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HONORS SELF- DESIGNED PROPOSAL

Complete this proposal prior to your experiences start date and upload it in the UHP Database
(https://webapps.uc.edu/uchonorsstudent). Create an experience (Add a new record) in the Tracking Project
tab and upload your proposal document as an attachment. The deadline for submitting proposals is the 5th of
each month (excluding July).
Proposals are intended to be well developed plans for your experience. However, experiences are exploratory in
nature, and we are flexible with changes throughout the experience. If your experience changes after receiving
approval on your proposal, contact your honors advisor to verify the changes still satisfy the requirements of an
honors experience.

Basic Information
Full Name: Kyle Joseph Schuchter
Title of Project: International Service Learning Pharmacy Team
Thematic Area(s): Global Studies, Community Engagement, and Leadership
Expected Start Date: May 15th, 2016
Expected End Date: May 21st, 2016

GUIDELINES
1. Proposal submission timeline: Proposals should be submitted at least one month prior to the expected
start date of the experience. International experiences require at least two months notice. Contact your
honors advisor immediately for any exceptions.
2. Proposal length: While the quality of the proposal is most important, strong proposals are typically 3-4
pages single-spaced.
3. Proposal format: Please maintain the proposal format (e.g. headers, layout)
4. Time commitment: Experiences should consist of at least 75-90 hours of preparation, execution, and
reflection. This is approximately equivalent to the commitment of honors seminars and pre-approved
experiences.

REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

All self-designed international travel experiences require two months notice and must be at least one week in
length. You will need to provide a detailed itinerary (dates, locations and activities). If participating in
independent travel (not with UC faculty, staff or student group), you must also fill out a Worldwide: Honors
Experience application via UC International.
Additionally, the Student Travel Policy restricts UC-sponsored travel to countries under a U.S. Department of
State Travel Warning. Those who wish to visit a country with a travel warning must seek an exemption through
UC International. Students traveling without a faculty or staff leader must individually request an exemption.
We cannot allow you to count this travel as an honors experience nor can we give you a grant without an
approved exemption.

1. Abstract
Briefly describe the experience. What makes this experience personally meaningful? What goals do you have for this
experience? What is your timeline for this experience?
*If you are proposing an international experience, provide an itinerary.
**If you are developing this experience from an existing opportunity (class with a study tour, campus organization, co-op,
etc.) that is not already an honors seminar or pre-approved experience, how will you differentiate your experience from
what is already required of other students?
For my entire lifetime I have been confined to the United States and have not been able to explore different countries to
learn about other cultures and ways of thinking. This specific experience through the International Service Learning
Organization has a strong focus on community engagement. Coming to college, I knew something I really wanted to do
was to travel abroad. I knew that transitioning to the University of Cincinnati and being involved with the University
Honors Program would allow me to fulfill my desire of traveling. This specific program combines a variety of different
things that are meaningful to me: leadership, community engagement, and traveling. This program has a strong emphasis
in the healthcare field, specifically pharmacy. As a pre-pharmacy major, I feel that this experience would be extremely
valuable and would assist me tremendously as I prepare for a career in this field. Being able to have first hand experience
before beginning pharmacy school will be extremely helpful and will aid me moving forward. The pharmacy teams in this
trip provide a gamut of general medicine and public health services in developing countries. Essentially, patient needs will
be assessed, conditions will be treated, and medications will be prescribed. This experience would allow me to personally
witness doctors and pharmacists in action in an environment I am unaccustomed to. Thus, this community engagement
aspect of this trip is especially meaningful to me. In addition, simply having the opportunity to travel is meaningful to me
because I have a strong desire to experience cultures different from my own. Specifically traveling to Mexico is
meaningful because it will allow me to use the skills I have learned in the four years I took Spanish in high school. One
goal of mine for this trip is to become better acquainted with a different culture. There are a variety of things that differ
from one culture to another culture and one of my goals is to be more informed of different cultures. Another goal of mine
would be to explore several of the different geographical features in Mexico and learn more about the history of some of
these geographical sites. In addition, another goal of mine will be to learn more about my specific career field and gain
firsthand experience working with pharmacists and doctors. Finally, my last goal would be to improve upon my preexisting Spanish skills by immersing myself into an environment in which Spanish is the primary language spoken.
Although a specific itinerary for this trip is not currently available, several different geographical sites will be visited
during the trip such as beaches, rainforests, volcanoes, caves, ruins, city centers, and coffee plantations. In addition,
recreational activities such as zip lining and snorkeling will also be available. The first day of the trip will be spent with
orientation and intensive training seminars in regards to taking vitals, basic triage, medical Spanish, and pharmacology.
After, most time will be spent in the community surveying and assisting in field clinics during the day and participating in
evening seminars on the procurement, processing, and applications of natural medicines as well as prevention and
treatment of diseases common to the area. Overall, I truly feel this will be a unique opportunity for me since its likely
many UC students do not know about this opportunity. I hope to share my experience from this trip and inform other
individuals about this experience.
Expected Timeline:
May 14th, 2016- Depart CVG Airport at 3:05 P.M. and arrive at IAH Airport in Houston at 5:08 P.M. Fly from
IAH Airport to PHX Airport in Phoenix and arrive at 6:41 P.M. Stay in Hilton Garden Hotel for one night.
May 15th, 2016- Depart Phoenix Airport and arrive in Baja California Mexico around 12:00 P.M. Begin
orientation and intensive training seminars.
May 16th, 2016- Assist in field clinics during the day and participate in evening seminars.
May 17th, 2016- Assist in field clinics during the day and participate in evening seminars. Participate in various
recreational activities as well as eat dinner out at a local restaurant.
May 18th, 2016- Assist in field clinics during the day and participate in evening seminars. Participate in various
recreational activities as well as eat dinner out at a local restaurant.
May 19th, 2016- Assist in field clinics during the day and participate in evening seminars. Participate in various
recreational activities as well as eat dinner out at a local restaurant.
May 20th, 2016- Assist in field clinics during the day and participate in evening seminars. Participate in various
recreational activities as well as eat dinner out at a local restaurant.

