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A Little About
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Gateway To University Honors
The Gateway to University Honors class is a designed to introduce the first year students to the University of Cincinnati Honors Program. It also allows the students to learn more about their individual strengths and interests. I have learned about how my strengths have translated into my current values. My belief in myself and core values have turned into a strong sense of self-worth and trust that my moral compass will always lead me true. This has led me to always do what I believe is right no matter the consequence. On multiple occasions I have stepped up to defend someone who was being bullied even if it was the "unpopular" or "uncool" thing to do. I have learned that my sense of achievement drives me for greater and greater successes. I have never been satisfied with just passing, or doing the least possible effort to get by. I want to do the best I possibly can in every aspect of my life. I can use these skills in the future to ensure that no matter how my life turns out I will always be proud of myself and how I lived and acted.
Global Citizen Scholar Pitch
Stress in today's modern teenager is at an all time high. A constantly increasing amount of school work, combined with any athletics they may participate in, on top of the transition from kids to adults, along with any other personal factors has led to a sharp uptick in mental illnesses such as depression. While some teens may thrive and grow stronger under this intense pressure, many more are breaking down, and crumbling under the weight of all the expectations being placed upon them. There are some simple yet effective ways I have found to reduce stress.
At the UC level I could hold study sessions helping everyone learn the material they need and gain friends along the way helping with both academic and social stressors. Studies have shown petting a dog helps increase happiness and decrease stress levels, so at the local level by organizing a "Pet a Dog" day, getting local dog owners to bring their dogs to a park or similar area allowing anyone who wants to pet their dog. On campus one of the biggest factors for me missing home was my dogs. I can text, Skype, or call my family but my dogs are a different story. They aren't able to comprehend the fact that through the other side of the screen is where I am trying communicate with them. As much as I try I can't get them to react to my voice or even wag their tails to show they know it's me. Seeing all of the cute dogs on campus will only making my homesickness worse as I usually will be busy or on my way to a class and don't have time to pet them. Thus this "Pet a Dog" day would not only benefit me but everyone around me and even the dogs since they want to attention from as many people as possible.
For the national level I could create a website allowing anyone to ask tutors questions about their classes that they aren't confident in. Where this differs from most other tutoring websites is that this website would be free to use. The most reputable and trusted tutoring sites all require some form of payment or sign-up. This website would allow you to simply ask a question about a concept, along with the class you're in and your school. Then anyone who believes they can answer the question can post it on the question. Then everyone who views the question can choose one of several options for each answer whether it is correct or not. One other fact that would make this website better and easier to use than the existing website is the fact that schools can link there lesson plans with the site. This will allow the students with questions to more quickly and efficiently answer their questions. This will also allow the TA's in the class to access the site and quickly find any students with problems related to the course material.
On the international level a chat site where everyone from different countries to talk about their life and everything that they go through. This will allow them to see things from other peoples perspectives and on top of that sometimes just talking about your problems is the fastest way to fix them. This is significantly cheaper than going to therapy for minor problems. Sometimes problems can be blown out of proportion but by putting it out the person with the issue will hopefully get some advice and perspective. This chat site would be comparable to the popular Dear Abby columns in papers all across America only except for one person the advice will come from anyone connected to the internet from anywhere all over the globe. As this model has already been proven to work once word of this chat room gets out it would take off and become popular in no time.
One of my strengths is my ability to lead, both as a leader in front of everyone one and as a friend working side by side with others. This strength can be deepened in my pursuit to reduce stress through the "Pet a Dog" day. By organizing the day I would have to choose a day that would work best with the most people, coordinate and reserve a location for this day to take place and get the word out to anyone interested. This would deepen my ability as a leader by helping me make connections with all sorts of people who could help me later down the line. Gateway to University Honors has allowed me to see how much people want to help one another. I learned this during the Global Citizen Scholar Plan project by seeing how easy it was to get an interview. People genuinely do want to help one another so organizing these events to reduce stress should be no problem.
At the UC level I could hold study sessions helping everyone learn the material they need and gain friends along the way helping with both academic and social stressors. Studies have shown petting a dog helps increase happiness and decrease stress levels, so at the local level by organizing a "Pet a Dog" day, getting local dog owners to bring their dogs to a park or similar area allowing anyone who wants to pet their dog. On campus one of the biggest factors for me missing home was my dogs. I can text, Skype, or call my family but my dogs are a different story. They aren't able to comprehend the fact that through the other side of the screen is where I am trying communicate with them. As much as I try I can't get them to react to my voice or even wag their tails to show they know it's me. Seeing all of the cute dogs on campus will only making my homesickness worse as I usually will be busy or on my way to a class and don't have time to pet them. Thus this "Pet a Dog" day would not only benefit me but everyone around me and even the dogs since they want to attention from as many people as possible.
