​​Name: Lauren Indira. Code name: Ada Fractal. Everyone in my former robotics club is given a code name at some point within their first year. At the end of a meeting after the competition season, my coach gave me the name ‘Ada Fractal’. ‘Ada’ in reference to Ada Lovelace (an English mathematician, also known as the first computer programmer), and ‘Fractal’, a topic that combined art, math, and technology. Pursuing robotics as an extracurricular activity was my formal introduction to programming. It was a practical setting for me to develop and apply my problem-solving and critical thinking skills, especially when preparing for the annual First Lego League competitions held in Boston. These skills stuck with me, and Information Technology quickly became one of my favorite (and best) subjects in school. I had no problem sitting down at the dining room table for hours planning and coding my first choose-your-own-adventure game in Pascal, the coding language we had to learn for class, or happily asking for extra website design assignments when we were working on HTML. Despite my immediate attraction to STEM, I didn’t really have anyone to look up to. I was one of three girls on my robotics team. Our core mentors were all male. I was the only Black student, and one of the only students interested in computer science in my graduating class. In the United States, women only account for 25% of computing professionals, with Black women making up less than 3% of that number. It would be safe to say that diversity is a bit lacking. If everyone was identical, had the same ideas and methods of execution, the world would be a boring homogenous blob. In our world, one where we have a diversity of race, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and so much more, the growth opportunities are limitless. Scientific innovation is never due to one brilliant mind, rather, it is due to the cumulative efforts of researchers from all over the world over the centuries. Diversity within the STEM community allows people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to come together, ideate, and innovate, creating solutions that may not have even been considered otherwise. The lack of diversity within STEM does not only hinder innovation, it often harms those who are part of the minority groups that are excluded. The first generation of airbags in automobiles was designed to accommodate for adult male bodies, resulting in avoidable deaths of women and children. Certain artificial intelligence systems have automated the same racial biases they were designed to eliminate. And these are only two examples. Just like my code name, I plan on seeking out a fractal education: a combination of art, mathematics, and technology. As a Computer Science major, with the possibility of a Graphic Design minor, I would be able to pursue a STEAM education, while continuing my work with The OnJustice Group in discussing and raising awareness about social issues, including the wage gap, racial discrimination in STEM, and gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Diverse representation in STEM fields means that the next generation will have more than just someone, but a wide range of people to look up to and be inspired by. Once I graduate, I’d like to create opportunities in STEM education for young girls, especially girls of color, because nobody should have to face barriers to being included. The next few years in university will prepare me for a future that isn’t yet defined, equipping me with the tools to inspire a new generation of Ada Fractals: one line of code at a time.

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” - Maya Angelou For all my life, my mother has always called me a trooper. I have always adjusted my approaches to suit the situation at hand, regardless of how unexpected it might have felt. Some changes were easy. Switching my go-to snack when I moved from Jamaica to Paris. Studying in the living room instead of my bedroom when my grandparents came to visit so that they could have a space of their own. Easy. Others weren’t so easy. Moving halfway across the world in the middle of a global pandemic. Going through with IB Math having lost months of progress due to online classes. And two weeks ago, my grandpa died while I was in the middle of my International Baccalaureate exams. Not so easy. That was when I realized something; the world doesn’t stop spinning no matter how much you might want it to. Although this seems like quite a cliche phrase, I think it only really begins to ring true when your life falls apart. However, whether or not the world seems to be falling apart, I’m a trooper through and through. I keep on moving forward, one step at a time. These changes have provided me with many opportunities to build my resilience, a skill I consider to be one of my best. Some changes are easy, and some are significantly harder, but every experience is one where knowledge can be gained. Regardless of the problems life throws my way, resilience provides me with the motivation to keep moving forward. Resilience is just one of the things that will help me to be successful in university, and eventually in my career.

