Sarah Crist
University of Cincinnati, Honors Portfolio
Final Reflection
This I Believe Statement
Throughout my life thus far I always tend to reflect on a quote that my father implemented that quickly became the mentality of my family, “E=R, Effort =Results”. Like many quotes, we numb ourselves to their true meaning until we encounter a situation where the quote becomes relevant.
I began my college career eager to become the best student I could possibly be. I had high expectations of myself because I knew that I had a clean slate. I had an opportunity to start over. In high school I was not tuned in to my academics and found myself becoming side tracked with sports and extra-curricular activities. I never put forth the amount of effort I could have and settled with being slightly above average. I noticed by the end of my high school career that what I was capable of achieving that did not match my high school GPA. I walked across the stage at graduation disappointed that I didn’t try harder.
I came to the University of Cincinnati with a dream to work for the National Football League and hopes of making the Dean’s List. I attended my first week of classes and was absolutely enamored with my professors especially one in particular, Professor Kiley. Professor Kiley challenged our class. She asked us what we wanted our GPA to be at the end of our first quarter of our college career. Many replied with the typical “3.5” answer. Then Professor Kiley said, “Why not a 3.6” she continued, “or a 3.7?” It was then I realized, why not? Professor Kiley’s “why not?” mentality shifted my entire thought process on how to approach college.
With the support of my family, my new “why not?” attitude, and determination to right my high school academic wrongs through my college education, I applied myself more than I ever had before. Ten weeks passed and I received my first college grade report and it said, “4.0…Dean’s List”. I finally realized what it really meant to put forth so much effort and what it felt like to reap the results.
After I realized what I was capable of achieving here at college I have been able to open new doors for myself. I have realized that I am in love with learning. I don’t just go to class because I have to, but I go to class because I want to. Since being at school I have been able to grow intellectually as an individual. My priorities have started to change as to what is truly important to me and I have become less selfish regarding the plans I have for my future. I want to dedicate myself to bettering others. I am not quite sure how or what I am going to do but I know that if I still put a large amount of time and effort into my endeavors the opportunity will come. I want to spread my love for education and I want to leave a lasting impact on my community. I hope that someday I will be able to support someone as much as my parents have supported me and be able to inspire someone to push further and realize their full potential. At times I get upset with myself because I closed so many doors that could have led me to more scholarships or even to a better school. But, I know that everything happens for a reason. I am meant to be here at the University of Cincinnati. I have the world at my fingertips here and I don’t plan on letting this opportunity slide through them.
Since coming to the University of Cincinnati I have changed dramatically. I have created a positive environment around me which has embraced my ideologies and given me the opportunity to channel my thoughts and ideas into productive means. I have gained more of my independence and have grown emotionally and intellectually as an individual. Before coming to college I always thought that I was just going to go and get my degree and make money after I graduate. I am happy to say that I was wrong. College is a place where I can ask questions and learn about my environment around me and the Honors Program has taken this one step further. The Honors Program is allowing me to follow a passion of making others a priority and helping bring these hands-on learning experiences to fruition.
I plan on taking this amazing opportunity as an Honors student to truly explore avenues that I would have not considered before or that would not have been made available to me. I want to pursue a project in research that I plan on conducting with individuals in the Sociology PhD department. I plan on taking a seminar in the winter of 2012 where I will explore the educational inequality in our own city of Cincinnati to gain a better understanding of the issue at hand. I plan on dedicating a large majority of my Honors experiences to the subject of educational inequality in Cincinnati and in the United States. I want to try to draw my own conclusions on this epidemic while exploring research techniques and theories that I would otherwise have not been introduced to. After I take my seminar in the winter of 2012 I plan on beginning my Honors Experience project where preliminary research will begin at the end of spring quarter 2012 into the summer and I will then begin my project in the fall of 2012. I have estimated that this project will last throughout my entire junior year of college. My project will consist of going into multiple schools in the city of Cincinnati and observing the students, teachers, faculty, and other factors to try to gain a better understanding as to why we have such an educational gap in Cincinnati rather than just due to socioeconomic issues. I plan on dedicating this project to not only the research aspect of the Honors Program but to leadership aspect and community engagement aspect as well. Ideally I want publish my finding and hopefully these findings will prove to be beneficial to schools in the city of Cincinnati and in other cities as well. Most of all, I hope that this project will help me figure out what type of career I want to pursue. I am considering becoming a college professor now. I love teaching and learning. I hope that conducting this project will help me decide if I want to dedicate my life to education and research.
Regardless of what direction I choose to take my life and what career I ultimately end up choosing, I know that I will make an impact where ever I decide to go. I plan making others a priority and fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. I do not have to dedicate my entire career to helping others because I can still help people regardless. The education that I am receiving right now is the leverage I need to make a larger impact on my community and environment. Without a strong background in education I will not be able to make as large of an impact as hoped. I plan on utilizing every seminar I possibly can to gain a real world experience and better insight into a variety of topics. Once I graduate I will no longer remember all of the vocabulary terms I had to memorize, the exact formula for a math equation, or the way the demand curve should shift in economics, but I will remember the experiences that I gain through the Honors Program. I will be learning life experiences that will take me further academically, socially, ethically, and morally. Through the reflection process of my experiences and the web portfolio documentation I will be able to build a resume of experiences that will only prove beneficial in my life. The Honors Program proves that I am here for more than just a degree. I am here to make a difference.
The University of Cincinnati’s Honors Program is unlike any other. I am truly honored to be a part of such a renowned and respected program. Being accepted into the Honors Program has turned out to be one of the highlights of my college career thus far. After going through the pathways course I never realized what opportunities were open to me and the avenues I could purse with the guidance of the Honors staff.
I think that the most important thing that I will gain from the Honors Program is not recognition as an Honors student at graduation, not the praise I receive from my grades or even the scholarship and fellowship opportunities I could receive. The most important thing that I will gain from my Honors Program experience is that I am allowed to be me. The Honors Program welcomes your ideas with open arms and I have never felt this freedom in an educational setting before. I plan on embracing the ideals and missions of the Honors Program. I want to gain as much out of this platform as I can. I am only here for a short amount of time and I will never have another opportunity like this again. Although I look forward to the day I graduate with Honors and the future fellowship I could receive, nothing can compare to the amount of pride I have for the education I am receiving. I am trying to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way and it wasn’t until I came to college that I realized how much I love to learn. I am truly a changed individual.