What was your path to OSU?  

Growing up in the Portland metro area, I have fond memories of visiting the OSU campus during elementary, middle and high school. When it came time to select a college, I knew that OSU would be the place for me after connecting with faculty and receiving scholarships.

In high school, I took many AP and dual-credit classes with a community college and enjoyed volunteering with organizations like the Red Cross.

Here at OSU, there have been many opportunities to continue involvement, from volunteering at the local parks with Community Engagement and Leadership to working with like-minded, health-focused peers on the Student Health Advisory Board.

Why are you interested in research?   

From making connections with peers and faculty to dipping my toes into a potential career field, research has allowed me to discover new passions and help serve my community.

Beyond learning concrete skills — such as how to find research articles, create recruitment posters and navigate the institutional review board — research has also allowed me to work with others and connect with my community.

I also enjoy how research has allowed me to combine my own interests into a formal inquiry project and learn professional skills that I can apply into any career field, even if it's not related to research.

Why did you want to be part of Healthy Discoveries?  

I wanted to join Healthy Discoveries to help promote the benefits of undergrad research and the URSA program.

Coming into college, I knew I wanted to do research, but I was initially overwhelmed by how to actually start. Many people recommended cold-emailing a professor whose research was of interest to me, but this process seemed rather daunting.

The URSA program set up a framework that was easy to navigate and allowed me to select a research project that I was interested in while also reducing barriers to entry.

By doing research, I have really enjoyed the process of experiential learning — learning new skills by doing them. Instead of reading books or sitting in on lectures, research has allowed me to gain skills with hands-on experience.

It is my hope that by sharing my positive experiences with research through the Healthy Discoveries program that more students will get involved with research during their early years of college.

What research will you be working on and with whom?   

I’m currently working with Siew Sun Wong to develop a framework for teaching cooking improvisation classes as a means to combat food insecurity.

What are your future career or academic plans?

I am currently taking classes on the pre-med track with the goal of becoming a physician and working in health care.

I am also a current Army ROTC cadet and intend to serve as an Army officer in the Medical Service Corps.

Currently, I am enjoying classes in the nutrition major because they allow me to combine my passion for cooking and food while helping to improve human health.

With that being said, I am also open to exploring additional majors and minors within the College of Public Health and Human Sciences — including public health and human development and family sciences — because they all involve my passion for health equity and being of service to those around me.

As a first-year student at OSU, I appreciate how there is no pressure to confine yourself to any one path and how you can structure your schedule to pursue your interests, however varied they may be.