Abby Tompkins

HNRS 1010: Gateway to University Honors (014)

Values Reflection

It is my belief that determining ones individual values helps to answer the question
Who am I? In other words, your values define who you are. Values show what is important to
you and what you are willing to pursue. For example, my values include creativity, family,
adventure, curiosity, and humor. Quite often, these values help guide me in difficult situations
and point me in the right direction.
The greatest example I have of my values playing a role in my decision making was
deciding what college to go to. After the application process, I had several options in front of me:
I considered attending Indiana University, Ohio University, and the University of Cincinnati. All
three schools had excellent academia and were surrounded by interesting communities.
Ultimately, I had to do a lot of soul searching to find which school would be the best fit with my
values. As I considered my passion for creativity and adventure, I began to see UC as the best
candidate. With the Kolodzik Business Scholars program I had been accepted into, I could use
the flexible course schedule to create a unique degree and college experience. With the
University Honors Program, I could have numerous opportunities in front of me. The emphasis
on reflection and growth as a person in UHP appealed to my sense of adventure, as I knew I
would learn new things and have new opportunities very often. The values I held showed me that
UC was the best school for me, and I am so glad I evaluated them to find that out.
Currently, I am in the middle of using my values to help determine my major. I know that
I am interested in business, but my values in creativity and curiosity lead me to want a more
unique education. To satisfy those values, I am exploring double majoring in Music at the
College-Conservatory of Music. With that degree, I could use the flexible curriculum to include
my business classes and get a well rounded liberal arts education. My love of adventure is
evident with this case because I have never considered double-majoring before and so this is
uncharted territory for me. Im a little nervous to see if my plans will work out, but I know that if
I remember to fall back on my values I will always be pointed in the right direction!