For the national level I could create a website allowing anyone to ask tutors questions about their classes that they aren't confident in. Where this differs from most other tutoring websites is that this website would be free to use. The most reputable and trusted tutoring sites all require some form of payment or sign-up. This website would allow you to simply ask a question about a concept, along with the class you're in and your school. Then anyone who believes they can answer the question can post it on the question. Then everyone who views the question can choose one of several options for each answer whether it is correct or not. One other fact that would make this website better and easier to use than the existing website is the fact that schools can link there lesson plans with the site. This will allow the students with questions to more quickly and efficiently answer their questions. This will also allow the TA's in the class to access the site and quickly find any students with problems related to the course material.
On the international level a chat site where everyone from different countries to talk about their life and everything that they go through. This will allow them to see things from other peoples perspectives and on top of that sometimes just talking about your problems is the fastest way to fix them. This is significantly cheaper than going to therapy for minor problems. Sometimes problems can be blown out of proportion but by putting it out the person with the issue will hopefully get some advice and perspective. This chat site would be comparable to the popular Dear Abby columns in papers all across America only except for one person the advice will come from anyone connected to the internet from anywhere all over the globe. As this model has already been proven to work once word of this chat room gets out it would take off and become popular in no time.
One of my strengths is my ability to lead, both as a leader in front of everyone one and as a friend working side by side with others. This strength can be deepened in my pursuit to reduce stress through the "Pet a Dog" day. By organizing the day I would have to choose a day that would work best with the most people, coordinate and reserve a location for this day to take place and get the word out to anyone interested. This would deepen my ability as a leader by helping me make connections with all sorts of people who could help me later down the line. Gateway to University Honors has allowed me to see how much people want to help one another. I learned this during the Global Citizen Scholar Plan project by seeing how easy it was to get an interview. People genuinely do want to help one another so organizing these events to reduce stress should be no problem.
Sticky Innovations
Reflections
Greenacres - Our trip to the Greenacres Apiary was an interesting experience. It was one that let us experience nature and the pollination first hand. We were able to closely observe many of the various pollinators that exist in the wild, such as different types of beetles, flies, butterflies, and of course bees. Through this up close look we were able to see more in depth the different methods of pollination used by the pollinators and the different shapes of flower these methods were evolved to match. We were also able to learn about the various survival methods of cocooning species, one of which being that the caterpillars and the butterflies or moths the eventually turn into eating different parts of the plants. While the caterpillars will eat the leaves of the plants the most adult species eat nectar from flowers. One main unfortunate part of the visit to Greenacres was the trouble their bees are currently in. Like most bees across the country the three hives being kept are currently struggling to survive having recently just lost one of the four they previously had. Luckily the three hives they had left seemed to be doing well as they were abuzz with activity when we looked at them. One interesting fact I learned while at Greenacres is that the honey made by the bees actually has different flavor depending on the pollen used. Even honey made in the same field will taste slightly different depending on how much of each type of pollen was used. This led me to wonder what the most expensive honey in the world is and after a little research I found out. It is called 'Elvish' honey and at $6,800 per kilogram it has earned both the name and the cost. It is a Turkish honey that is harvested from a cave almost 2,000 meters deep in the Saricayir Valley near the Western Coast. While I have neither the funds nor the interest to spend that much on honey I can only imagine how it must taste. As a whole the trip to Greenacres taught many things about the pollination process I didn't know before, like how many different adaptations there are for both the plants and the pollinators they depend on, as well as raise some questions I didn't know I had which will hopefully lead to more questions and answers in the future.
Greenacres - Our trip to the Greenacres Apiary was an interesting experience. It was one that let us experience nature and the pollination first hand. We were able to closely observe many of the various pollinators that exist in the wild, such as different types of beetles, flies, butterflies, and of course bees. Through this up close look we were able to see more in depth the different methods of pollination used by the pollinators and the different shapes of flower these methods were evolved to match. We were also able to learn about the various survival methods of cocooning species, one of which being that the caterpillars and the butterflies or moths the eventually turn into eating different parts of the plants. While the caterpillars will eat the leaves of the plants the most adult species eat nectar from flowers. One main unfortunate part of the visit to Greenacres was the trouble their bees are currently in. Like most bees across the country the three hives being kept are currently struggling to survive having recently just lost one of the four they previously had. Luckily the three hives they had left seemed to be doing well as they were abuzz with activity when we looked at them. One interesting fact I learned while at Greenacres is that the honey made by the bees actually has different flavor depending on the pollen used. Even honey made in the same field will taste slightly different depending on how much of each type of pollen was used. This led me to wonder what the most expensive honey in the world is and after a little research I found out. It is called 'Elvish' honey and at $6,800 per kilogram it has earned both the name and the cost. It is a Turkish honey that is harvested from a cave almost 2,000 meters deep in the Saricayir Valley near the Western Coast. While I have neither the funds nor the interest to spend that much on honey I can only imagine how it must taste. As a whole the trip to Greenacres taught many things about the pollination process I didn't know before, like how many different adaptations there are for both the plants and the pollinators they depend on, as well as raise some questions I didn't know I had which will hopefully lead to more questions and answers in the future.
