugees than actually being there. I have always wanted to be a part of helping with global issues that align with that which this program was involved in.

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This experience solidified my drive to be involved and have an impact both personally and professionally. Being involved in this experience I have refocused my thinking towards new opportunities to see how they could align with my goal to be more involved on global issues involving forcibly displaced or stateless individuals. This has encouraged me to find ways to be involved and find organizations to join to get started next year. I also had the chance to lead a children’s group while on this trip. This was an extremely valuable and integral part of leaving an impact on me.

This experience has been one of the most valuable of my life and made this semester and year my most memorable, I was also fortunate enough to be able to play for the University of Cincinnati Women's Club Volleyball team. I made new friends and connections and that I will cherish forever. I was able to reignite my passion for the sport, and can hopefully continue with this involvement.

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This year also brought to me another very valuable and extremely helpful resource, the Gen-1 program. I was able to join this program this year bringing me new advisors, friends, and opportunities. I have used all of the opportunities to become more successful academically and in my personal life. This program is one that is very special to me because it helps first-generation college students, like myself, who do not have access to the same resources or help that some other students may have. This program really showed me that the famous quote, "you do not know what you do not know," is true and that most of us lack the ability to recognize our own gaps of knowledge. I found out about so many amazing and helpful programs and opportunities that I never knew existed, or about the difficulties of my peers that I may have never considered until being educated on so. This program encourages me to reach outside of my bubble and work harder to learn about those around me and help others when I can.

 

This has encouraged me to want to rethink my professional goals. I have decided to look into the programs I am applying to for graduate school and see what opportunities they have regarding this global issue. I want to ensure that programs that I am applying to have opportunities for me to gain more knowledge and further my involvements. I also was able to reinforce my desire to have a pediatric specialized career as a health care provider. I loved getting to work with these kids and truly impacted me in ways I never expected. This year has been one of the most impactful of my life. I hope this next one is full of opportunities like this experience and can partake in a similar one again.