CLAIRE SU-YANN JAMES
I am from North Canton, a small suburb about one hour south of Cleveland, and four hours away from Cincinnati. I had a graduating class of about 400, so it was not too small, but it was not too large either. As a young girl, I never imagined I would live in a city, but here I am! I love Cincinnati, and am proud to call it my home. Living in the city has taught me so much. I have met so many wonderful people, and from these people I have learned so many new things. They give me new perspectives I would have never conjured up on my own. I am a recent graduate of the Information Technology program at the University of Cincinnati. I switched from Health Sciences to Information Technology, and it has been life-changing. As a freshman, I've volunteered at Good Samaritan Hospital in their cardiovascular ICU. That summer, I worked at FUSIAN (a local enterprise, go Cincy!) Sushi in Hyde Park to bring "Easy, Casual, Sushi" to the public. That was a really fun, cool experience. I met a lot of cool people and learned a lot working in the food industry. Now, I can actually make a decent meal. Ramen is still delicious, though... Sophomore year, I moved from the CVICU to the NICU at Good Samaritan. That was so lovely. There is nothing better than the smell of babies... I got to hold babies and cuddle them for three hours a week. Talk about serenity! Spring semester, I did behavioral research at Cincinnati Children's in their Department of Psychiatry. I got to work with an awesome post-grad student, and several dozen mice. That was another really interesting (albeit at times, smelly) experience too. That summer, I worked at UC International in their Study Abroad department, maintaining their database. As a junior, I completed my first co-op at Medpace, Inc., a contract clinical research organization in Madisonville. It's kind of amazing how it all worked out. Finally, I worked at GE Aviation as my last co-op with UC. There, I solved business problems with digital solutions. What some might consider a random slew of experiences actually helped me carve the path I'm currently pursuing, and I could not feel more blessed. All of my experiences have led me to where I am now. GE has offered me a full-time job with them shortly before senior year started! As a senior, I focused primarily on enjoying myself. I think we each deserve some time to enjoy ourselves. I spent my fall semester taking care of a service-dog-in-training from 4 Paws for Ability, an organization that helps children with disabilities gain service dogs. My dog's name was Froggy, and I had an absolute blast taking care of him, even though he tried my patience from time to time. I also created a capstone with my friends Patrick and Kris called Zentality. It was a journaling application that allowed students to document their feelings in regard to their mental health. We really focused on fighting the stigma associated with mental health. My journey with the University of Cincinnati is about to come to an end. It makes me sad, and nervous, and so excited for the future. I have nothing but gratitude for both the University and the Honors Program, and am planning on updating this page yearly. |