May 21st, 2016- Fly from Baja California, Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona and arrive around 12:00 P.M. Depart from
PHX Airport at 3:05, arrive at Houston Airport (IAH) at 5:08 P.M., and finally arrive at CVG Airport at 6:41 P.M.

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

Brief description of the experience

Personal connection to the experience
Identified goals for the experience
Timeline from start to finish
*Itinerary (international experiences only)
**Explanation of differentiated experience
from what is required of other students

2. Experience Advisor
Identify an experience advisor and provide their contact information. Explain why you chose this person and how you
plan to utilize your advisor for this experience.
Note: Advisor(s) should have knowledge or expertise in an area related to the experience. Honors advisors, undergraduate
students, and family members cannot be experience advisors.
For this self-designed experience, my experience advisor will be Professor Angelica Hardee. For me, my decision of who
to select as my experience advisor was a pretty simple task. I am currently enrolled in a Global Health 101 class this
semester. Throughout the span of this course, we have discussed a variety of different topics such as the burden of disease
in several different countries, prevention of disease, different millennium development goals currently enacted, as well as
many other topics. Angelica Hardee has traveled to a variety of different countries to do community service as well as to
simply become more well rounded as a global health educator. Doing so, I feel Angelica Hardee would be an excellent
experience advisor. Not only will Angelica be able to assist me before my traveling by informing me of what I can expect
upon arrival in Mexico, but she will also be able to give me many different tips for me as I pursue my first experience
outside of the United States. Not only will Angelica be able to assist me as I travel outside of the United States for the first
time, but she will also be able to inform of different diseases and living conditions that are present in the country I will be
visiting. To utilize my experience advisor, I will use most of the knowledge gained through this introductory global health
class taught by Angelica Hardee. In addition, I will frequently meet with Angelica several times in the months before I
depart for my trip in order to discuss things I should do to prepare myself for leaving the United States as well as
everything I will likely experience on the trip. Overall, I feel Angelica will be an excellent experience advisor who will be
able to assist my tremendously as I prepare for my trip to serve those in Mexico.

