Last year was a blur of instant ramen, back pain, and endless anxious thoughts. This year, I was determined for it to be different. To invest in my studies, I knew I needed to invest in myself. To build good habits that would serve me down the line before stress threatened to force me back into my previous lifestyle. As the semester commenced last year, I saw my habits break down for the convenience of fast fixes. Hungry, but need to study? Vending machine meals and fast food. Exhaustion resulted in endless scrolling. There seemed to be no way out of the loop I was in. Truth be told, I had never lived like that before, and that was the exact problem. In high school and during my gap year before college, I was known for my healthy habits and good choices. I spent a lot of time outside, exercised, ate healthily, volunteered, and had a good social life. This was an issue I had never confronted. The journey has taken a long time, but I can say that I have finally found a system that works. A system that keeps me mentally, physically, and emotionally sound in all the ways that matter. The first thing I did, which sounds a bit extreme, especially for a college student, was cut out caffeine. I had relied too heavily on it to keep me awake. Coffee accompanied my many late-night study sessions, and I knew that cycle needed to stop. I needed to be personally motivated to wake up and disciplined enough to go to bed early. That meant no caffeine. I was forced to develop good study and time management skills to support my “early to bed, early to rise” lifestyle, which led to an overall decrease in stress. It’s funny to me that this semester, where my courses consist of courses like immunology, chemistry, and microbiology is going easier than my previous semester, which had easier classes. Now that’s not to say that I don't enjoy a good latte, it just means that the latte is decaf. This year, so far, has been filled with intention, opportunities, and energy. That is all due to my choices to prioritize my healthy habits and break out of the loop of self-destructive behavior. My short-term decisions now benefit me in the present, and in the future. By investing in myself, I have invested in my studies, and my mental, physical, and emotional health. I am excited to see what choices my journey toward good habits will take me.

When I was seven, I decided that I hated khaki pants. Like many, I grew up with pictures of intrepid scientists wearing those dreaded pants on the pages of National Geographic magazines. But whenever I would wear them, they lacked the pockets or the prestige that came with them. From a young age, it was clear to me. The only people who got taken seriously when wearing khaki pants and talking about volcanos were white men, and certainly not young girls with wild hair and a little too much passion for distinctly non “girly” topics. Drs. Jane Goodall and Wangari Maathai changed all of that for me. Finally, women I could relate to! They wore khakis, got taken seriously, and most importantly, changed science. They are a clear argument for the good that diversity does in gendered workspaces. My love for biology runs very deep. It is clear to me that developments in science are the catalysts to drive our societies forward. For that reason, I chose to get a degree in biology. I am a firm believer in the importance of widespread scientific literacy. I hope to use my degree to be a communicator of science to my community. To me, my biology degree is more than just a lens to view the world. It is a way to give back to the communities that have supported me and to share knowledge. Education is a real privilege, but it deserves to be a right given freely to everyone. Biology is in our weather, our food, our medications, and much more. There are endless facets in biology with immeasurable depth. Research has only touched the surface of all there is to discover, and this knowledge should be accessible to everyone. I feel a great deal of responsibility to be that person for my community. Of course, science is nowhere without researchers. In my experience, problems are solved only when there is a group of people who think differently. In other words, diversity is essential to the development of science. The term diversity should encompass a lot more than just tolerance and inclusion. To me, diversity is highlighting how the shared human experience enriches each other. It's truly borderless. Diversity is inherently valuable regardless of whether or not it seems to benefit the white status quo. Real diversity and cross-cultural connections result in one of my favorite things: broader perspectives. The reason for Jane Goodall's tremendous success was that she looked at and researched from an entirely different perspective than her male peers. Imagine what a group of diverse scientists could do when combining their unique cultural perspectives! I am fully cognizant of the fact that a team is strongest when each member can contribute their strengths. Diversity accomplishes this perfectly. It allows the individual to use their background to enhance their work and thrive in a comfortable environment. This is an invaluable asset to any workplace. I know that my family's culture has impacted me greatly in many ways, ranging from my values and ethics, my interpersonal interactions, how I combat problems, and more. I value others’ input and appreciate opinions and ideas that differ from mine because I’ve often seen that the most creative and effective results come from multicultural collaboration. We are a global society; it is imperative that our workplaces echo that. I am endlessly grateful to the diverse scientists who have inspired me as a child and proud to be a woman in STEM who can help change the limitations put on what people believe women can accomplish. The future of scientific progress depends on it.

“I don't compete, I excel,” I told myself passionately, “But failure is not an option.” This has been my mantra since I was young. I was a newly minted high schooler, a little ninth grader, about to make a choice that could determine my high school career. I was about to enter an interview at a local science museum to volunteer and knew that I was supremely underqualified. Now that I’m older, my mantra has changed. The first part, the ’I don't, compete, I excel’ remains, but now failure is definitely an option. In fact, my ability to fail is a quality I really value in myself. My inner resolve to pivot, adapt, and not let rejection break me is something that I will never take for granted. Long story short, I got the volunteer position. It’s what led me to fall deeper in love with science and decide to pursue it as a career. But in that interview, I was forced to confront the fact that I would never be exactly what people were looking for. I distinctly remember being asked, “And what if you don't get the position? Then what will you do?” and freezing, because I had never considered what I would do after. Sink into a pool of sadness maybe? That interviews taught me that you can never check every box, but you can check most, and then hopefully, your personality will make up the rest. As my mantra implies, I’ve never been the competitive type, I just abhor how it often causes less collaboration while creating more contention between people. Instead, I just choose to excel and help others excel as best as I can. But watching someone you help succeed while you fail, is a hard pill to swallow. So that’s where I learned the value of failing forward. Because there is no strife or competition, I can ask the successor what they think they did to set them apart. I can learn with an open mind and do better the next time around. Failure is sometimes the best option, as long as you don't let it paralyze you. As I applied to my gap year learning program, I hung up a sticky note on my bulletin. It says, “I don't compete, I excel, but I do fail. But I only fail forward.” That sticky note came with me to college, and it sits on my mirror. I’m a newly minted young adult, and I know as I mature my credo and mottos will change, but I think that this one may survive the test of time. I think I will forever value my ability to fail and make connections despite the pressure.