Proudly toting a first-place trophy after a grueling weekend competing in the 2019 New Jersey Speech and Debate State Championships, I excitedly reviewed my ballots on the bus home. I quickly realized how close I had been to a very different outcome: in every elimination round, two judges had voted for me—and one against. In debate as I know it, the contestants deploy language as a weapon—we strategically leverage word choice, delivery, and tone to perfect and deliver a persuasive argument. Yet we can’t control the judges’ inner experience, nor account for the influence of demographics and background: in each elimination round, one judge drew a different conclusion from the other two, despite having witnessed the same performance. What if some judges were predisposed to hear my argument sympathetically? Compelled by these questions, I set out to learn more about subjectivity and explore the intricacies that open language to multiple interpretations. During an internship in computational modeling at Stony Brook University, I noticed how variances in interpretation—stemming from the varying environments in which listeners have learned the language—make it hard, but not impossible, to represent speech objectively. Intrigued by this new quantitative framework, I thought bringing on some more serious computational firepower might help. So I sought out a research position with the Spoken Language Processing Group at Columbia University. Working to algorithmically identify and classify misinformation on Twitter, I witnessed both the influence of word choice on internet activity and the prevalence of differences in user comprehension based on background. However, I also learned about the possibility of harnessing artificial intelligence to sort objectively true statements from those suspect or false: massive data sets, initially annotated by humans, allowed my research team to train classification algorithms to process divergent viewpoints and arrive at balanced conclusions. Meanwhile, I began to expand my coding portfolio and attempted to combine the manipulation of language with social good. In my first official coding competition, ProjectCSGirls, I prototyped an earring that would help protect women in dangerous situations by enabling them to send preconfigured texts with the press of a button. I ended the competition with a National Win—but my fascination with computational linguistics (inspired by this experiment with text capture) had just begun. Intrigued by my APIs’ ability to manipulate textual information, I used the earring application’s text-to-speech technology to develop an interface that allows users to contact law enforcement via text message. When a user types in a message, the application dials the police, verbally delivers the message, and provides the user’s location. After this project won the Congressional App Challenge, I presented it at the Congressional Gallery in Washington, D.C., while engaging with congresspeople and technology proponents from across the country. It was while exploring how natural language processing can create bridges between diverse citizens at Brown University when I was alerted to the issue of Indigenous linguicide. I learned about its drastic nature, with a language being lost every two weeks. However, I also learned about the use of computational language modeling to preserve the thousands of years of history and culture embedded in endangered tribal tongues. In response, I drew on massive databases of words and phrases in these languages to create an application that allows young children to photograph objects and study the corresponding Indigenous terms, thus keeping their heritage alive. My STEM experience has entailed more than code and algorithms. Instead, it has been about the potential of impacting people and wielding such code and algorithms to make a significant improvement in their lives. My passion for STEM is built upon this journey I have undertaken in the technology field, through supporting Indigenous communities, mapping diversity, and helping women. There is so much more left to explore, whether expanding on my current and previous projects or diving into a new project altogether. This is why I am looking forward to harnessing my STEM background in any future career, knowing I will be carrying the capacity to positively create and influence and being able to relate with the vastly different communities I have previously worked with through my projects. I recognize that success will entail working with and for a wide variety of people and my STEM studies have allowed me to gain a deep understanding of how to connect with others. With the help of the Prime Mailboxes Women in STEM Scholarship, I will harness the endless power of technology in my future careers as I strive to make a tangible impact on all people.