In a hidden track on BTS’ Love Yourself: Her album, the chorus echoes the sentence “where there is hope, there are always trials”. Hope is a delicate thing, but one not necessarily understood without some sort of trial. I struggled when going through the International Baccalaureate curriculum while living halfway across the world from my friends and family during the pandemic. However, going through with the IB gave me the hope of a better future for myself and my loved ones. I struggled when my grandfather died two weeks ago, trying to keep on going while it seemed like everyone else in my life was moving on with business as usual. It was a trial, still is a trial. Every day I wake up thinking that it either can’t be real, or that my world is crumbling down around me. Regardless, the world doesn’t stop turning no matter how much you want it to, and I know my grandfather wouldn’t want me to stop now either. In life, you learn from every experience: your successes, your failures, and whatever may fall in between. This sentence reminds me that you can’t discount the trials you have to face. Your struggles are what give you context and help you to develop empathy. They build you up, give you resilience and courage to try again when you fail, and a sense of accomplishment when you eventually succeed. I’ve gone through a lot, and I’m sure that there is a lot ahead. I know I’ll be okay though, because although “where there is hope, there are always trials”, the reverse is also true. Where there are trials, there is always hope, and if you have hope, then anything is possible.

Five years ago, I heard Sea for the first time. It came as a bit of a surprise at what I thought was the end of the tracklist on BTS’ Love Yourself: Her album. Just like poetry, each listening period has provided me with a new and increasingly relevant message that I could apply to my life, inspiring me at each stage. Fourteen-year-old me didn’t think to translate the song, satisfied by the ebb and flow of the instrumentals juxtaposed by the powerful rapping and lilting vocals. The simple piano riff that echoes throughout the song was enough to inspire me to try playing the piano again, but that was the extent of my listening. Sixteen-year-old me wasn’t sure which direction to face, trying to figure out a path that would allow me to achieve all my goals. Do I leave Jamaica with my mum in search of a better future, or do I give up the opportunity of a lifetime to stay within my comfort zone? It felt as if my concerns and anxieties were understood in j-hope’s questioning of “is this the sea or the desert?” Seventeen-year-old me cried for nights in my room when I found out that my grandmother in everything but blood had cancer, and soon passed away. All while I was stuck halfway across the world. Sea reminded me that “where there is hope, there is trial,” and I knew that she would be encouraging me to keep moving forward and making her proud Eighteen-year-old me doesn’t know what exactly lies ahead, but I do know that I’ll need hope, resilience, and courage to face whatever hardships may stand in the way. Just like BTS has found success, I hope that eventually, I will also “reach the mirage” and it will become my reality.

​​Name: Lauren Indira. Code name: Ada Fractal. Everyone in my former robotics club is given a code name at some point within their first year. At the end of a meeting after the competition season, my coach gave me the name ‘Ada Fractal’. ‘Ada’ in reference to Ada Lovelace (an English mathematician, also known as the first computer programmer), and ‘Fractal’, a topic that combined art, math, and technology. Pursuing robotics as an extracurricular activity was my formal introduction to programming. It was a practical setting for me to develop and apply my problem-solving and critical thinking skills, especially when preparing for the annual First Lego League competitions held in Boston. These skills stuck with me, and Information Technology quickly became one of my favorite (and best) subjects in school. I had no problem sitting down at the dining room table for hours planning and coding my first choose-your-own-adventure game in Pascal, the coding language we had to learn for class, or happily asking for extra website design assignments when we were working on HTML. My mum used to tell me that the left hemisphere and right hemisphere of my brain were forever in conflict. A battle wrought between creativity and logic, the arts and sciences. In a way, it seemed that for one to succeed, the other needed to remain as a side project, a hobby of sorts. Now, reflecting on that notion, I see how boring life would be. My time in robotics also allowed me to explore my creative side: building robots to maneuver around different obstacles, designing document layouts to explain the process, learning how to make video games from scratch, etc. Being able to merge creativity with technology fascinates me, and inspires me to pursue my creative endeavors in other extracurricular activities as well. Through editing the school newspaper, making commercials for school events, designing infographics and Instagram posts for The OnJustice Group, and more, I’ve developed invaluable skills. While STEM and the arts are often put against