Taking human eyeballs to school in kindergarten is probably not something that most kids can brag about, but I definitely can. It was also one of the most memorable events of my childhood. Hi! My name is Sydney Hancox and I just completed my junior year at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA. I am majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minoring in Kinesiology. I currently work part-time at a coffee shop called FUEL, while also playing college soccer and working as a sports medicine assistant at Cornell. During my senior year, I am taking an off-campus class in Belize (my first trip outside the United States) and I plan on applying to the Fulbright Scholars Program for the year after I graduate. My long-term goal is to become a Physician Assistant. My mom is a woman in STEM that I greatly admire and she has been a big influence on my life in ways that she never intended. She currently works as a research assistant at a large university. When I was in kindergarten, she was working in a lab that studied macular degeneration in humans. My teacher had asked students to have their parents come to the classroom to talk about their careers. My mom talked to my teacher and received permission to bring normal and diseased eyes to my school as a show and tell, as well as to talk about eyeballs and science and her job in research. It was a short talk geared toward kindergartners, but it made a lasting impression on me and on all of my classmates as well. The fact that it occurred the week of Halloween certainly didn't hurt. My mom and "her eyeballs" were the talk of the school for weeks afterward. My mom would also take me to her lab on the weekends when she needed to take care of a few things. I would sit at her bench in her lab coat and gloves waiting for her to finish and pretend that I was a real actual scientist. I don't think she did any of it hoping that I would follow in her footsteps, but I do think she wanted to make me aware that women can love science and that science can make for a great and interesting career. This interaction affected all of my future studies and career goals and I am so excited to be a woman in science.

Fweet!! went my whistle signaling the end of the youth soccer game that I was coaching at Noelridge Park. The kids went running off the field to find their families, a couple even coming up to give me high fives before leaving to go home for the evening. This job is perfect for me. Soccer has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started playing through Cedar Rapids Parks and Rec when I was about 5 years old and I’ve never looked back, moving up to a club team when I was old enough, and now playing Varsity for my high school. Not only does being a youth soccer coach allow me to have fun while working, but it allows me to help others learn to love the game as much as I do. Elise, a little girl on my team comes racing up to give me a great big hug. That is what makes this job so enjoyable for me. Elise started out the season shy and timid, letting the boys take the ball and dribble around her to the goal. But now she’s participating more, learning that she can handle the ball just as well as the boys. And she made her very first goal today! I’m pretty sure that I was just as excited as she was, the smile on both of our faces saying it all. As a coach, I always try to give the girls on my teams a little extra attention, trying to focus on them just a little more. All youth, but especially young girls, need to have good role models that they can identify with and respect. And what better way to lead than by example. I want girls to feel capable and valued and powerful, so that they always strive to achieve their goals – both on and off the soccer field. As a female athlete, there just aren’t enough women that hold coaching positions – especially in soccer. I’ve played soccer for 13 years and this is the very first year that I have had a female coach. The men that have coached me over the years have been nothing short of great. Each one has helped shape me into the player and person that I am today. But until this year, I never realized how much I wanted and needed a woman in this role. All sports need more female coaches to show that opportunities are unlimited for girls - in sports as well as in life. On the flip side, it is imperative that young boys also be exposed to women in leadership roles, in positions where they garner respect. Sports are a window into society after all, and having women lead sports teams will transmit to women as leaders in all aspects of life. So I take Elise’s hand and walk with her off the field to find her dad, hoping she remembers how great making her first goal felt - and that she remembers the female coach who told her she could do it.

