Being a Woman in STEM I first began admiring Rosalind Franklin in my freshmen biomedical science class. We were learning about the structure of DNA at the time. We watched a documentary about how James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure. I learned how Franklin's research partner, Maurice Wilkins, gave her unpublished data on the DNA structure to Watson and Crick after getting into an argument over Wilkins's misogynistic attitude toward Franklin. I admire Franklin for standing up for herself to Wilkins when he doubts her intellectual ability. While Franklin standing up for herself may have indirectly led to her not receiving recognition for her work, it’s important to not normalize misogynistic views in STEM. Franklin was a strong woman who took pride in her work and her intellect. She refused to let a man make her feel invalidated due to his own insecurities. Ultimately, Watson and Crick went down in the history books as the people who discovered the DNA structure. Rosalind Franklin was not widely credited for her contribution to the discovery of the DNA structure and still struggles today to be recognized for her contributions. Rosalind Franklin did not let misogyny and lack of recognition stop her from continuing the work she loved. She continued to complete research on viruses and their structure. During this research, Franklin was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Despite many remissions, Franklin continued her research. Franklin ultimately died of cancer at 37. I admire Franklin’s resilience to continue researching what she was passionate about. She faced misogyny, lack of recognition for her contributions, and a deadly illness during her career. Rosalind Franklin was a pioneer in biochemistry for women and she overcame many obstacles to ultimately leave her mark on the world. I want to leave my mark on the world as a chemical engineer with an environmental and energy emphasis. As an engineer, I will design systems that filter and treat pollution in our air and water. I can advise industrial companies on how to make their manufacturing process and plants more efficient and environmentally friendly. I want to advise legislators on the best ways to reduce CO2 emissions. I will ensure companies are following government guidelines regarding pollution standards. With my higher education, I hope to reduce CO2 emissions because I know the ones that are the most affected by pollution are already the most vulnerable. For example, minorities from low-income backgrounds are five times more likely to suffer health issues from pollution due to their housing being usually closest to industrial factories. I will use my career and my privilege as someone with a college education to ultimately reduce the suffering of humanity by improving energy technology to be more environmentally friendly. I know like Rosalind Franklin, I will likely face discrimination based on my sex. I know that also like Franklin, I will stand up for myself and other women when I see misogynistic ideas pushed anywhere because I know my worth and other women’s worth in STEM.