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Experience advisor name and contact

information
Description of why advisor was selected
Specific plans to engage with advisor

3. Connection to Learning Outcomes

Effective:

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List 3 learning outcomes from any thematic area(s). Provide specific activities you plan to engage in to help you make
progress towards the chosen learning outcomes. Describe how you expect each activity to help your progress. Include an
estimated time commitment for those activities.
From the provided learning outcomes associated with each of the five thematic areas developed by the University Honors
Program, those that will be directly associated with my self-designed experience are as follows:

Motivate and collaborate effectively with others towards completion of shared projects or goals.
Synthesize the current trends related to a specific issue or field and evaluate how thought-leaders are currently
addressing them.
Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity by acknowledging the impact of their own identity and the
experience of social norms, customs, or beliefs that are different from their own.

In regards to the first learning outcome associated with collaborating with other toward completion of share goals and/or
projects, collaboration is a huge aspect of this trip I am looking forward. The realm of collaboration during this trip will be
working closely with doctors and pharmacists in order to ensure those in this particular developing community are
receiving the proper care and treatment they need. Its important to effectively collaborate with these professionals on this
trip and I will do just this. In addition, I will be working closely with those individuals living in this developing
community in order to provide them with the necessary treatment they may need. Thus, the activities of collaborating with
other doctors and pharmacists will allow me to make progress toward this learning outcome. This activity focusing on
collaboration will be done each day of this trip.
In regards to the second learning outcome listed associated with synthesizing current trends related to a specific issue, I
feel that this experience will really provide me with firsthand experience to some of the issues that affect many developing
countries around the world. Being confined to the United States has shielded me from seeing many trends affecting
countries and although one can be aware of these trends through the media, actually experiencing these trends allows one
to better understand them. During this trip, I will have the opportunity to see how the lack of access to proper medications
and healthcare treatment affects individuals. Although access to healthcare in my city is as simple as walking down the
street to one of the many surrounding hospitals, many developing countries lack these establishments and have a difficult
time having access to proper treatment. In addition, another aspect of this learning outcome is to evaluate how leaders are
currently addressing these issues. During my trip, I will be able to assess how a variety of healthcare leaders are
addressing these healthcare issues and how they will continue to do so in the future in order to ensure access to proper
treatment for all individuals. These two activities will be something I plan on doing throughout the course of this entire
trip. In addition, I plan on reflecting after my trip in regards to the global issues I encountered and how I feel society has
made progress in correcting these global issues.
Finally, the last learning outcome that will be directly associated with this experience relates to understanding cultural
diversity and acknowledging customs and traditions that are different from my own. I feel that simply being exposed to
the culture in Baja California for a week will allow me to fulfill this learning outcome due to the fact that although the
majority of the time of this trip will be spent assisting those in the community, some time will be available to explore the
area, perform different activities unique to the area, and try cuisine and local food items from the area. I feel that these
activities will allow me to better understand the cultural diversity of the area and will emphasize the differences between
the cultures I am accustomed to versus the culture I will experience here. Thus, the time commitment for these activities
will depend upon all of the unique opportunities available to me upon arrival.

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:
3 learning outcomes explicitly identified
from any thematic area(s)

Required Revisions:

Effective:

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Examples of activities and explanation of
how each will assist the progress towards
the chosen learning outcome
Estimated time commitment for each
activity

4. Academic Resources Connected to the Learning Outcomes

List 1-2 academic resources you plan to use to enhance your understanding of the learning outcomes. Explain how each
resource connects to your learning outcome(s) and helps you execute your experience. Please include the title and
author/creator for each resource.
Note: Academic resources are professional works that can be used to assist your understanding of the topic. Some
examples are books, documentaries, videos, or research journals.
In order to enhance my understanding of my selected learning outcomes, I will use employ the following two books:

The Rough Guide to Baja California by Jason Clampet

o This book by Jason Clampet will be extremely helpful to me as I execute this experience due to the fact that
this book includes valuable information about Baja California, Mexico, which is the country my experience
will take place. This book includes general information about the region as well as a detailed list of all of the
different opportunities that exist here. In addition, it includes recommendations about different activities to do
as well as about different places to eat. This book will enhance my understanding of the learning outcomes,
specifically the third one listed above due to the fact that it will better allow me to understand the area
culturally and will allow me to be better exposed to the cultural diversity of the area. I truly wish to
experience things I am unaccustomed to and I feel this book will highlight many of the unique things this area
has to offer, exposing me to greater diversity and making my time during this trip as meaningful as possible.