Livewell Collaborative- Before visiting I had never even heard of the Livewell Collaborative much less knew what they do. Now however I am very impressed and proud to be part of a university that is involved with so many revolutionary and life changing projects. What truly blew me away about the Livewell Collaborative is the vast spectrum of projects they are involved in. They have helped with everything from helping ensure that hospitalized children are properly taking care of themselves to a chair that can navigate airports with ease. And as impressive as these projects seem the even more impressive part is that these are among the simpler problems they have solved. The majority of what they are tasked with are commonly referred to as a 'wicked problem'. These are most easily defined as complex problems with no one 'right' solution with many side effects, both known and unknown, for any possible solution. One such problem that has been gaining a lot of attention in recent years, and is also the main focus of this course, is the decline of the bees and how we really are unsure of the cause. I would be thrilled to one day work with or for the Livewell Collaborative so I can be able to experience first hand how they address these wicked problems so I can see how they effectively manage the multidisciplinary team necessary to address these problems and hopefully contribute towards the solutions myself.
Fishbowl Discussions- The Fishbowl discussion was slightly different than I expected. Based on how it was first pitched to us in class I assumed that after each group read their assigned book we would then discuss it in class, like a small book club made of only our group with the rest of the class looking on silently, as if they were looking at us through the glass of a fishbowl. Instead what happened was each group gave a presentation to the rest of the class like a standard book report. While the initial idea seemed like an interesting idea, one that I haven't done in any class so far, but the end result was unfortunately just another book report that was given much like any other. I'm not sure whether there was some miscommunication to the class regarding the true nature of the discussion or if I just had the wrong idea about the project from the minute I heard the description but what I expected and what I got were two very different things. Aside from whatever miscommunication happened I actually enjoyed the book I read. It was called The History of Bees by Maja Lunde and was one of the few Fiction books available in the pool of books we could choose from. It took a different approach than most other books in that it had three different stories that take place in three different time periods but all told simultaneously. It was through this method that it truly allowed a work of fiction to act as "Arts Based Research". It allowed the story to serve as both a lesson from the past and a warning from the future which educated the reader and allowed the author's message to shine through clearly. The presentation made by my book group can be found at the URL below. When we actually did the fishbowl discussions properly it was a different experience from any similar discussion I've had in a class before. One of the hardest parts about the fishbowl discussions is that there are so few other people in the group. It puts a lot more pressure on each individual to try to keep the discussion going. In my group especially in this was the most obvious by how off topic we got at times. The pressure to try to keep talking led to having less time to think about what was being said and less thoughtful comments. As a participant I would have much rather had a couple more people in each group to allow for more time to think. I would suggest either do that or give us the topics ahead of time to allow us to try to think of responses ahead of time. As an observer I have a similar issue in that the discussions were not quite as thought provoking as they could have been due to the low preparation time. As a whole I would be up for trying another fishbowl discussion in the future so long as the issues I mentioned above were mended in some way.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MVlD1bXiGjDZyAKOvW5LnQU1d8-hGynFvbTH_j5T92Q/edit#slide=id.p
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MVlD1bXiGjDZyAKOvW5LnQU1d8-hGynFvbTH_j5T92Q/edit#slide=id.p
Ideal Bee- This project in my opinion is one of the best research projects I have done in my entire academic career. It allowed me to both grow my knowledge about the subject, the bees, as well as grow my personal skill set. This was mainly because of the location of the classes, the MakerSpace at 1819. Because of this class had access to machines that we normally wouldn't, such as the laser printers and large wood and metal shop. We were able to do so much more to present our ideas and designs. This allowed us to think outside the box not only on what we do but also in how we The other part of this project that made it great was the premise of the project itself. We were given free reign to essentially "play God" making any change to the bee that we wanted to, so long as it provided some new advantage that the bee didn't have before. This forced us to think outside the box of our normal thinking in any of our other classes. As an Aerospace Engineer, most everything I deal with is mechanical so it was fun to be able to explore the biological side of the problem which I would normally be unable to. I was forced to think in different ways then normal and stretch my design and problem solving capabilities. On top of being a fun project by itself it also introduced me to the MakerSpace and gave me basic access to the machines there. I also now have gained a relationship with the staff there so I will always be welcome there and it will always be an option for me to use for any project I have in the future. It is because of the factors I listed above that this project is one that I will remember for a long time.
