My understanding of what it means to be a Global Citizen Scholar has grown significantly over the past semester. At the beginning of HNRS1010, I viewed the term mostly as an academic label, someone involved in honors coursework and community engagement. As the semester went on, my definition evolved into something much deeper and more personal. Now, I see a Global Citizen Scholar as someone who uses knowledge, empathy, and curiosity to make a positive impact on their community and the world. It involves staying open-minded, valuing diversity, and applying what I learn to create meaningful change. This definition developed through class discussions, self-reflection activities, value-based exercises, and my experiences in adaptive sports and physical therapy settings. I realized that being a Global Citizen Scholar is not just about achievement, it’s instead about who I am, how I treat others, and how I choose to grow.

My strengths and values played a major role in shaping this evolved definition. My top strengths of humor, curiosity, honesty, kindness, and love, show up in everything I do. I am most proud of kindness, honesty, and love because they reflect how I try to treat people with respect, compassion, and fairness. My core values of integrity, kindness, and gratitude guide my decisions, especially in moments when I have to choose between fitting in and staying true to what I believe. There have been times when friends wanted to do things that went against my values, and I had to decide not to participate. Those moments reminded me that being a Global Citizen Scholar means living with integrity even when no one is watching. These strengths and values are the foundation for how I approach learning, community, and leadership.

Looking ahead to the next year, I have two major goals. First, I want to continue growing academically and professionally as a pre-physical therapy student. Second, I want to build confidence in leadership and expand my comfort zone by engaging in experiences that challenge me. To support these goals, I plan to use resources like UC’s Learning Commons, the Pre-Health Advising Center, the honors office, and connections I’ve made throughout my first semester. My support network, including my professors, friends, family, and mentors, will continue to play an important role in helping me stay grounded and motivated. I also want to lean into career readiness resources that will help me develop skills I will need in physical therapy, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

My strengths, values, innovation skills, and career readiness all influence how I plan to approach these goals. My kindness and honesty help me form strong connections with others, which is important in both leadership and healthcare settings. Curiosity pushes me to explore new opportunities, ask questions, and learn deeply rather than just completing tasks. Love motivates me to care about the people I work with and the communities I serve. Innovation connects to my strengths because it encourages me to use creativity to solve problems. I learned this through design thinking activities, where brainstorming, experimenting, and revising ideas helped me see challenges differently. In physical therapy, innovation can mean finding new ways to help someone regain mobility or adapt to a disability. In my academic life, it means approaching assignments and goals with openness and creativity. Career readiness gives me practical tools like communication, professionalism, adaptability, and teamwork, that help me put these strengths and values into action.

Two honors experiences I plan to complete before graduating will play a major role in shaping my journey as a Global Citizen Scholar. The first is the 2026 study tour to the Amazon River in Brazil, along with the environmental studies seminar. This experience combines my passion for nature and wildlife with my desire to learn more about sustainability and global environmental issues. The idea of being on a river boat in the Amazon, learning firsthand about ecosystems, conservation, and cultural understanding, is exactly the type of experience that can expand my worldview. I am drawn to this program because it pushes me beyond my comfort zone and encourages me to engage with global issues in a hands-on, meaningful way. My second honors experience will likely be a self-designed experience, possibly centered around a physical therapy internship. I am interested in proposing an internship as a self-designed experience because it would allow me to connect my academic path with real-world learning. Working directly with patients or observing professionals in the field would help me build practical skills while also deepening my understanding of how to support individuals with diverse needs. It would also continue the work I’ve already been involved in through adaptive sports, where I have learned how meaningful it can be to help others reach their goals. Both of these experiences will support my personal, academic, and professional goals. They will challenge me to think about global issues, health, sustainability, and culture in new ways. They will also help me grow in areas where I want to continue developing, especially leadership, confidence, communication, and adaptability. These experiences will provide structure and opportunities for reflection that will help me refine who I am and better understand what I am passionate about. They connect directly to my future career in physical therapy, my interest in helping others, and my desire to be a lifelong learner.

As I continue my journey toward becoming a Global Citizen Scholar, I know that growth is ongoing. I want to push myself to take more risks, speak up more in academic settings, and challenge myself to pursue opportunities that might feel intimidating at first. Honors gives me the community, the support, and the resources to pursue these goals intentionally. The next few years are not just about earning a degree, they are about becoming someone who uses their strengths and values to make a meaningful difference in the world. With the support of my network and the opportunities available to me, I feel prepared and excited to keep growing into the Global Citizen Scholar I aspire to be.