Formal Retrospective
Looking back at what I have accomplished during my time as an undergraduate student, I am proud of my growth and how much I have accomplished in my classes, student organizations, and the Indianapolis community. Published April 2, 2026.
As a senior in high school, college seemed intimidating. With a different class schedule each day and an overall quicker pace, I worried that I would not be able to adapt and succeed. My acceptance to the Honors College was the first thing that gave me confidence in attending IU Indianapolis. Since I began attending this university, the Honors College has encouraged me to go above and beyond in my courses, engage with my peers, and work toward my goals, no matter how ambitious. As an Honors student, I have had the opportunity for a wide range of experiences that have made my college experience special.
In the time since I was in H200, I have grown more into the person I wanted to be when I wrote my original Intention Statement. My overall goals, such as maintaining a high GPA and becoming a dentist, remain unchanged, and I continue to work toward them. As I near the end of my undergraduate career, my goals have shifted more toward dentistry as I get closer to acceptance into dental school. I continue to strive to be the best version of myself.
In my original Journey Map, I planned to participate in lab research each year, complete courses for my degree, and shadow various dental professionals. In my updated Journey Map, I showed which courses I completed, what student organizations and events I participated in, and how I shortened my college journey by one year. My updated Journey Map also showcases how I participated in a range of experiences I had an interest in, not just classes and research. Furthermore, my updated Journey Map shows that I have accomplished the following Honors College goal: "Participate in at least four engaged learning experiences, including research, international/cultural experiences, service, and experiential/applied learning." I have engaged in research through 1RIP, Honors projects, and my capstone. Additionally, joining the APIDA Heritage Dinner Committee broadened my cultural knowledge, and I regularly engage in volunteering at Riley Hospital. Looking back at my original Journey Map, I can appreciate that although not everything went according to plan, I grew as a student, friend, and person. This aligns with the IUI Honors College goal of being able to "reflect on their growth as a learner through classes and engaged experiences inside and outside the classroom." Despite setbacks and changes to my plans, I have persevered and stayed focused on my long-term goal of a career as a dentist.
"Don't just dream at night, dream in the daylight." -
2024 APIDA Heritage Dinner Theme
Showcase Two covered my favorite Honors project, "The Genetics of Malocclusion." Since this was my first Honors project, I faced a learning curve with crafting my Honors proposal and creating an entire project of my choosing. Since this project, I have completed several other Honors projects for classes in various fields, including cell biology, English, anatomy, and art (in progress). With these projects, I have been able to connect the subject of the course to specific topics I am interested in. In addition to Honors projects, I have earned Honors credit through Honors labs for chemistry and genetics. These labs have allowed me to design and carry out my own experiments, giving me the chance to learn beyond the level of typical labs. Earning Honors credit shows that I have achieved the Honors College goal "Develop strong communication, problem solving, and civic-minded skills." I have provided specific examples of how I accomplished each of these when I was working on my Honors project for anatomy.
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Communication - From the start to the finish of my project, I kept Dr. Yard informed with my goals for my project, "Breaking Down Digestion," and my progress. This included being honest when I was falling behind on the schedule I had planned and asking for an extra week to share my first rough draft.
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Problem Solving - This project was a research paper, and one of the issues I encountered was narrowing down the countless studies and scholarly articles about digestion that were relevant to the scope of my paper. By using Boolean operators when searching databases and investigating sources from papers I had already annotated, I was able to successfully find sources with relevant information.
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Civic-minded Skills - Because others may read my research paper to learn more about digestion, I had to ensure that the information I used was accurate. To do this, I carefully read through each source I used and cross-referenced the information with what I learned in class and other sources.
As seen in Showcase 3, I have participated in research by writing research papers for Honors projects in addition to joining research projects for 1RIP and my capstone. My main goal in each of these experiences has been to gain knowledge that will be beneficial for dental school and later as a dental professional. In 1RIP, I learned how dentistry is a constantly evolving field and how scientific findings and inventions can give patients the best possible outcomes. Better outcomes can increase patients' self-esteem, chewing ability, and speaking ability. I also gained general knowledge about dental anatomy and the implant placement process through Dr. Louis Asimakopoulos and Dr. Hawra AlQallaf's implant research. In Dr. Jiliang Li's lab, I have been able to apply skills and knowledge from previous classes to research about bone growth. The skills I regularly use in this research include PCR, electrophoresis, and pipetting. I have also gained new skills, such as tail tipping, performing X-rays, and creating up-to-date inventories of mice. My engagement in research about topics I have a genuine interest in is evidence that I have fulfilled the IUI Honors College goal of "be active participants in their intellectual experiences."
As I reflect on the past three years at IU Indianapolis, I feel that I have grown tremendously. Academically, I have learned how to manage my time between classes and extracurriculars, ask for help when I need it, and be resilient in tough courses. With the large amounts of content covered in short periods, I have learned how to study efficiently to keep up in my classes, which will be a useful skill in dental school. My experience as a student has truly been enriched by joining on-campus organizations, where I have made countless friends and a positive impact on IUI and the surrounding community. Through the PreDental Club, I have gained leadership skills from my experience as the Campus Outreach Coordinator and the Public Relations Director. Furthermore, I have been able to impart valuable knowledge about the pre-dental journey based on my experiences to other pre-dental students. During my time in the PreDental Club, I have also volunteered by assembling dental kits to be donated, cards for local nursing homes, and participated in a TeamSmile event where children were given free dental care. In ALDPES, I helped plan various social events and had an active role in selecting and preparing decorations for the SamStrong Dance, which raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Volunteering with Exodus Refugee as a Homework Helper and at Riley Hospital's Ronald McDonald Family Rooms has also had a large impact on my growth. In both of these experiences, I have learned to put myself in others' shoes to understand how I can best help others, from making lesson plans to offering to listen to someone's challenges. I have been involved in a broad range of experiences during my time as a student at IU Indianapolis, and I could not be more thankful for each one because of how they have shaped me into a kind and patient individual who is always looking for new ways to better myself.