An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Communication and Culture (Third Edition) by Robert O
Chase and Clarisa B. Medina de Chase
o The second book that I will be using to understand the learning outcomes I selected as well as to execute my
experience focuses on the Spanish language. This specific book is appropriate for health care workers and I
feel that it will allow me to learn a variety of things that will be useful on this trip. This resource specifically
relates to the first learning outcome listed above that discusses collaboration with others. Upon arriving in this
country, there will be a language barrier that may impede my ability to interact, communicate, and collaborate
with those in this country. Although I have taken four years of Spanish in high school, I will have taken a twoyear break from this and it will be difficult to appropriately use this knowledge. Also, of the Spanish I have
learned, only a small amount has focused on healthcare vocabulary that would be useful for this experience.
Thus, this book will allow me to learn many useful phrases and vocabulary so that I will be able to effectively
collaborate with doctors, pharmacists, students, and community members during this experience.

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:
1-2 academic resources connected to the
learning outcomes
Title and author of each resource
Description of how resources will help
make progress towards learning outcomes
and execution of experience

5. On-going Reflection

Required Revisions:

Effective:

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The on-going reflection should help you process the experience and progress toward your chosen learning outcomes.
Describe your method for reflecting throughout the experience. Indicate specific reflection questions/topics you plan to
use to guide your reflective process.
Note: A variety of methods can be used for on-going reflection. Some examples are videos, drawings, blogs, songs, and
journals. Reflection topics to consider include your ideas/insights about the experience, connection to other areas of
involvement, and your progress towards the learning outcomes.
Throughout my trip, I plan on keeping a journal with me at all times in order to write down my different thoughts
throughout the day. Although its likely I will be very busy during the day for the span of this trip, there will be plenty of
times for me to write down my different feelings as well as things I have learned during my trip. I feel that writing down
everything and anything important to me as it happens will not only prevent my from forgetting it at a later time, but will
also allow my to remember this trip for many years, even after it is over. Although my journal will be relatively
unstructured and open to different ideas I may have, some important questions I plan on answering throughout the trip are
as follows:

What things shocked you about the area you were in for this trip? Was there anything you were not expecting at
all, or is what you have experienced what you thought you would experience on this trip?
What were some challenges you faced during this trip? How did you persevere and overcome these challenges?
What diversity did you encounter on the trip?
What was your favorite part of the day? Why?
How did it feel to help those in this community?
What was your favorite part of the day and why?
How did you effectively communicate with those around you?
What were some of the most exciting things that happened on the trip?
How did you grow as an individual during the span of this trip?
How has this first travel experience outside of the United States shape your feelings about travel in general? Do
you plan on doing similar trips in the future?
What types of relationships did you establish with those around you?
What surprised you of the culture you encountered?

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

Method for ongoing reflection

Reflection questions/topics clearly
specified

6. Sharing Your Learning

Describe how you plan to actively share what youve taken away from this experience with a targeted audience. Explain
why you chose this specific audience.
Note: While social media can be an effective platform for sharing, only posting on your personal learning portfolio or
social media account(s) does not reach a targeted audience.
Upon completion of my trip, there are a variety of things I wish to do in order to share my experience on this trip and what
I have taken away from traveling to Mexico with this program. First, I wish to share my experience with other PrePharmacy students at the University of Cincinnati. As a member of the Pre-Pharmacy Student Society (PPSS), I will likely
request to speak to my peers involved with PPSS at one of the meetings that take place on Monday evenings. I feel that
sharing my experience on this trip will be an eye-opener for other students in the same career path as myself and will
allow these peers an opportunity to gain experience in an unparalleled way they may not even know exists.

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In addition, I plan on sharing my learning with this experience to those involved in the Darwin T. Turner program. As a
Turner Scholar myself, I will request to speak to active Turner Scholars about my experience on this trip, mostly
discussing the diversity I was exposed to on my trip. I will essentially discuss how important it is to travel to a different
country and gain a better sense of appreciation for different cultures, a central theme of the Darwin T. Turner program.
Overall, my targeted audience will consist of other UC students. I really want to share my experience with other UC
students, especially those in my same career path and those who are involved in the Darwin T. Turner program. Informing
other pre-pharmacy students about this wonderful experience is something important to me and I hope other students will
take the opportunity to pursue this experience in order to gain experience in their desired career path. In addition, my
targeted audience consists of those involved in the Darwin T. Turner program due to the fact that I will be exposed to a
great amount of diversity on my trip and I would enjoy sharing this diversity with students involved in the Darwin T.
Turner program.

