I joined the Honors program in the second semester of my first year and at the time had no idea what it would involve. I knew it would help me get into medical school but joining a program I saw as academically driven was outside my comfort zone. Like the incoming students I talk to during tabling, my head was filled with all the typical misconceptions about Honors. I thought it was only for intellectually motivated students who were looking to take harder classes and boost their resume. Though this may be true at other universities, I learned quickly in Honors 201 that my experience was going to be unlike anything I’d done. The idea of writing reflections from my experiences was completely new to me. Even though it was challenging at first, I ended my first year with a better idea of the Honors Mission to develop through the three competencies.

 

My first interaction with the Honors staff is one I will never forget. It came a week after being hospitalized with a collapsed lung talking with Leah over Zoom. She was very welcoming, and Ginny was understanding when I had to miss the first few weeks of my 201 class. The hardships I endured through this medical situation were unlike anything I’d gone through. As one might imagine, having to make up two weeks of school with immense pain was difficult. However, my outlook on having excuses to not study completely changed. If I’m feeling sick or tired I can remember back to how I felt, then and what I overcame. After my accident, there was a silver lining made possible through the Honors Program in the form of a Scholarship. I began writing my application for the Evelyn Tischer and James Tischer Honors program scholarship in my hospital bed and to my surprise was awarded it a few months later. Aside from the direct financial support of the scholarship, I have also had the opportunity to talk in front of the university foundation board about its impact and give my perspective in a TODAY magazine article. The mentorship I’ve received from my scholarship donor has also been significant. He generously arranged for me and the other two recipients to travel to Chicago this past summer for a few days of fun and networking with physicians. As my time as an honors student comes to an end, I remember the motivation that scholarship instilled in me. The feeling of having someone in your corner adds another level of accountability. At this point, I felt like the Honors program became a bigger part of my identity as a student and I started to see my own personal growth. Though the scholarship and adversity I faced remained a reason for my commitment to the program, I became involved in various extracurriculars that enriched my time as an honors student. Through these experiences, I made new friends, and memories, and gained mentors who would support me till graduation.

​

Among all that I’ve done in the Honors program, serving on the Honors Student Body (HSB) holds particular significance. I was elected as the class representative in my sophomore year with the goal of meeting other students and having another leadership experience to enhance my portfolio. It was within the Honors program that I met my two closest friends in college, who would later become my roommates. One of them joined me on HSB for the following two years. Together, we achieved our goal of becoming president and vice president in my senior year. During my Sophomore and Junior years, I was happy to work under a president in Mallory who created an inclusive and fun environment. My experience was unique in that I spent two years developing as a leader, initially serving as a class representative, and then applying what I learned from Mallory this year as president. There were many instances where I saw crossover in my learning as part of HSB and my other leadership experiences. For example, my learning community coordinator’s approach to leadership and setting aside time for fun was something I considered when designing our HSB activities. Additionally, my participation in the YMCA brother/sister program helped me develop the skills necessary to lead HSB. There were many situations with my mentee where I had to adapt on the fly when he changed his mind about what he wanted to do. Ultimately, it was more important to appeal to what he wanted to do because I knew he would have more fun, and I could always move what we had planned for another day. Maintaining open communication with my mentee’s mom was essential for coordinating plans and addressing any changes that arose. Adjustments were often necessary when conflicts in our schedules arose and staying on top of things so we could spend time together each week was important for both of us. We have similar situations arise in HSB and since there are multiple group members, I must balance the benefits of rescheduling or not. This can be challenging but the experience of doing this with my mentor was good practice especially when the HSB students are very easygoing. 