"Nothing brings me enjoyment anymore. Things that used to bring joy to my life no longer do." These words were uttered by my little sister just over a year ago, and they made my blood run cold. The sister of one of my very best friends took her own life in high school. I've seen first hand what these actions can do to the remaining family members and I did not want this to become part of my family's story. This is one of the reasons why I became involved in the Green Bandana Project. This group helps connect peers with resources to help with mental health-related struggles in a supportive environment. I want to become a pediatrician and I plan to incorporate mental health checks into my exams. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Currently, there aren't enough mental health doctors in the country and mental health funding gets cut more and more. If pediatrician's received more mental health training during medical school or residency, I think this would help alleviate some of the shortfalls in mental health services. Kids are required to get yearly physicals during their school years, so this would make sure that they also receive a mental health check every year. Luckily my parents took my sister's words seriously and were able to get her scheduled with a counselor. I know everyone is not so lucky. Family members may not see the signs. My parents also have good health insurance, but not every family is that fortunate. This country needs to start making mental health more of a priority and I hope that I can one day do my part by becoming a pediatrician that treats the whole child and not just their physical health. For now, I continue to check in with my sister on a weekly basis, as I know she will tell me things that she will not tell our parents. I also do the same for my friends and continue to carry that green bandana on my backpack.

Making an impact on another person’s life is probably the most important and desirable goal of every young person starting down the path to their own life and career. I am no exception. As both a woman pursuing a degree in a health and medical science field, as well as a female athlete, I am very much interested in making an impact on the younger generation. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Cornell College, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I am also pursuing a minor in Kinesiology. It is my long-term goal to go on to pursue a medical degree, in hopes of becoming a pediatrician. I would also like to work on a research project along the way. My mom has worked in many different labs during her career as a research assistant. She even worked for 6 months helping with COVID19 testing at her university in order to get Test Iowa up and running. Research is something that I believe all medical doctors should take part in while attaining their medical degrees. I believe that research gives an entirely different perspective to the field of medicine, and perhaps I will even go on to earn my PhD. I also play soccer at Cornell College, and have participated in the sport pretty much my entire life. Being a female athlete really gives you a unique perspective into life and leadership. In my 14 years of playing soccer, I have only ever had one female coach for one year of club soccer. Carol Hutchins, a NCAA softball coach with one of the most successful win-loss records to date, was once quoted as saying “You can’t want to be something there isn’t.” She was referring to the lack of women who go on to coach after playing high school or college sports, but this quote made me very aware that the world needs more women leaders in all aspects of the workforce. It is important for women to prove that opportunities are unlimited for girls - in sports as well as in life. On the flip side, it is imperative that young boys also be exposed to women in leadership roles, in positions where women garner respect. I hope that my role as a pediatrician and scientist and female athlete will help me go on to inspire others to follow their dreams and realize that no goal is out of reach. Leadership can take many forms and I hope to lead by example. Nothing is out of reach for women in this day and age and I am proof that women can love science and love sports, and I hope this inspires other young people (especially young girls) to follow their dreams.

Taking human eyeballs to school in kindergarten is probably not something that most kids can brag about, but I definitely can. And it was one of the most memorable events of my childhood. My mom is a woman in STEM that I greatly admire. She works as a research assistant at a large university. When I was in kindergarten, she was working in a lab that studied macular degeneration in humans and she brought some normal and some diseased eyes to school and gave the class a talk about eyeballs and science and working in research. It was a short talk and geared toward kindergartners, but it made a lasting impression with me and with all of my classmates as well. The fact that it occurred the week of Halloween certainly didn't hurt. My mom was the talk of the school for weeks. She would also take me to her lab on the weekends when she needed to handle a few things. I would sit at her bench in her lab coat and gloves waiting for her to finish and think that I was a real actual scientist. I don't think she did any of it hoping that I would follow in her footsteps, but I do think she wanted to make me aware that women can love science and that science can make for a great and interesting career. I think all of it definitely rubbed off on me because I loved biology and chemistry when I was in high school, and my favorite class in college thus far has been Organic Chemistry. I'm not exactly sure where my love of science will end up taking me, but I currently attend Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa where I am majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minoring in Kinesiology. At the moment, I am considering a medical career of some sort, leaning towards a pediatrician or a physician assistant. I hope to one day instill a love of science in other kids, whether it be my own or others that I come in contact with through my career.