each other as if they were rival sports teams, addressing problems in the world needs more than just the scientific method or a creative process. Rather than a discussion of STEM ‘or’ arts, we need to start talking about STEAM. While both processes have their roots in inquiry, STEAM aims to exercise both hemispheres of the brain, combining creative thinking with scientific application in order to solve problems. STEAM education is not limited to the content matter as it exists currently, but covers how to ask questions, how to innovate, and how to create new solutions to the problems that are yet to be found. When I moved to Paris and pursued the International Baccalaureate Diploma in lieu of my previously STEM-focused studies, I was able to explore a wider variety of my interests than I ever could before. From a 4000-word research paper about the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, to making short films, and even doing research for an essay about the applications of fractal theory in video games, the IB syllabus solidified in my mind that I want to pursue an interdisciplinary university education. I was one of three girls on my robotics team. Our core mentors were all male. I’m one of two Black students in my graduating class. In America, women account for about 25% of computing professionals and 30% of artists, with Black women making up less than 3% of each number. It’s safe to say that diversity is a bit lacking, but I’d like to change that. If everyone was identical; had the same ideas and methods of execution, the world would be a boring homogenous blob. In our world, where we have diversity of race, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and so much more, the opportunities for growth are limitless. Scientific innovation is never due to one brilliant mind, rather, it is due to the cumulative efforts of researchers from all over the world over the centuries. Diversity within the STEAM community allows people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to come together, ideate, and innovate, creating solutions that may not have even been considered otherwise. Just like my code name, I plan on seeking out a fractal education: a combination of art, mathematics, and technology. As a Computer Science major and a Graphic Design minor, I would be able to pursue a STEAM education, while continuing my work with The OnJustice Group in discussing and raising awareness about social issues, including the wage gap, racial discrimination in STEM, and gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Diverse representation in STEAM fields means that the next generation will have more than just someone, but a wide range of people to look up to and be inspired by. Everything I have learned, and will continue to learn throughout my interdisciplinary studies will help me build a well-rounded skill set in preparation for a successful professional career. Once I graduate, I’d like to create opportunities in STEAM education for young girls, especially girls of color, because nobody should have to face barriers to being included. The next few years in university will prepare me for a future that isn’t yet defined, equipping me with the tools to inspire a new generation of Ada Fractals: one line of code at a time.

​​Name: Lauren Indira. Code name: Ada Fractal. Everyone in my former robotics club is given a code name at some point within their first year. At the end of a meeting after the competition season, my coach gave me the name ‘Ada Fractal’. ‘Ada’ in reference to Ada Lovelace (an English mathematician, also known as the first computer programmer), and ‘Fractal’, a topic that combined art, math, and technology. Pursuing robotics as an extracurricular activity was my formal introduction to programming. It was a practical setting for me to develop and apply my problem-solving and critical thinking skills, especially when preparing for the annual First Lego League competitions held in Boston. These skills stuck with me, and Information Technology quickly became one of my favorite (and best) subjects in school. I had no problem sitting down at the dining room table for hours planning and coding my first choose-your-own-adventure game in Pascal, the coding language we had to learn for class, or happily asking for extra website design assignments when we were working on HTML. Despite my immediate attraction to STEM, I didn’t really have anyone to look up to. I was one of three girls on my robotics team. Our core mentors were all male. I’m one of two Black students, and one of the only students interested in computer science in my graduating class. In the United States, women only account for 25% of computing professionals, with Black women making up less than 3% of that number. It would be safe to say that the diversity is a bit lacking. If everyone was identical, had the same ideas and methods of execution, the world would be a boring homogenous blob. In our world, one where we have diversity of race, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and so much more, the opportunities for growth are limitless. Scientific innovation is never due to one brilliant mind, rather, it is due to the cumulative efforts of researchers from all over the world over the