Final Project- This project was easily one of the hardest all year. We were put into groups of three, and the prompt was almost entirely open so we had nearly unlimited options with what to do. The only real constraint we had was that our idea had to positively impact the bees in some way. Do to these facts narrowing down what we wanted to do as a group and get the three of us to agree on a focus was rough. Even worse than that however was realizing halfway through that we had to start over and figure out a new direction to go in as our original idea was already in existence and not that effective. It was from there that we decided to try to focus on educating the public about the struggles the bees are going through using the medium of technology. From there we decided to focus on the three forms that we believed would reach the most people, a website, a video, and a phone application. Of the three the website was the most traditionally educational, with clips from children's TV shows, D.I.Y. tips to make a bee friendly garden, and multiple scholarly articles. The main goal of the website was to give people that moat basic of information and allow them to get some information but then from there go on to do there own research about whichever parts, if any, interested them. Our main worry with this website was that all of the sources we found would be things that were easy to find. If this were the case our website would easily be out performed by Google or similar search engines. To avoid that issue we decided to have a broad range of basic information covered that would take time to go from one to the next on your own. For the video we wanted to make something fun that would hold the audiences interest and provoke them to go and do something. After some discussion we decided to do a satirical infomercial for bees. The video showed how much we truly depend on bees, but did so in a way that would stay in the audiences mind well after they've finished watching keeping the information in the video in their thoughts as well. The final medium we chose was a smart phone app aimed towards kids. It was a game where the player would manage a simplified version of a beehive, complete with Honey Factory, Dance Floor, and Throne Room. It would have a feature allowing the player to send their bees out to explore and gather nectar which could be made into honey upon return to the hive. The main educational feature of this is the random events that would happen and affect the hive. Examples of these events would be real-life threats to the bees such as pesticides and Varoa Mite invasions. Through these events the player could experience what its like to actually keep bees and the struggles that comes with it. By combining these three the group created what we believed were the most effective ways to educate the public about the struggles of bees using technology.
Abstract-
One of the major issues facing the bees is a lack of awareness and understanding by the general public. It was because of this we decided to focus on using technology to try to inform people of the struggle the bees are going through. The goal of our project was to connect and educate kids in forms of technology used for entertainment. Through the use of a website, a video, and an app the information about bees was disguised as a game and funny video. In doing this we hope to raise interest in bees at a young age and encourage people to be stakeholders in the fight to save the bees. The outcome of this project was an educational tool for children and teens to use, an app to spread awareness of CCD in a fun, entertaining way and a video to express the need for bees through comic relief. The combination of these will spread information about the necessity of bees to the current and future generations.
Abstract-
One of the major issues facing the bees is a lack of awareness and understanding by the general public. It was because of this we decided to focus on using technology to try to inform people of the struggle the bees are going through. The goal of our project was to connect and educate kids in forms of technology used for entertainment. Through the use of a website, a video, and an app the information about bees was disguised as a game and funny video. In doing this we hope to raise interest in bees at a young age and encourage people to be stakeholders in the fight to save the bees. The outcome of this project was an educational tool for children and teens to use, an app to spread awareness of CCD in a fun, entertaining way and a video to express the need for bees through comic relief. The combination of these will spread information about the necessity of bees to the current and future generations.
Dying Well
This class was definitely one of the most unique I have ever taken. In the US death is a topic that is generally not talked about and even when it is it's in a respectful, hushed tone. This class let us explore the many sides of death; statistics, causes, cultural significance, the ethics and more. The side of this that most interested and impacted me the most was the ethics behind death. There were two specific topics that had the most impact on me in regards to the ethics behind death, euthanasia and Jack Kevorkian, and The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness.
The topic of euthanasia, or as it is more commonly referred "assisted suicide," is one of the most divisive in modern history even among current politics. "Should someone who is terminally ill or past the point of no return be allowed to decide when they die?" It's a complicated question that can't be taken lightly as bring up a multitude of dilemmas. Should someone be forced to suffer through a seemingly hopeless, painful battle because of the chance of recovery or be allowed a quicker, painless death but give up any hope of recovery? It's a question that truly has no right answers. After weeks of thinking this question I still can't choose one over the other.