Advisor Feedback
Must Include:

Required Revisions:

Effective:

At least one method to actively share takeaways/learning from the experience

A specific audience and why the audience
was selected

7. Budget (if applicable)

Provide an itemized budget and indicate your source for cost information.
*If you are engaged in an unpaid internship or research, please indicate the number of weeks and hours per week you
plan to participate.
This self-designed experience will last approximately one week, from May 15 th, 2016 to May 21st, 2016. For this
experience, the budget is as follows:
A plane ticket from CVG in Cincinnati, OH to Phoenix, AZ through Travelocity that will cost approximately
$545.20; this trip will depart at 6:30 a.m. and will make one stop at Houston, TX and will arrive in Phoenix at
approximately 10:11 a.m.
o Source: https://www.travelocity.com/Cheap-Flights-To-Phoenix.d178298.Travel-Guide-Flights
The cost associated with this specific trip, which will cost $1,195
o Source: https://www.islonline.org/teams/baja515ph/
The cost associated with a hotel for one night in Phoenix, AZ the night before departure for the trip, which will
cost $94
o Source: https://secure3.hilton.com/en_US/gi/reservation/book.htm?execution=e1s1
Total Estimated Budget: $1,834.20
Note: this self-designed experience is not an unpaid internship or research

Advisor Feedback
Notes:
Detailed budget of expenditures with
sources to justify budget estimates
*Indicates the number of hours per week
and number of weeks of participation

Required Revisions:

Effective:

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THEMATIC AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning Outcomes for the Community Engagement Thematic Area:
By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Identify and differentiate multiple ways to contribute towards the development or

achievement of the communitys goals.
Develop a thorough understanding of the worldview, beliefs, experiences, selfconsciousness, or history of community members through collaboration.
Articulate the purpose of service on a social issue or public policy and how service
mutually enhances individual growth and the common good.
Explain how education, advocacy, mobilization, or public policy can influence social
issues and transform communities.

Learning Outcomes for the Creativity Thematic Area:

By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Discover new techniques to gain knowledge, consider options, make new connections,
and ask questions.
Explore a new creative competency/medium or seek new ways to engage an existing
competency/medium.
Understand and optimize the use of people, technology, physical resources or community
in a creative process.
Articulate the broader significance of a creative project and the value of its contributions.

Learning Outcomes for the Global Studies Thematic Area:

By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Develop practical travel skills that promote safe, stimulating, and productive travel
throughout your life.
Summarize the interconnectedness of geography, history, cultural traits and world issues.
Articulate the interdependence of professional fields to address current and impending
global issues such as technology, the environment, human rights, or politics.
Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity by acknowledging the impact of their
own identity and the experience of social norms, customs, or beliefs that are different
from their own.
Demonstrate a sense of empathy, respect, and appreciation for others to build meaningful
cross-cultural collaborations toward mutual growth and prosperity.

Learning Outcomes for the Leadership Thematic Area:

By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Formulate and manage a shared vision and develop goals towards its achievement.
Motivate and collaborate effectively with others towards completion of shared projects or
goals.
Develop strategies to identify and respond to challenges and obstacles.
Identify personal strengths and areas of growth and evaluate opportunities to maximize
skills and abilities.
Synthesize the current trends related to a specific issue or field and evaluate how
thought-leaders are currently addressing them.

Learning Outcomes for the Research Thematic Area:

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By engaging in this thematic area, you will make progress towards learning how to

Demonstrate the ability to locate, interpret, and critically evaluate primary sources
appropriate to field.
Identify and apply appropriate methods to collect and organize data for analysis.
Analyze and interpret the meaning of results.
Produce dissemination appropriate to the field in order to share the results or impact
of the research.
Articulate the broader significance of the research project and its relationship to other
fields, research and ideas.