10 students who did marvelous things through STEP
This special program helps sophomores plan their futures and encourages them to find and explore a cool learning opportunity.
When I joined the Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP), I got lucky. The cohort I was assigned to went above and beyond. It not only helped me learn about the usual career mapping, internships and service projects, but I built friendships through yoga, cookie baking and a trip to the North Market. I looked forward to meeting every Monday during the first half of my sophomore year.
And the best part? The Signature Project, a self-designed learning experience that all STEP students complete during their junior year — the possibilities are almost endless. Mine is this internship with Ohio State Alumni Magazine, which led me to find a love of feature writing and sharing the stories of wonderful people in our Buckeye community. I’ve seen how STEP is helping other students find their passions and their best selves, too.
Take a look at 10 great examples of other students’ impactful Signature Projects.
Latifat Sulaimon | Creative and artistic endeavor
Looking to build her dance repertoire, Sulaimon traveled to Philadelphia to study ballet in 2022. She practiced the fundamentals of performative dance while developing the independence that comes from traveling alone. Now a senior, she says the experience honed the skills she needed to succeed in auditions and led her to add a second major — in dance.
Advaith Saraff | Internship
Saraff, a junior in engineering, spent last summer interning at Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base, doing design and prototyping work to help maintain B-2 bombers. There he learned a real-world lesson: Engineering is much more than math and physics. “You use creativity and teamwork to solve problems, and only later on do you use math and physics to reinforce your solutions,” he says.
Monicka Ridgill ’23 | Leadership
Thanks to STEP, Ridgill chose her specialization — social psychology. Before graduating with a psychology degree in December, she traveled to Atlanta for a Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference. Presenting research and meeting people in the field helped prepare her for graduate school, she says. “These experiences linked the gap between my present and future.”
Logan Kaising | Service-learning
Sometimes, STEP projects lead students to find an interest outside of their major. Kaising, a third-year in biomedical engineering, traveled to the Grand Canyon to learn about trail restoration and Native American tribes. “The realization that even small contributions could significantly impact the environment instilled a new sense of responsibility within me,” he says.
Ashley Angrimson | Study abroad
How many people can say they’ve seen one of the new Seven Wonders of the World? Thanks to STEP, this senior majoring in chemistry and Spanish can. She visited Machu Picchu while studying in the Peruvian capital city of Lima for six weeks last year, learning about Spanish medical terminology and public health. While there, she immersed herself in the culture and lived with a host family.
Maddie Fitzpatrick ’21 | Service-learning
This senior zoology major, who has an associate degree from Ohio State Newark, has always loved marine animals. Her project gave her the opportunity to interact with them. She spent a week with Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy in Florida, tagging and releasing sharks and rays. Her takeaways: the confidence and determination to pursue veterinary school.
Ruhi Sahu | Service learning
“Not only did this experience help me solidify my decision to pursue medicine, but it also met my goal of giving back to the community,” says Sahu, a senior in neuroscience. She volunteered at the Columbus Cancer Clinic in 2022, working with physicians and nurses to care for patients, many with financial challenges. “I learned so much more than I thought I would,” she says.
Charles Franz | Leadership
When assessing health and diagnosing illnesses, getting a blood sample can be critical. Franz, a fourth-year biology major, learned how to do just that: He obtained a phlebotomy certification at Ohio Medical Career College. There, he learned how to draw blood safely and smartly. “Now I have a distinction that makes me a competitive candidate in the health care industry,” he says.
Miranda Bugos | Internship
From a young age, Bugos knew she wanted to help people, and this experience solidified how, she says. At PT Solutions, she helped manufacture lumbar and cervical plates for those with spinal injuries. “Knowing that I made a difference in thousands of lives this summer is exactly the feeling I strive to have for the rest of my life,” says the junior engineering student.
Hafsah Malik ’23 | Internship
Malik, who graduated with a political science degree in December, interned at Crowe, an accounting firm in New York City. During the 50-hour-a-week internship last summer, Malik connected with alumni living in the Big Apple. “Becoming friends with people from Ohio State felt so familiar and great in the big city,” she says. Her internship also resulted in a job offer.
Steps to their best selves
STEP, a partnership between the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Student Life, is an extension of Ohio State’s commitment to the student experience and to providing growth opportunities beyond the classroom.
