Hobbies and interests
Botany
Badminton
Art
Board Games And Puzzles
Gaming
Teaching
Biology
Drawing And Illustration
Ceramics And Pottery
Anime
Birdwatching
Coffee
Ecology
Reading
Action
Science
Fantasy
I read books multiple times per month
David Soriano
1,825
Bold PointsDavid Soriano
1,825
Bold PointsBio
Hello Everyone! I am David (DJ) Soriano. I was born and raised in East Side San Jose. Until this year (2024) I was a middle school science teacher. My dream has always been to become a science educator and pass on science practices to my community. My community is low-income and predominantly Hispanic and Latine. There are not many representations of Latine people in STEM, and my overall goal is to serve as this for my students. Though I am not a teacher right now, I fully believe that after I get PhD in Biology I will go back to my community and teach them everything I learned while practicing science.
Currently, I am fascinated by soil ecology, microbial response to wildfire severity, and microbial feedback loops with native and non-native plants in wildfire-affected areas.
Education
Northern Arizona University
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)Majors:
- Biological and Physical Sciences
San Jose State University
Master's degree programMajors:
- Education, General
San Jose State University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Biological and Physical Sciences
Mount Pleasant High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Botany/Plant Biology
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
Career
Dream career field:
Higher Education
Dream career goals:
To become a science educator and inspire future scientists.
Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant
Northern Arizona University2024 – Present1 yearMath and Science Teacher
Alpha Public Schools2019 – 20201 yearScience Teacher
Flagstaff Unified School District2023 – 20241 yearScience Teacher
San Jose Unified School District2021 – 20232 yearsScience Teacher
East Side Union High School District2020 – 20211 year
Sports
Badminton
Varsity2010 – Present15 years
Research
Botany/Plant Biology
San Jose State University — Principal Investigator2018 – 2020Botany/Plant Biology
San Jose State University — Associate2018 – 2019Education, General
San Jose State University — Research Assistant2020 – 2022
Arts
Coco-op
Ceramics2020 – Present
Public services
Volunteering
Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy — Co-Instructor2016 – 2018Volunteering
Eastside Union School District — Associate2019 – 2020Volunteering
San Jose Unified School District — Lead Volunteer2021 – 2023Volunteering
Peers In Pride — Mentor and Mentor of Mentors (MOM)2015 – 2022
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Powering The Future - Whiddon Memorial Scholarship
East Side San Jose is a place that is known for its gang affiliations. This is the place that raised me. I was told by some educators that I would not make it and that I would end up selling drugs on the sidewalk. The constant screeches of tires on asphalt and gunshots plague my memories. This reality, my reality, made me realize that the only way to make it out of here is to pursue an education and go to college. However, something changed. The thought of leaving San Jose made me sad, I wanted to stay and make my community better. This is where my dream of becoming a science educator for my community was born.
After graduating high school, and surviving in my community, I set forth on my goal to become a science educator. My passion for wanting to educate and lift up my community goes hand in hand with my interest in science. As I went through my college courses, I kept thinking about how I would transfer this knowledge to my own students. I remember I was in my ecology class and we went outside to gather hard data. While I was outside, a thought struck me. I could easily implement this lab, this outdoor experience, in my own classroom. I remember being a high school student and hearing my peers discuss "When will we ever use this in life? How does this apply to me?" If I could take this lab and bring it to my community, I could show them how science is in everyday life and how what we are learning can be applied to real life. This thought of going back to be with my community and lifting them up with scientific knowledge is what drives me to pursue STEM.
I have always enjoyed science. The idea of forming my own hypotheses and testing them is what spoke to me. Going through my science education, I began to gravitate towards ecology and botany. The thought of going to a site and diagnosing what happened, when it happened, and how it happened, always enthralled me. The knowledge of native plants and how they interact with the ecosystems they are a part of further intrigued me. However, the thought that would overcome this thirst for scientific knowledge was always "How can I teach this? Where could I fit this in a K-12 curriculum to make my students engaged?"
Going through college and continuing to do so in my Ph.D. is preparing me to be the science educator that my community deserves. I have paid my way through my undergraduate degree by working three different jobs. For my master's degree, I took out a loan and am still making payments. As I am starting my Ph.D. in biology, I am still making these payments and have taken a pay cut from the teaching job I already had. I could've stayed as a teacher, but I want to go back to school. I want to know more science for my students so that I can be the science teacher that they deserve. The money from this scholarship will help me to pay off student loans and will also be used to help me in gathering supplies for school. The peace of mind that this scholarship will give me will allow me to fully focus on my classes and research so that I can return to my classroom and be the hero my students need. This Ph.D. is something I want, but in reality, it is all for my past and future students.
Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
I couldn't breathe, I wanted it to stop. My mind was racing. I could not eat, sleep, or drink. I felt alone, even though I was on the phone with my mother. I was crying uncontrollably and I would be lying if I said the thought of suicide did not cross my mind. I needed help. This was the anxiety attack that made me realize something was wrong. I booked an appointment with a psychiatrist and therapist that day. It was here that I learned I had been neglecting my mental health and it was affecting me negatively. I learned that I needed to do the work to better my mental health. I am a lot better now, I do have my bad days but the better ones always outweigh the bad.