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness is one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It recounts the experience of author Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, and his encounter with a dying Nazi soldier. The dying man had asked for a Jewish man to talk to before he died. When Wiesenthal came to his bedside the dying Nazi asked him for forgiveness. The book then goes on to talk about what Wiesenthal's response was and then his experience later in life when he proposes this dilemma to others of various backgrounds and their responses. The class discussing this book was one of the most serious and thought provoking I've ever been a part of. It was a completely open discussion where we talked about what we would have done as well as the various implications of the questions and what the soldier may have really been asking. After the class was over I had to just is in my room for around an hour to collect my thoughts before I could do anything else as the conversation was that heavy at times.
This class brought up topics I had never even considered before and made me think long and hard about them. It is a class that I recommend for anyone who wants a nontraditional class that will make you think deeper and harder about topics that you never have before.
The topic of euthanasia, or as it is more commonly referred "assisted suicide," is one of the most divisive in modern history even among current politics. "Should someone who is terminally ill or past the point of no return be allowed to decide when they die?" It's a complicated question that can't be taken lightly as bring up a multitude of dilemmas. Should someone be forced to suffer through a seemingly hopeless, painful battle because of the chance of recovery or be allowed a quicker, painless death but give up any hope of recovery? It's a question that truly has no right answers. After weeks of thinking this question I still can't choose one over the other.
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness is one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It recounts the experience of author Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, and his encounter with a dying Nazi soldier. The dying man had asked for a Jewish man to talk to before he died. When Wiesenthal came to his bedside the dying Nazi asked him for forgiveness. The book then goes on to talk about what Wiesenthal's response was and then his experience later in life when he proposes this dilemma to others of various backgrounds and their responses. The class discussing this book was one of the most serious and thought provoking I've ever been a part of. It was a completely open discussion where we talked about what we would have done as well as the various implications of the questions and what the soldier may have really been asking. After the class was over I had to just is in my room for around an hour to collect my thoughts before I could do anything else as the conversation was that heavy at times.
This class brought up topics I had never even considered before and made me think long and hard about them. It is a class that I recommend for anyone who wants a nontraditional class that will make you think deeper and harder about topics that you never have before.
Year in Review
Year 1- It may sound obvious but this year was one of change. This was my first year of college living away from my family and having to take care of myself with no one telling me what I need to do. It was rough at first, I was eating only sweets and fatty fried foods, I was staying up late, and not taking my classes seriously. I joined the club rugby team so I was at least exercising but aside from that I wasn't taking care of myself. It was around the time of my first test of the year that I had my wake-up call.
While some may just hear the words “Multivariable Calculus” and freak out, it didn’t bother me. I’ve always excelled in the STEM classes and breezed through AP Calculus AB and BC so when I was able to finish the homeworks with little effort I didn’t expect to be challenged in the class. That’s why when I got to the first test I and realized I had no idea what I was doing I was thrown through a major loop. It was that moment that I realized that this is college, and it is vastly different than high school. While this may seem obvious I expected to blow through my first years classes with ease and this shook up my world.
From this moment on I decided to change my whole routine. I began to change my diet to eat healthier and go to sleep at a reasonable hour to be able to improve my physical and mental health. After a while I realized that the food court food wasn’t giving me the options or the nutrition I wanted so I began to cook for myself on the weekends to ensure I was getting all the nutrition I needed. This changed my mental state drastically. I was able to motivate myself into studying and improve my grades in the classes I was struggling in.
This lifestyle change improved my ability on the rugby field as well. This was my first time ever playing rugby so I had no skills going in. Once I began giving my body the rest and fuel it needed I began to pick up everything much faster. I began to play more in the games and found myself loving the sport. Not only that but the friends I made on the team are some of the best I made while at UC.
Since then I have continued eating healthy and working out as well as making sure I’m taking care of my mental health. That one test really brought me back down to earth showing me I still had to work to improve myself. It opened my eyes to a sport that very few ever experience here in America and allowed me to expand my views into the international sports scene as rugby is more popular internationally than here. Also by forcing me to start studying and interacting in class it allowed me to reassure myself that I enjoy Aerospace Engineering and that I chose the right Major, which is perhaps the most important impact of them all.
Year 2- Much like last year this year seemed to follow a theme. While last year it was about change and adaptation this year was about self-establishment. While I was taking classes in the fall I was off the meal plan and had to cook for myself, shop for myself and just overall take on more adult responsibilities. I had to make sure I was shopping efficiently to get the most bang for my buck and fight all the temptation to load up on only snack foods and candies. My schedule was somewhat odd as well. I had originally been on the Ascend track but due to the shortened time of the Ascend schedule I decided not to continue on that path so I could stay with the friends I had made and continue in the Honors Program. Due to this however I had already taken all the second year Aerospace classes in my first year so I had a whole semester with no classes I needed to take. I used this time to take two Honors classes, Dying Well and Sticky Innovations, as well as classes towards my newly decided minor: Astrophysics. While I expected the classes to be hard they were tougher than I could have ever guessed. While two were just basic introduction classes I also took Intro to Astrophysics 1, a graduate class, as it is part of the curriculum for the minor. Like one would expect for a graduate class, I struggled. The class was hard enough as is but I also came in to the class with none of the prior knowledge of astrophysics that the other students had. Somehow I managed to pull out a B in that class and prevented my GPA from sliding too far. What kept me sane through all this was rugby. I played again in the fall which gave me a social opportunity with a great group of guys, a way to keep active and in shape, and an effective method of stress relief.