centuries. Diversity within the STEM community allows people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to come together, ideate, and innovate, creating solutions that may not have even been considered otherwise. The lack of diversity within STEM does not only hinder innovation, it often harms those who are part of the minority groups that are excluded. The first generation of airbags in automobiles was designed to accommodate adult male bodies, resulting in avoidable deaths of women and children. Certain artificial intelligence systems have automated the same racial biases they were designed to eliminate. And these are only two examples. Just like my code name, I plan on seeking out a fractal education: a combination of art, mathematics, and technology. As a Computer Science major, with the possibility of a Graphic Design minor, I would be able to pursue a STEAM education, while continuing my work with The OnJustice Group in discussing and raising awareness about social issues, including the wage gap, racial discrimination in STEM, and gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Diverse representation in STEM fields means that the next generation will have more than just someone, but a wide range of people to look up to and be inspired by. Once I graduate, I’d like to create opportunities in STEM education for young girls, especially girls of color, because nobody should have to face barriers to being included. The next few years in university will prepare me for a future that isn’t yet defined, equipping me with the tools to inspire a new generation of Ada Fractals: one line of code at a time.

​​Name: Lauren Indira. Code name: Ada Fractal. Everyone in my former robotics club is given a code name at some point within their first year. At the end of a meeting after the competition season, my coach gave me the name ‘Ada Fractal’. ‘Ada’ in reference to Ada Lovelace (an English mathematician, also known as the first computer programmer), and ‘Fractal’, a topic that combined art, math, and technology. Pursuing robotics as an extracurricular activity was my formal introduction to programming. It was a practical setting for me to develop and apply my problem-solving and critical thinking skills, especially when preparing for the annual First Lego League competitions held in Boston. These skills stuck with me, and Information Technology quickly became one of my favourite (and best) subjects in school. I had no problem sitting down at the dining room table for hours planning and coding my first choose-your-own-adventure game in Pascal, the coding language we had to learn for class, or happily asking for extra website design assignments when we were working on HTML. My time in robotics also allowed me to explore my creative side: building robots to maneuver around different obstacles, designing document layouts to explain the process, learning how to make video games from scratch, etc. Being able to merge creativity with technology fascinates me, which also inspired me to pursue my creative endeavours in other extracurricular activities as well. When I moved to Paris and pursued the International Baccalaureate Diploma in lieu of my previously STEM-focused studies, I was able to explore a wider variety of my interests than I ever could before. From a 4000-word research paper about the lyrics of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, to co-running the OnJustice Group, and even doing research for an essay about the applications of fractal theory in video games, the IB syllabus solidified in my mind that I want to pursue an interdisciplinary university education. In my opinion, addressing problems in the world requires more than just the scientific method or a creative process. Instead of the arts or the sciences, we need to pursue the arts and the sciences. While both processes have their roots in inquiry, STEAM aims to exercise both hemispheres of the brain, combining creative thinking with scientific application in order to solve problems. STEAM education is not limited to the content matter as it exists currently, but covers how to ask questions, how to innovate, and how to create new solutions to the problems that we haven’t even found yet. I was one of three girls on my robotics team. I’m one of two Black students in my graduating class. In America, women account for about 25% of computing professionals and 30% of artists. Black women make up less than 3% of each number. I’d like to change that. Just like my code name, I plan on seeking out a fractal education: a combination of art, mathematics, and technology, with a focus on social justice. As a Computer Science major, and hopefully a double major in Design, I would be able to pursue a STEAM education, while continuing my work with The OnJustice Group in discussing and raising awareness about social issues, including the wage gap and gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Once I graduate, I’d be able to create more opportunities in STEAM education for young girls, especially young girls of colour, and other underrepresented groups. These experiences will prepare me for a future that isn’t yet defined, and equip me with the tools to inspire a new generation of Ada Fractals, one line of code at a time.