From going to therapy and working on my mental health I realized that my goals in life had changed. Since I was in high school, I always dreamt of being a high school science teacher. I met this goal a few years ago but noticed that my job was deteriorating my health. My therapist suggested I make lists of what I like about my job and a list of what I could do if I left teaching. I made the list and discovered that I miss doing science. I miss conducting field research and being outside. It was then that my goal of going back to school to get a PhD in biology was born. The idea of contributing to the academic community excited me. I did mourn the loss of my teaching career, but just because I am getting a PhD does not mean that I cannot go back and teach at the K-12 level. In a sense, the opportunities are endless to me and It brings me great comfort to know this. Going for a new goal is stressful, but I have learned that it is all part of life and many people go back to school because of a change in dreams.
My anxiety attack and work with my therapist, also made me realize that my relationships were also suffering. I was hard on myself up until this point. I moved to Flagstaff, Arizona in July of 2023. Since the move I had been beating myself up, I felt like I betrayed my family and my students by moving. I lived in California my whole life and wanted to become a teacher to give back to my community. The move was not part of the plan and this move changed my relationships, or at least how I saw them. I felt like I was doing a bad thing by moving. I felt like I was a terrible son, grandson, teacher, and partner. Even though I moved to Arizona to be with my partner, there were situations where I felt like I was a bad boyfriend. I would cry often because I missed home and because I felt inadequate for my partner despite his reassurances. When I started seeing my therapist she opened my eyes.
From therapy, I learned that relationships change over time and that is life. The guilt I feel about moving is normal, but I should welcome the change and see it as a new experience. I also learned that I felt inadequate for my partner because I was saying so. I felt that I did not deserve him and that he would be better off without me. My therapist said whenever I have these thoughts I need to stop, breathe, and ask myself "Are these thoughts true, if not why are they there? If they are, then what makes them true." By doing this I was able to see that my partner loved me and that we deserve each other. I was able to apply this to my other relationships and I felt a sense of relief, like I deserve everything I have. Though I still miss my family, I know I am a good son, grandson, teacher, and partner. It also allowed me to see that I over-extend myself to make others happy and that I should not have to do that. I should prioritize myself and my needs before I take on someone else's. From this experience, I was able to see how I fit in this world.
After I decided to leave teaching I felt great sadness. I felt like I was betraying who I was like I was turning my back on my dreams and those who helped me get this far. I flip-flopped between leaving and staying and realized that I was only thinking of staying as a teacher because of guilt. It opened my eyes to the fact that a lot of decisions I made were made out of guilt and it was then that I told myself I would never make decisions out of guilt. This decision made me see that people in the world who do this do not live happy lives and that decisions made for one's happiness are what leads to people feeling like they belong in this world.
My anxiety disorder is something that I was ashamed of, however, accepting my anxiety and getting help to deal with it not only made me happier, but it also saved my life. It allowed me to reflect on myself and realize that I catastrophize situations and it often leads to my spiral, however just taking a step back and asking myself "Why this thought is here?" gives me the chance to truly identify why I am upset and that everything will be ok. I know I will never be without anxiety, but I have learned to live with it and accept it. Thanks to my anxiety, I was able to grow in my goals, relationships, and how I see the world.
Anime Enthusiast Scholarship
I can still hear the piano intro. Every time I hear it, it brings me great joy and tugs at my heartstrings. If you were to ask me what my favorite anime was before 2016, I would have said "Naruto", but something about "Yuri On Ice" captivated me.
During this time I was going through a lot. I had just come out to my parents as gay the previous year, I was in my first serious relationship, and I was battling body image issues coupled with an eating disorder. In the first two episodes of "Yuri on Ice," I felt seen. The episodes alluded to eating disorders and stretch marks. It seems silly, but that was me. I remember I paused the episode after hearing this and I pulled up my shirt, looked in the mirror, and saw my stretch marks from dramatic weight loss caused by restrictive and very little eating. It really made me see that I had a problem and I needed help. I needed to learn to love myself as Yuri did. "Yuri On Ice" did not just show me how I needed to grow, but it also served as a representation of LGBTQ+ love.
The story talked of love from every characters perspective's, but the one I resonated with was that of Yuri Katsuki. He, like me, had never really experienced love. The series evolved and showed the development of the love story between Yuri and Viktor. This love story mirrored my own relationship and it made me so happy. I was happy to see a representation of love in the LGTBQ+ community that was not tagged as something sexual, but rather a real-life depiction of queer love in an anime. The love story made me cry, laugh, and smile. This series means a lot to me, not just because of the love or the focus on eating disorders, but also because it made me see that I can achieve anything and make my own history.
The goal of Yuri Katsuki was to make it to the Grand Prix finals and win the gold medal with Viktor by his side. However, Yuri was met early on with difficulties. He had low self-esteem and though he was a gifted ice skater, he lost his first attempt at the Grand Prix final early in episode 1 because he psyched himself out and caused his own failure. His beginnings mirrored my early college experience. I struggled and had a lot to make up for, but I did it. Just as Yuri worked hard to make it to the finals, I worked hard to graduate college. He did not win in the end, but he won something more valuable and that was friendship and love. Just like how I graduated with no honors but carried with me friends and love.
"Yuri On Ice" is a series I can watch over and over. It highlights themes of self-love, love, and adversity. It made me see that love was possible and that we should not be afraid to love who we do. Whenever I feel down or just out of luck, I listen to the opening of Yuri on Ice and in that moment I feel that I can do anything. Just like Yuri Katsuki, I am a "History Maker". I, like others, was born to make history.