In the spring I started my first coop at TECT Power up in Cleveland. This was a rough experience for me for a couple reasons. For the first reason I was in the Quality Department which is tough to begin with as it is mostly filling out forms and paperwork. The second which was the main reason was the fact that I was the only coop in Quality when they normally have two. That meant that I had to deal with the workload of two coops while trying to learn new terms and concepts at the same time. The Cleveland Branch of TECT creates forgings of engine turbine blades for all types of super-compressor engines. As I had no experience with manufacturing and metallurgy the whole process went over my head initially. By the time I was about three quarters through the semester I had finally understood enough of the process to try to help in fixing issues in the process, although I normally wasn't much help.
Now as I enter the summer semester I am bracing myself for what I have heard is one of the toughest I'll have while in college. This has me apprehensive and nervous but I believe I will succeed. I am looking forward to the coming year and all that it will bring.
Year 3- This past year has been eventful to say the least. Even without the events of the past couple months two semesters of classes and one of coop always has plenty to talk about. Especially when those two semesters of classes are some of the hardest I'll have while at UC. Classes like Thermodynamics and Aerodynamics were quite concept heavy, while Aerodynamic Simulation and Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems required difficult software to that I hadn't used before. Combining that with my out of class activities such as the Club Rugby team there is much to reflect on.
The summer semester of 2019 was a slightly difficult one. The classes weren't overly complicated, however due to the accelerated nature of the summer semester the classes were a bit rushed. I was however able to manage it well and had enough free time to play rugby for the local Men's team, The Cincinnati Wolfhounds. with them I was able to travel to different tournaments in cities such as Dayton and Detroit, and improve my skills a great amount.
This past fall I cooped in at UC in a research lab lead by Dr. Peter Nagy. This lab was focused on studying various Non-Destructive Examination Techniques, primarily those pertaining to various electromagnetic properties in metals, and the potential field use for these techniques. While my role was primarily to perform the experiments and collect the data I did help with some of the editing for the final paper on the experiments. After the semester was over I ended up with my name on two separate research papers.
This past semester, the spring of 2020, seemed to fly straight by due to how much everything was changed. It was by far the hardest but also one of the most rewarding so far. The two software listed above as well as the difficult course material presented only some of the difficulty. The changes and anticipation of the changes due to Coronavirus added an additional stressor this semester. The transition to online was tough initially, as the motivation to attend an online class is significantly less than attending one in person, especially if the online class is being recorded. Despite this I was able to accomplish all of my work including multiple lengthy group projects. One of these projects, for Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems, was a simulation of a spacecraft coming in to dock with the ISS, including built in PID autopilot which allows the spacecraft to guide itself into the docking bay. This a screenshot of the project was even highlighted in an article on UC's homepage discussing how the university was transitioning to online classes, I'll attach a link to the article at the bottom of this section.
In other, non-academic news, earlier this spring I was elected the Vice President of the University of Cincinnati Rugby Football Club. I was very happy to be elected to this position and will work my hardest to ensure I do my job properly.
https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2020/04/n20909822.html
Year 4- This past year was one of the most and least eventful years so far due to COVID-19 although I'll try to limit my discussion about that as I'm sure most people are sick of hearing about it by now. As things are now opening up again I'm excited to be back on campus this coming fall. The part of being back on campus that I'm most excited about is being able to play rugby for UC again. I was once again elected Vice President of the team and I also designed our new jerseys, both of which increase my excitement substantially.
The summer semester was one of the most relaxed work wise but very stressful due to the nature of living in COVID. I was unable to get a Co-op for that semester so I was forced to do an Experiential Exploration Program (EEP) of my choosing. I chose 3D Design and Printing as the topic for mine. I focused on designing and then printing an F/A-18 Fighter Jet, more commonly identified as a Blue Angel. The actual design did not take long but there was a lot of optimization that needed to be done to allow it to be easily 3D printed. One of the biggest mistakes I made was trying to print it with a stand. This caused the most amount of frustrations with cleaning the support off the part as I had to be extra careful not to damage the wings or base of the structure.
