Participating in this Kinesiology in Ireland program helped further my passion and expertise on the foundations of Kinesiology. This program was more hands-on and I received feedback from people in different regions of the world and different cultural backgrounds will be more valuable than anything I can read from a book. Learning about their practices for therapy and how they integrate their knowledge and skills into creative new forms of therapy was such a gift to be able to learn and experience. With this knowledge, my long-term goal from this program would be to grasp another culture's innovative approach to therapy where I can later apply these skills and techniques in the United States someday. I have always had an intense curiosity about my heritage and would love to see where my family originated from. Since my aunt and uncle were inspired by Dublin's oldest pub they built 2 of their own in Ohio. it was a really cool experience to know how close that place is to my family and their accomplishments. Another personal goal I achieved was to meet lots of new people from different regions of Ireland. I met so many people from all around the world who gave me so many new outlooks on life and a new perspective on different things. Expanding my cultural base will allow me to begin to build up a global network of connections, which may develop an immense amount of opportunities in the future.

Summer 2018

Added by Nicole

I studied abroad in a Kralendijk, Bonaire, which is apart of the Caribbean through an affiliate study abroad program called CIEE. This was the first time I was out of the country and was an exciting and scary time for me. I studied marine biology with 18 others kids from all over the United States. Being in Bonaire for over three weeks was the experience of a lifetime for me and I learned so many things about being independent and it really highlighted my strengths and weaknesses. I learned Papiamentu, which is the language they speak on the island. I experienced what its like to live in a new culture and learn in a completely different style. I met people from all over the United States and around the world and made friends that will last a lifetime. I also got my scuba diving certificate.

Summer 2016

Added by Nicole

Member, Secretary

The purpose of this club is to give students the resources and information they need to be successful in a career in Occupational Therapy. The goal is to prepare students in many different aspects to become accepted into their graduate program. My responsibilities include coordinating with other cabinet members to facilitate club meetings, participating in promotional activities for our club, attend College of Human Sciences Council meetings, record and take notes at our meeting, and other miscellaneous leadership duties.

Fall 2017 - Fall 2018

Added by Nicole

Undergraduate Research Assistant

I work with Dr. Setegemoller in her Motor Control Lab where we do outreach with Parkinson's patients, collect data and develop the skills and experience of how to conduct research experiments. Our main research focus is on persons with Parkinson's disease and developing rehabilitation strategies that use music to improve gross and fine motor performance.

Fall 2017 - Fall 2018

Added by Nicole

Undergraduate Research

During this course, we conducted our own experiment and gained knowledge and skills in every element of research. For our experiment, we aimed to determine whether various types of music have any effect on fine motor learning. Results revealed after our experiment that classical music and no music show a benefit in motor learning while preferred and non-preferred show no benefits in motor learning. We did have a small sample size, but the trends that you infer are apparent. We hypothesized that the preferred music condition would coincide the best with motor learning but our data do not support this hypothesis. Other research does show the benefits of listening to preferred music while performing motor tasks and with cognitive learning. There is very limited research on the impact of motor learning so this study can help guide others in future research.

Spring 2018 - Fall 2018

Added by Nicole

Social Chair

As social chair of Oak-Elm Residency hall, my job duties included planning house cabinet events that helped our residents feel more involved and included during their time living on-campus at Iowa State University.

Fall 2017 - Spring 2018

Added by Nicole

Student Ambassador

The Student Alumni Leadership Council, a program of the Iowa State University Alumni Association, sponsors, plans, and coordinates programs and events for ISU students, alumni, the Ames community, and prospective students. Being a part of the ambassador committee includes responsibilities like providing involvement in Destination Iowa State, Fall Welcome Back Picnic, selling Future Alumni Network memberships and planning other events throughout campus during the year.

Fall 2018

Added by Nicole

Attending university has been my dream since middle school, and AVID helped me achieve this goal. It taught me so many crucial skills that I now incorporate in my everyday life and will use throughout college. I had been in AVID for six years through all of middle school and high school where our entire class all shared the mutual goal of attending a four-year university, and AVID provided us with an essential support network as we worked toward that goal. AVID not only taught me important time-management and organizational skills, but it encouraged me to pursue and develop leadership skills, such as my two-year stint as class vice president. The club also showed me how to be self-motivated and strive to reach my full potential. Thanks to AVID, I will have the opportunity to continue my education and growth as a person at the Iowa State University.

Fall 2011 - Spring 2017

Added by Nicole

I was a tutor through my AVID club where I helped freshman AVID students practice good learning habits and achieve educational goals by meeting everyday for an hour to help, advise, and assist in educational questions

Fall 2016 - Spring 2017

Added by Nicole