I remember walking into school on the first day of my sophomore year of high school thinking that it would be a relatively easy year. That train of thought was derailed when I sat down in my chemistry class and my teacher proceeded to talk about things I didn’t understand for the next hour. Walking out of that class, I felt challenged in a way I had never been before. It sounds cheesy, but at that moment fifteen-year-old me knew science was going to be a part of my life going forward. I think about that moment a lot and how thankful I am to have had that challenge in my life and how a silly high school science class was able to shape these past four years and many more to come. I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of different programs that I am very proud of. I work as a Peer-Led Team Learning Tutor, which is a program that is funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal of the program is to improve STEM retention rates especially for students transitioning to college by providing both academic and non-academic support. As an embedded tutor, I work closely with my faculty member to create content weekly workshops that use inclusive pedagogy to better cement students' understanding of the material students were introduced to in lectures. These workshops aim to encourage student collaboration and exploration of chemistry concepts learned in class to increase understanding of content. As a member of the Mazzuchelli Honors College, I take interdisciplinary courses to expand horizons outside of the STEM field. I am also a member of the women’s soccer team, where this year we advanced to the national tournament and for the first time won a national tournament game. These programs allow me to explore education outside the idea of a typical classroom, as well as inspire others to explore corners of their mind. I want to continue on in school after my undergraduate to receive my doctorate, where I want to focus on using molecular genetics or cell biology to research disease treatments. I think molecular biology can lead us into a new generation of medicine, and I want to be a part of that. The manipulation of genetics and cellular biology needs the correct technology, however, which is where I believe the collaboration of women in research and women in tech need to work together. This would put women at the forefront of these new sectors in the industry. I hope to not only lead in discoveries in this field, but I also want to inspire other women to pursue their educations in STEM. I firmly believe that women can bring a new perspective into these fields that have the potential to unlock so many more discoveries. I hope that my future success demonstrates to others that they can become successful in these fields. I also would like to be a resource for high school or undergraduate women to have one day when it comes to questions about STEM fields. I think that the future of science can only be positively impacted by women, and I want to be a part of that.

I remember walking into school on the first day of my sophomore year of high school thinking that it would be a relatively easy year. That train of thought was derailed when I sat down in my chemistry class and my teacher proceeded to talk about things I didn’t understand for the next hour. Walking out of that class, I felt challenged in a way I had never been before. It sounds cheesy, but at that moment fifteen-year-old me knew science was going to be a part of my life going forward. I think about that moment a lot and how thankful I am to have had that challenge in my life and how a silly high school science class was able to shape these past four years and many more to come. I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of different programs that I am very proud of. I work as a Peer-Led Team Learning Tutor, which is a program that is funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal of the program is to improve STEM retention rates especially for students transitioning to college by providing both academic and non-academic support. As an embedded tutor, I work closely with my faculty member to create content weekly workshops that use inclusive pedagogy to better cement students' understanding of the material students were introduced to in lectures. These workshops aim to encourage student collaboration and exploration of chemistry concepts learned in class to increase understanding of content. As a member of the Mazzuchelli Honors College, I take interdisciplinary courses to expand horizons outside of the STEM field. I am also a member of the women’s soccer team, where this year we advanced to the national tournament and for the first time won a national tournament game. These programs allow me to explore education outside the idea of a typical classroom, as well as inspire others to explore corners of their mind. I want to continue on in school after my undergraduate to receive my doctorate, where I want to focus on using molecular genetics or cell biology to research disease treatments. I think molecular biology can lead us into a new generation of medicine, and I want to be a part of that. Healing the body from within itself is the next big discovery to be unlocked, and I want to be at the forefront of that. I hope to not only lead in discoveries in this field, but I also want to inspire other women to pursue their educations in STEAM. I firmly believe that women can bring a new perspective into these fields that have the potential to unlock so many more discoveries. I hope that my future success demonstrates to others that they can become successful in these fields. I also would like to be a resource for high school or undergraduate women to have one day when it comes to questions about STEAM fields. I think that the future of science can only be positively impacted by women, and I want to be a part of that.