The fall semester I was back in classes again but these were all remote. The remote classes were a larger challenge than I anticipated not only due to the advanced nature of the courses but also due to the fact that I found myself struggling to stay focused to the online lectures. I was able to finish strong in my classes but it definitely felt like more of a struggle than usual. During the fall I was also able play rugby for the Cincinnati Wolfhounds once again as one of the only teams in the entire country that was able to actually play during the fall due to the teams COVID policies which were developed during along with USA Rugby. Over the course of the season, while other teams had outbreaks and were forced to cancel games, we had no outbreaks and were able to win every game.
During the spring semester I was able to secure a Co-op with a company called Rhinestahl AMG in Mason, Ohio as a Quality Co-op. Over the course of that semester I was given a wide spread of tasks and projects that I was able to use to gain a much larger skillset and familiarity with different software. Unfortunately I cannot go into specifics here about what I actually did as a large majority of the parts we made had the government as the end customer. I am currently working for them now in the Summer Semester as well and can tell that their trust in me has increased since starting there as my workload and the importance of my projects has increased significantly. I was also able to contiue playing rugby for the Wolfhounds as all club sports were still cancelled for UC. We once again went undefeated on the season and were able to prevent any COVID outbreaks within the team.
While some may just hear the words “Multivariable Calculus” and freak out, it didn’t bother me. I’ve always excelled in the STEM classes and breezed through AP Calculus AB and BC so when I was able to finish the homeworks with little effort I didn’t expect to be challenged in the class. That’s why when I got to the first test I and realized I had no idea what I was doing I was thrown through a major loop. It was that moment that I realized that this is college, and it is vastly different than high school. While this may seem obvious I expected to blow through my first years classes with ease and this shook up my world.
From this moment on I decided to change my whole routine. I began to change my diet to eat healthier and go to sleep at a reasonable hour to be able to improve my physical and mental health. After a while I realized that the food court food wasn’t giving me the options or the nutrition I wanted so I began to cook for myself on the weekends to ensure I was getting all the nutrition I needed. This changed my mental state drastically. I was able to motivate myself into studying and improve my grades in the classes I was struggling in.
This lifestyle change improved my ability on the rugby field as well. This was my first time ever playing rugby so I had no skills going in. Once I began giving my body the rest and fuel it needed I began to pick up everything much faster. I began to play more in the games and found myself loving the sport. Not only that but the friends I made on the team are some of the best I made while at UC.
Since then I have continued eating healthy and working out as well as making sure I’m taking care of my mental health. That one test really brought me back down to earth showing me I still had to work to improve myself. It opened my eyes to a sport that very few ever experience here in America and allowed me to expand my views into the international sports scene as rugby is more popular internationally than here. Also by forcing me to start studying and interacting in class it allowed me to reassure myself that I enjoy Aerospace Engineering and that I chose the right Major, which is perhaps the most important impact of them all.
Year 2- Much like last year this year seemed to follow a theme. While last year it was about change and adaptation this year was about self-establishment. While I was taking classes in the fall I was off the meal plan and had to cook for myself, shop for myself and just overall take on more adult responsibilities. I had to make sure I was shopping efficiently to get the most bang for my buck and fight all the temptation to load up on only snack foods and candies. My schedule was somewhat odd as well. I had originally been on the Ascend track but due to the shortened time of the Ascend schedule I decided not to continue on that path so I could stay with the friends I had made and continue in the Honors Program. Due to this however I had already taken all the second year Aerospace classes in my first year so I had a whole semester with no classes I needed to take. I used this time to take two Honors classes, Dying Well and Sticky Innovations, as well as classes towards my newly decided minor: Astrophysics. While I expected the classes to be hard they were tougher than I could have ever guessed. While two were just basic introduction classes I also took Intro to Astrophysics 1, a graduate class, as it is part of the curriculum for the minor. Like one would expect for a graduate class, I struggled. The class was hard enough as is but I also came in to the class with none of the prior knowledge of astrophysics that the other students had. Somehow I managed to pull out a B in that class and prevented my GPA from sliding too far. What kept me sane through all this was rugby. I played again in the fall which gave me a social opportunity with a great group of guys, a way to keep active and in shape, and an effective method of stress relief.
In the spring I started my first coop at TECT Power up in Cleveland. This was a rough experience for me for a couple reasons. For the first reason I was in the Quality Department which is tough to begin with as it is mostly filling out forms and paperwork. The second which was the main reason was the fact that I was the only coop in Quality when they normally have two. That meant that I had to deal with the workload of two coops while trying to learn new terms and concepts at the same time. The Cleveland Branch of TECT creates forgings of engine turbine blades for all types of super-compressor engines. As I had no experience with manufacturing and metallurgy the whole process went over my head initially. By the time I was about three quarters through the semester I had finally understood enough of the process to try to help in fixing issues in the process, although I normally wasn't much help.
