As someone who is starting graduate school in a different STEM field, I get to re-learn Calculus and see how I feel about it all over again. As a Biology major, I tried to postpone taking Calculus II as much as I could. It was known as a weed-out class for the Biology major. Since I waited until my senior year, I was surprised to find that I actually liked Calculus II after spending countless hours studying for exams. I also noticed how much of my coursework in other science classes was based on mathematical principles from Calculus. It's difficult to have a thorough understanding of the sciences without knowing the math that forms its basis. Vectors are used in Physics, reaction rates in Chemistry are based on derivatives, and optimization problems in Biology are used to understand enzyme activity. I am now studying Applied Statistics, with an intent on transitioning into technology. Calculus creates a mathematical foundation for neural networks in Machine Learning. Calculus III concepts of curves and surfaces in R3 are also crucial to computer graphics and visualization. Even though software engineers and game designers may not have to do Calculus directly on a daily basis, these fields would not exist without it. I take it seriously because I want to understand the Calculus theory in my Statistics classes, instead of only being able to do problem sets. I know that spending extra time to understand Calculus concepts and build mathematical fluency will open up diverse career opportunities for me. I also think it helps me see the interconnectedness of things and to realize the importance of certain subjects. I went to a high school that did not have a strong math program. My school was all-female and teachers did not worry about students underperforming in STEM. Many of my classmates chose to study the humanities or social sciences, and I also started my academic career this way. It was incredibly difficult for me to pursue a STEM field at the right time due to lack of exposure. I believe that early exposure to Calculus is important because it is hard to pursue STEM without it. Most STEM majors have Calculus as a requirement for a reason. Aside from having direct applications to most STEM fields, it encourages problem solving abilities that are still incredibly valuable in today's society and will continue to be. Originating from the 17th century, it is an academic field that can't be replaced and helps us understand the world from a systems perspective. The interaction between Calculus and Biology is something I may continue to explore, as a life sciences graduate. I am excited to see how I will use it in interdisciplinary research and I hope to only grow my love for the field!

“Pink Pony Club” and coffee have been the only things getting me through grad school prep and scholarship applications. “Love Me Anyway” and "California" are there for me as I work through never-ending math problems on tight deadlines. Chappell’s voice is so beautiful that it has reconnected me to music after being disillusioned by artists and the industry. I feel light and empowered by it, ready to face my future. It’s hard for me to believe that Chappell was struggling to afford healthcare and working at a drive-thru during the pandemic. As someone who’s also struggled due to unstable work, I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to define me as a person. Her rise to fame has shown me that I can experience tremendous growth in a short time while embracing what makes me different. Her themes of self-acceptance and coming home to herself are very relatable for me and show that young adulthood can be a fun and expansive experience. Even the way she dresses and takes up space is inspiring. She has talked about having a stylist in interviews since becoming mainstream, but also about finding her sense of style through TikTok Live. Teaching herself drag makeup and thrifting to find a 70s-inspired style, while weaving it into contemporary life and her own experiences is amazing to me. I’ve often heard the opposite in my life since the pandemic - that it’s a waste of time to focus on creative outlets due to the economy. I’ve also felt like I didn’t want to stand out or take up space due to traumatic experiences and seen other women do the same. Chappell’s career smashes those ideas and openly says she’s here, she’s happy with who she is, and she’s safe to do so. Hearing Chappell talk about how she always wanted to be cooler or better but now realizing how great she was as herself is very healing. I support her career because of her honesty, relatability, and how it has shown me that you can be yourself to the highest degree of authenticity and succeed. She’s shown me that you don’t need to come from money to be successful, even if it might seem like other people have an advantage over you. She has been directly involved in many of the creative aspects of her recent album and pieced it together from a lot of self-taught skills like working with rhinestones and learning Drag. As a female career-changer transitioning into technology, I hope to embody her resilience as I teach myself to code and work with material that is new to me. Instead of holding onto stereotypes or limitations, I want to learn more about myself and see how far I can go in an interdisciplinary career. Coming from a low-income background and going back to school isn’t easy, but I find music empowering in my daily life and discovered the ‘power pop’ genre because of Chappell’s music. Her advocacy has even inspired me to start my own mindfulness club on campus, and I will be using part of any scholarship I win towards it. I believe I've found both her music and this scholarship at the right time. She has advocated for living wages and healthcare for developing artists, along with being an ally for single people. I relate to her music, career, and advocacy on a very personal level and I am so looking forward to how it will continue to shape my future moving forward. I’m proud to be a Chappell Roan fan - empowered, creative, and strong. Thank you so much for this opportunity.

Love Island has been a fun way for me to relax from the stress of graduate school and is definitely a guilty pleasure summer show for me. I love watching both the friendships and relationships develop on the show, and it's made me think more about personality types and attraction. My challenge idea for Love Island is inspired by TikTok influencers who've talked about meeting their Love Island Doppelgangers. I would like to see a Doppelganger Challenge on Love Island that involves bringing in bombshells who look similar to contestants already in the villa and share similar backgrounds. It would be interesting to see the kind of reaction this causes among the Islanders and to find out how important physical attraction is to the couples. Islanders would have to work through whether they have real connections with their partners or if their relationships are based mostly on physical attraction to similar types of people. My challenge involves first introducing the doppelgangers and having the islanders guess who they're meant to resemble. Then, the doppelganger has to spend a day with their twin's current partner. The audience will be able to see how the partner and the doppelganger get along with each other and what they talk about. After that, the partners get to decide whether they will start a relationship with the doppelgangers. My challenge will definitely add excitement to the villa and also test the relationships between Islanders, letting them and the audience decide what their connections are based on! I think it would help people question whether they choose to date people who are familiar or if they look for other things in a relationship.