​

While intercultural engagement is a distinct competency, I found ways to relate it to my leadership experiences. Tutoring in the Language Partners program and attending diversity events highlighted the importance of cultural sensitivity and the power of actions over words. I kept this in mind when leading the group in HSB and the interactions I had with my YMCA mentee. In all three of my leadership experiences, I connected with people from diverse backgrounds which heightened my sensitivity to instances of ethnocentrism, especially during the American Indian Night I attended. In this situation, I realized I may have subconsciously evaluated other cultures through the lens of my cultural values. Recognizing this tendency has been a pivotal moment in my personal growth and I can better recognize my biases and appreciate our differences. Having a different group in HSB each year is one of my favorite parts of the student organization. This relates to the goal of intercultural engagement competency as having a diverse group brings up different ideas for events and makes people feel more comfortable when they can relate to others. The diversity events I attended showed me what was happening among diverse populations in Mankato and throughout Minnesota. Until I became a student here, I was unaware of the history between Mankato and Indigenous people. Listening to Mariah Gladstone speak made me realize how you can use something that makes sense to everybody like food to teach food sovereignty and the power dynamics that are still in use today. This was a big wake-up call to better realize what was happening around me. Though my research is in something completely different, what I have learned through it is to become a better critical thinker and how to filter out right and wrong information. With everything that happens in the news related to intercultural engagement, it will be important that I do my research and stand up for what I believe in. Looking back, I hope that when serving as a leader, people perceive my actions as a reflection of my character and commitment to treating others with respect. As my college years progressed, I found that building relationships through conversation became increasingly important for me. Despite coming into college somewhat shy, serving in various roles helped me break out of my shell and sparked a desire to engage with everyone around me.

​

When I started the Honors program, the research competency felt the most obtainable for me after having a semester of RISEbio under my belt. At the time, however, I had no idea how impactful research would be to my college experience and in developing as a leader. After finishing in RISEbio I joined Dr. Hartert on cancer research with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). The work involves testing different drug combination cells on cancer in the lab. With Hartert’s help, I’ve been able to accrue an impressive research resume consisting of publications, research grants, presenting at the St. Paul Capitol Rotunda, and presenting at a conference in San Diego. With this being my last semester, I have found myself working in more of a mentorship role helping the new wave of his research students. While working alone in my first two years I tried to ensure the work in the lab was completed to my standards. As I began mentoring students I adapted and wanted to teach the students how to be successful by giving them more independence each week. I’ve learned how a mix of delegation and collaboration can strengthen a team and ensure they are successful when I leave this spring. My approach of gradually delegating responsibility is something I learned firsthand during my time at RISEbio.

​

Being in their position before, I understand they may feel tense and afraid to make mistakes. I try and maintain a supportive environment and remind them that mistakes are opportunities to learn and a part of lab work. This was something I also reminded my mentee during my mentorship in the YMCA program whenever he made a mistake. Other than utilizing my leadership skills in Research, what I learned in intercultural engagement was equally important. Though it was in a different capacity than HSB, I was able to work with students with different backgrounds and different goals. Attending the American Society of Hematology Conference my senior year made me realize how diverse the world of research truly is. Attending the conference and witnessing the diverse representation within the field was truly inspiring. People came from all corners of the world to share their research in San Diego. Among them, one of the leading researchers in the field stood out, a woman of color whose achievements and insights resonated with me deeply. Our conversation reinforced my hope that progress is being made and it is up to the next generation of students to continue this. Working with cancer and working at the hospital for multiple years has made me realize that there is nothing more revealing than one’s health. Illness doesn’t care about your income, age, race, or sex. Most people will eventually be hospitalized sometime in their lives. That’s why recognizing the importance of treating the patient and not just the disease is crucial in medicine. Addressing the physiological aspects of an illness is essential, but understanding the holistic needs and circumstances of each patient is equally vital. This will be important to keep in mind as I continue my path in medicine and may not have thought of this as early without the intercultural engagement experience.

​

As I graduate and conclude my experiences within the Honors program, I look back on the memories I’ve made and the impact I hope I made. It is my mentor who reminds me that a life not lived in the service of others is a life not worth living. I am thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had and for all the people who have contributed to my success in undergrad.I especially want to thank Leah, Nate, and Dr. Hartert for supporting me and for everything they have done these past few years. I look forward to the years to come and understand that developing in Research, Leadership, and Intercultural engagement is a lifelong journey and I’ll never forget my beginning at MNSU.