Now as I enter the summer semester I am bracing myself for what I have heard is one of the toughest I'll have while in college. This has me apprehensive and nervous but I believe I will succeed. I am looking forward to the coming year and all that it will bring.
Year 3- This past year has been eventful to say the least. Even without the events of the past couple months two semesters of classes and one of coop always has plenty to talk about. Especially when those two semesters of classes are some of the hardest I'll have while at UC. Classes like Thermodynamics and Aerodynamics were quite concept heavy, while Aerodynamic Simulation and Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems required difficult software to that I hadn't used before. Combining that with my out of class activities such as the Club Rugby team there is much to reflect on.
The summer semester of 2019 was a slightly difficult one. The classes weren't overly complicated, however due to the accelerated nature of the summer semester the classes were a bit rushed. I was however able to manage it well and had enough free time to play rugby for the local Men's team, The Cincinnati Wolfhounds. with them I was able to travel to different tournaments in cities such as Dayton and Detroit, and improve my skills a great amount.
This past fall I cooped in at UC in a research lab lead by Dr. Peter Nagy. This lab was focused on studying various Non-Destructive Examination Techniques, primarily those pertaining to various electromagnetic properties in metals, and the potential field use for these techniques. While my role was primarily to perform the experiments and collect the data I did help with some of the editing for the final paper on the experiments. After the semester was over I ended up with my name on two separate research papers.
This past semester, the spring of 2020, seemed to fly straight by due to how much everything was changed. It was by far the hardest but also one of the most rewarding so far. The two software listed above as well as the difficult course material presented only some of the difficulty. The changes and anticipation of the changes due to Coronavirus added an additional stressor this semester. The transition to online was tough initially, as the motivation to attend an online class is significantly less than attending one in person, especially if the online class is being recorded. Despite this I was able to accomplish all of my work including multiple lengthy group projects. One of these projects, for Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems, was a simulation of a spacecraft coming in to dock with the ISS, including built in PID autopilot which allows the spacecraft to guide itself into the docking bay. This a screenshot of the project was even highlighted in an article on UC's homepage discussing how the university was transitioning to online classes, I'll attach a link to the article at the bottom of this section.
In other, non-academic news, earlier this spring I was elected the Vice President of the University of Cincinnati Rugby Football Club. I was very happy to be elected to this position and will work my hardest to ensure I do my job properly.
https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2020/04/n20909822.html
Year 4- This past year was one of the most and least eventful years so far due to COVID-19 although I'll try to limit my discussion about that as I'm sure most people are sick of hearing about it by now. As things are now opening up again I'm excited to be back on campus this coming fall. The part of being back on campus that I'm most excited about is being able to play rugby for UC again. I was once again elected Vice President of the team and I also designed our new jerseys, both of which increase my excitement substantially.
The summer semester was one of the most relaxed work wise but very stressful due to the nature of living in COVID. I was unable to get a Co-op for that semester so I was forced to do an Experiential Exploration Program (EEP) of my choosing. I chose 3D Design and Printing as the topic for mine. I focused on designing and then printing an F/A-18 Fighter Jet, more commonly identified as a Blue Angel. The actual design did not take long but there was a lot of optimization that needed to be done to allow it to be easily 3D printed. One of the biggest mistakes I made was trying to print it with a stand. This caused the most amount of frustrations with cleaning the support off the part as I had to be extra careful not to damage the wings or base of the structure.
The fall semester I was back in classes again but these were all remote. The remote classes were a larger challenge than I anticipated not only due to the advanced nature of the courses but also due to the fact that I found myself struggling to stay focused to the online lectures. I was able to finish strong in my classes but it definitely felt like more of a struggle than usual. During the fall I was also able play rugby for the Cincinnati Wolfhounds once again as one of the only teams in the entire country that was able to actually play during the fall due to the teams COVID policies which were developed during along with USA Rugby. Over the course of the season, while other teams had outbreaks and were forced to cancel games, we had no outbreaks and were able to win every game.
During the spring semester I was able to secure a Co-op with a company called Rhinestahl AMG in Mason, Ohio as a Quality Co-op. Over the course of that semester I was given a wide spread of tasks and projects that I was able to use to gain a much larger skillset and familiarity with different software. Unfortunately I cannot go into specifics here about what I actually did as a large majority of the parts we made had the government as the end customer. I am currently working for them now in the Summer Semester as well and can tell that their trust in me has increased since starting there as my workload and the importance of my projects has increased significantly. I was also able to contiue playing rugby for the Wolfhounds as all club sports were still cancelled for UC. We once again went undefeated on the season and were able to prevent any COVID outbreaks within the team.
