Ohio IB in Action

It was an eventful first semester at Bowling Green State University with an even busier semester ahead. 

Because my major in Product and Service Design with an emphasis on Accessibility crosses multiple disciplines, so does my class schedule. Most of my general prerequisites were already satisfied in high school by IB courses,  allowing me to immediately take research writing and advanced statistics, as well as seminars in urban planning  

and the proliferation and potential perils posed by artificial intelligence. Foundational courses as part of the  Honors College and the Leadership Institute rounded out the fall semester. 

Next term gets more interesting logistically with 22 scheduled hours between studio time for graphic design and  video production courses, an honors seminar in literary worldbuilding, and classes in popular culture, theatre, and  social entrepreneurship. 

Outside the classroom, I volunteer with the Falcon Food Pantry to ensure students struggling with food insecurity  have access to healthy meals, as well as an emerging community group improving neighborhood walkability/ mobility access throughout the city of Bowling Green. I was selected to become a member of the school’s only  long-form improv troupe, and subsequently asked to lead a regional program based in Toledo that uses improv to  help adults with developmental challenges communicate and self-advocate more effectively. I’m also part of the  multimedia team for the campus chapter of RallyCap Sports, a nonprofit founded by a BGSU alum that funds and  supports adaptive youth athletic programs at several colleges and universities. Though walking around campus  everyday is already a workout, I’ve continued boxing through BG Gloves. 

I was honored to serve as a judge for the Chicago Toy & Game Fair in November, and will be the featured speaker  welcoming prospective BGSU Presidential Scholars to a weekend of group discussions and individual interviews  later this month. This semester, I’m working to establish a University Innovation Fellows program at BGSU, a global  design thinking initiative sponsored by Stanford’s “d.school”. I’ve also continued to pursue certifications through  IDEO, founded by Stanford professor and Ohio’s own David Kelley. My current course is on rapid prototyping. 

Despite the demanding schedule, I earned an A in all of my fall courses and am already exploring summer  internship and research opportunities, in addition to ongoing volunteer work with Form5 Prosthetics, Thurber  House, Invention Convention, Westgate Farmers Market, and Experience Columbus. 

All of these endeavors were made possible through the generous scholarship from Ohio Association of IB World  Schools. I just wanted to thank you again for your investment in my education, and the skills and insights I likewise  intend to invest in making Columbus a more caring and compassionate community. 

 With gratitude, 

Lia McMillan
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