When I graduated from high school in 2017, I went straight to university, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I had taken the three-year engineering course in my high school and thought engineering would be the career for me. As a high schooler, I was told I was going to do so well in engineering since I was not only a woman but also Hispanic. I had fallen for this idea that I should be representing my people and culture in a predominantly white male field like engineering. Unfortunately, I had some health problems that forced me to drop out of the university and take a year off from school to do some healing and thinking. When I went back to school at a community college, I decided to take things slower. It was there taking an intro biology class that I discovered my calling. I had decided I would pursue Biology instead of engineering. Two years later and I’m one semester away from transferring to a four-year college, happy with my chosen major. I had learned a valuable lesson about not getting too swept up in the commotion. Pursue a degree that I am passionate about rather than a degree people say I should choose because it is my ‘duty’. I also learned starting a community college is a lot better than heading straight to university. I wasn’t ready for it and community colleges allow for a student to take intro classes, experimenting with which major they are interested in without spending more money than they have to.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to wildlife. The problem I am focused on is how to rid of the current plastics that have polluted our land. I plan to study Biology and have a career in research. The specific research I would be interested in conducting would be to study Fungi. The solution to the plastics problem that I am most excited to work on would the Aspergillus tubingensis fungi. This fungus has recently been discovered to be capable of breaking down plastics. This discovery is fairly new, the fungus having only evolved this ability due to the presence of plastics in recent years. To begin with, little is known about the implications of this fungus. My research would begin with answer questions about its effects on the environment in large quantities and the effects on human health. This would help us to test out whether the fungus can be used in industrial waste facilities to help combat plastic pollution. I would also like to better understand the ways in which it breaks down the plastic. Could other organisms evolve the same ability? Maybe it will teach us about how we can better recycle and renew the chemicals. This would also be helpful to learn when assessing its effects on human health. There could be a release of gasses or other byproducts of the decomposition of plastic with the fungus that could have aversive effects on humans. As all things begin with a question, progress begins with research.

STEM is the basis of human knowledge. It is where curiosity begins and where research is conducted to answer questions. Without science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, humans would never have evolved into such a complex society of organisms. STEM is what has allows us to progress and to teach us how the world works. I am fascinated because of this reason. You can look at a pencil and wonder who has invented such a tool that allows one to write and erase errors. The knowledge that has been built upon layers has allowed me to exist in a modern world full of advanced technology all thanks to the people that were invested in STEM studies. I have looked at simple everyday objects and wondered how such a small thing could have been invented by one person. Rather than one person inventing one thing, it is the knowledge of previous generations that has allowed a person to create a product using built-upon knowledge. I wish to be a part of this complex system of knowledge; I want to help further human intelligence and knowledge regarding the world around us. My studies in STEM will teach me to be not only curious but to also be skeptical and practice humility as per the attitudes of scientific inquiry. This will allow me to conduct better research for everyday life. Whether it is looking at companies to invest in or assessing an employer's goal, I will be able to analyze various things in my life. The scientific inquiry can be applied to all areas of life, like making important decisions and inquiries in business. The scientific method can and is used in everyday life by everyone. Observing a situation, such as in a science conference, allows one to gather information on a situation and possible companies. Making a judgment or hypothesis based on previous knowledge attained about said attendees or companies will allow me to make predictions on the future of those individuals or groups. Then using my own experience involved in the companies or individuals and gathered intel from those that work closely with the people will give me a result. Analyzing the result will tell me if I can trust a certain company or if I may need to improve my own judgments. This basic observation, judgment, and analysis is a basic process for all life and allows us to make future decisions.