Joining the STEM field has been an interest to me since I was very young. The reason for this is the immense feeling of confidence and my desire to learn when I am involved in astrophysics and mathematics. Growing up, I was taught that your career should be something you are truly passionate about. It should be something that pushes you to pursue deeper ways of thinking. Your passion should create a flame within you that continues to grow as you continue to learn. For myself, the idea of joining a STEM field has pushed me to take more difficult classes in preparation for my future career. As a result, I have also grown as an individual. There are many obstacles set in place in any STEM field, but even larger ones for women. Although the career field is growing in numbers of females, there is still a large divide between the percentage of men and women who fill these roles. With this divide and the world’s historical past, there will likely be times when I feel that my own ideas are outweighed or not considered by those of my male colleagues. In preparing to enter this field the best piece of advice given to me, by a young female astrophysicist and student at Harvard, was that if you have checked your work and feel like you have the solution then you should never be scared to say it out loud. She reminded me that Astrophysics and mathematics will always have a right answer and the problems themselves do not care whether you are female or male when you solve them. Another challenge I expect to face within the STEM industry will be failure. As a “recovering perfectionist” as I like to call myself, I do not always welcome the idea of failure. However, in a field that’s goal is to push the boundaries of what others think capable, it needs to be a realistic expectation that failure can and will occur. Although, it will always be difficult to see hard work be deemed as a failed attempt, I think being involved in the STEM field has shown me that failures can be forms of learning. In many cases, I have found that I learn more from failed attempts then successful ones. It is this shift in perspective, and necessary innovation and determination that keep me motivated to pursue a career in the field of STEM. I know the road to obtaining a career in Astrophysics will not be easy. However, I believe that the growth and hard work I will experience will make me capable of taking on the hardest obstacles. As the STEM field changes my perspectives and outlooks, I also hope to change the common view of who can be involved within it. Just as I continue to be encouraged by other women with the same dream as me, I want to encourage others to pursue their passions as well.

For many years I never associated mathematics with being a male dominated field, but as I progressed throughout Junior High and High School, I watched the female presence in my classes dwindle. As a senior in High School, I was the only female in my Calculus class and the only one in my school to be taking a BC course. I have been blessed to feel respected by my math peers despite being the only female, but I know that is not always the case in the field. One reason I am excited to pursue mathematics is to narrow the gap between the number of males and females within the field. I love math because it is its own art form and has a way of communicating the world through equations. It not only explains how the world works, but also allows us to predict how objects will act in the future. Mathematics are everywhere, nature, living expenses, and even politics. Starting with nature, we use mathematics to calculate the distance and movement of planets as well the growth and distribution of plants and animals. Not to mention the way many patterns in nature tend to follow the Fibonacci sequence. Another reason I love mathematics is its applicability to everyone. Everyone has finances in which they use math to manage. Beyond the numbers in mathematics, I am also drawn to the principles it has taught me. For instance, mathematics has taught me to always look for the reasoning and process supporting a solution. When we blindly take an answer without analyzing the process someone used to obtain that answer, we risk overlooking simple errors that greatly change the outcome. This method has also taught me about life. Such as in politics and media, we should not just take information at face value, we should attempt to understand the method and reasoning in which the information was gathered from. In my own life, mathematics has pushed me to be the best version of myself. It has forced me to learn resilience, especially when finding integrals that seems impossible. It has also surrounded me with people that challenge me yet are always there to help when I need it. Math has given me a chance to challenge myself while also challenging the societal standards of STEM fields being dominantly male. As I start my college journey, I plan to double major in physics and mathematics. Eventually, I also plan to pursue a masters and PhD in Astrophysics. Math has given me a big community, and I am excited to continue my education within the field. I do not know the exact doors that mathematics will lead me to, but I do know that I want to be an encouraging reason for others to join the field. I hope that by pursuing a degree in this field, I am not only able to be another female in STEM, but also help others more easily associate math with the world around us.

I was always taught that the best way to introduce yourself was to look someone in the eye, shake their hand firmly (no floppy fish allowed), and tell them your name in warm fashion that shows you are excited to meet them. Since we cannot meet in person, please know that I am smiling while writing this, excited for the opportunity to share my career passions and influences with you! My name is Jansyn Pihl. I am a woman with drive, passion, and care. I desire to be constant learner and always find a way to challenge myself, especially within my academics. I like to call myself a recovering perfectionist because in my pursuit of learning I have a tendency of trying to obtain perfection. However, I am slowly realizing that there is also a lot to learn within mistakes and failure as well. My philosophy for a job has always been to do something that brings you joy. There is nothing worse than watching people dread the work they are doing. I promised myself that I would find what made me happy and make a job out of it, so when I found myself excited to open my math book in 4th grade, I knew my future would involve mathematics. From then on, my passions have grown to include physics, specifically astrophysics. I appreciate that the field of astrophysics allows you to spend your whole life learning. When you are finished researching one aspect of the universe, you can simply move your telescope an inch and have a completely new area to study. Another aspect that continues to draw me to the field is the ability to move within it. From capturing images of black holes and analyzing star cluster to sending people to space, you have a freedom to take your research where your mind is drawn. The path to a career in this field is not simple, so I have been reliant on my influential people and experiences to keep me determined. The biggest influential experience that has reassured me I was on the correct path was speaking with a mentor working at the Harvard Smithsonian Center. He had a way of asking my 8th grade self questions and encouraging me to answer, that made me feel like I was on top of the world. Despite my answers at the time being likely unimpressive, he still carried an excitement in every question he asked me. He ended the conversation with the simple phrase, “I can see the same spark in your eye that I had as a kid”. I still get giddy typing this phrase years later. This moment has played a huge influence on me continuing to work towards furthering my education. Not only did he show me the true joy of loving your job, but he also saw that same passion within me. As I prepare to double major in Physics and Mathematics at a STEM heavy university, I know the simple words “I see that same spark in your eye” will be the ones that keep me motivated to push through the hard days. Some of my future plans include of participating in a multitude of research projects throughout my undergraduate program and completing a masters and PhD in Astrophysics.

I would like to say I would be using the money to help aid in an astrophysics research opportunity that would change the way we think about science, but the truth is I would be using it for something equally as important, furthering my education. I would be using the $1,000 to help cover the cost of my tuition. I have always been a learner. In fact it is actually my top strength according to the Strengths Quest test I took in 9th grade. With that, I am excited to pursue a college career and absorb all the knowledge I can about my passions, physics and mathematics. However, the price of university tuition is not an easy pill to swallow. $1,000 would be helpful in starting me on my journey to becoming an astrophysicist by helping to pay for my tuition. This money would allow me to spend more hours in the lab doing research rather than rushing from school to work just to afford to be able to afford myself the opportunity to be educated in my field of interest. I know $64,000 is quite a bit greater than the $1,000 this scholarship provides, but small steps can make a big difference. This scholarship is a chance for myself and other young learners to fund their futures. Thank you for providing this opportunity!