As a young girl I always had a fascination with both science and unusual things. Growing up I loved Tim Burton films and for a while those were the only movies I would watch as a kid. I aways had an appreciation for darker things others may not see like I do. In 5th grade is when I really started to experiment with my style. I remember it was the year my mother allowed me to wear makeup (black mascara) and I felt so cool. At the time I was obsessed with the stereotypical emo bands that still hold a place in my heart today. As usual, I went through the pre-teen "angst" phase as it's called. At this time I was also heavily obsessed with different types of sciences. I was always looking for fossils in my backyard...now knowing I could have never found them there, but my passion and ambition made it count! My sophomore year is when I really started to get comfortable with myself. I had discovered that I was an amazing makeup artist and had natural talent. With this wave also resurfaced my unusual interests. I remember I had seen this goth girl on tiktok who was a mortician and thought it was the coolest thing. I had no idea that was an option as a job until then. For the longest time that was my goal. I embraced (and still do) my style through makeup and my clothing. During that summer, I had volunteered at a library for my community service hours. The head librarian was a lot like me in style and personality. While I was there, she had me plan a Halloween party for the kids there at the library. I was lucky enough I got to give them face paint and make them whatever they could imagine. They also had a LOT of STEM related programs there. They had lego buildings every Saturday and even had a taxidermist come in! With that came my junior year. During my junior year I took a forensics class and fell in love with it. I was lucky enough to have that teacher take me under her wing and even now she's in contact with our state medical examiner about my future in the field. That leads me to where I am now. I was honored to win awards in both forensics and my college anatomy class. Crime has always fascinated me. I'm proudly the weird kid who falls asleep to forensic files and ghost hunters. My biggest problem was always embracing myself. I was always so scared because I felt so different. Through my community though I have discovered people like me, people who understand me. If I never embraced myself I don't know where I would be now. I wouldn't have had those opportunities to learn about myself and others. Now, I see myself as an inspiration. I now stand out to people because of my style and passion. Those are the two things I choose to embrace about me everyday, and I hope I can make others do the same.

I am a part of a lifelong generation of being born in Maine. Growing up it was apparent to people around me I wasn't a typical kid. As a young girl I had a passion for science and the arts. By first grade I was heavily fascinated by astrology. By second grade I had a teacher who got me heavily into geology as well. At times I wish I could study everything I love. As of right now, I am about to graduate high school. During my junior year I fell in love with my forensics and anatomy class. I was so heavily fascinated by how the two went hand and hand. I always love solving problems, so forensics was everything I was good at. My passion really shone through when I won both the forensics award and college anatomy award at my school. Now as a senior I strive to help others. I visit my forensics teacher daily, checking in on what her classes are learning and how I could help. In a perfect world I would love to be a teacher assistant. My teacher even offered me to be but my school sadly declined. However, that hasn't stopped me from still helping others. I'm definitely a person who stands out. I have a bold sense of style and personality that captivates many. My biggest hope would be to become a role model for a young girl wanting to pursue science especially forensics. Growing up I didn't have people to turn to for idols, I had to be my own. Struggling with anxiety and severe OCD made this a challenge for me. I learned over the years to take control of my life and do what makes me happy. I want people to know they aren't defined by a mental illness and that there will always be people to support you. I am a natural born leader. I am not afraid to take charge of situations when others feel unable. I also know I have empowered people enough to make their own stand. Currently, I attend a college program for criminology. The thing I love most is when underclassmen come in to view what the class has to offer. Some may think I take it too seriously or too far, but I am passionate about what I love. I truly believe passion is what drives one to be a leader. I want to show people that they are able to be their own leaders and their stories will help others. Reflecting on my life I was always the shy kid. I didn't have many friends or social skills but I took the comfort of being in control of situations. It's ironic that's what I needed to do with my own health as I got older. Leadership isn't always about professionalism, it's about experience. I know the future holds a lot in store for me and I hope college expands the world of science more for me. One thing I have learned the most is how to be your own leader in life, and I want to show others how they can be too.

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I have always had a love for science. I decided recently I wanted to pursue forensic science after years of going back and forth because I was so fascinated by everything. When I was younger I had a love for astronomy and geology. As I got older I fell in love with anatomy and problem solving, leading me to the forensics route. I desire to share my passion with people. At school I assist my forensics teacher with work, explaining processes to students. In addition I was also a biology tutor for underclassmen. Even to this day there's so many paths I want to pursue. I would be the first woman of my family going into this field. I was absolutely honored to win the college anatomy award and forensics award at my junior graduation awards. I find myself clinging to people who do what I want to do. I volunteered at my local hospital last summer and assisted in the emergency room. It felt so good to learn new things and help out a doctor. I always want to learn more and feel like I'm making an impact on the world. It took years to find confidence in myself but science truly helped me see who I am. Now I plan to attend college for forensics and biology. My end goal is to become a medical examiner. I hope someday when I make it far I will be able to help other young women gain confidence and pursue their dreams. I think STEM goes beyond just want it stands for. It's many people's dreams and passion. When I graduate I would love nothing more to be an official assistant for my forensics teacher or any kind of lab technician. My school always felt so limited with the opportunities it provided, so I hope to create more opportunities for students. I've always had a passion for helping people and I think when I am really passionate about something I take it far. I would use my passion in science to create these new opportunities for everyone. I would love it for more apprenticeship programs to be in placed to jump start students into a stem career. It would be my dream to have someone under my wing who I could teach everything to. I want to believe in someone like my teacher did for me. Thank you for your time reading this, this is what stem means to me.