Student Experiences

 Hello everyone,

Today I'll be thinking about the ways my student experiences can be translated to skills that I can use in the future. From these experiences, I can think of three that will help me later on.

1. In a career course at ASU, I learned all about the growth mindset. There were differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset that I was was able to identify. For example, under a fixed mindset, I would think that my potential was already predetermined. That I can practice and get a bit better but there were set limitations to how far I can push my potential. I'm glad I was able to learn about the growth mindset because I can embrace and overcome challenges as well as finding lessons and ways to improve.
2. Over the summer I participated in an REU opportunity. This experience taught me about responsible conduct of research. I was a bit surprised that I had not learned about this or ethics in the sciences. A lot of the ethical questions and scenarios appeared to be somewhat common sense, but there were some serious dilemmas that the class would have long discussions over. This opportunity helped me gain RCR skills that will help me in the future.
3. When I started doing research through TRAIN at Phoenix College, a whole new world opened up for me. There are so many skills that can be learned from lab experiences and I consider myself fortunate enough to learn them. Thanks to TRAIN, I feel comfortable in a lab setting, designing an experiment, presenting research, and working through data. I know there's still a lot to learn but I'm happy to say that I feel confident and happy doing research. I believe these experiences will have an immense impact on my future career!

Beyond a Bachelor of Science

It is not easy for me to think about what exactly I'd like to do with my degree. I've changed my career goals a few times from nurse to PA and in recent years to what I know I've always wanted to do, be a scientist. I enjoy being a curious person and wondering about the complex inner workings of life. I hope to help provide information that can help make a positive impact on the community. Based on these goals, I've considered a few places to begin applying to, such as ADEQ, USA jobs, NOAA Corps and so much more. There are a lot more opportunities out there than I had initially thought. Even so, my interests are all over the map and I'm still having difficulty choosing one path. Because of this I always jokingly say, "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it." 🌱

I'm excited to start this journey next year!

Online Presence II

 My current online presence is through social media, Handshake, and Linked In. I try my best to update them as often as possible. But it can be difficult to keep up. Sometimes I also have a hard time keeping up with my notifications for each account. Because of this sometimes I miss out on some opportunities to attend events, apply for jobs, or network. I’m still working on a good way to balance each of my online accounts and notifications.

When considering my desired online presence, I would like to establish a professional website for myself. Last month, as part of an assignment for STEM Success I was able to create a website on Wix. I hope to add more of my professional information to this website in order to give it to future employers. 

Online Presence

My online presence involves LinkedIn, Handshake, Facebook, Instagram, and TRAIN/stem blog.

I started using Handshake and LinkedIn last year. Both platforms have helped me immensely because they’ve brought me closer to jobs and career opportunities. LinkedIn also allows me to follow and keep track of organizations, such as industry, government, or academia that I find interesting. It also helps me keep in touch with my peers and professionals in the field. I enjoy the connections I’ve made as well as updating my profile. For example, a new addition to my profile is a summer internship. It felt good to share my accomplishments on these platforms.

In regards to social media, I use it mostly to share pictures of my hiking adventures. I love hiking as well as taking pictures of anything and everything. So I feel that these are great platforms to share some beautiful photos. I also share pictures of my family and two dogs. But I have to say that I usually think twice about what I’m sharing. I worry about how it can affect my overall online presence. Especially, because I’ve heard that employers look up prospective employees online to learn more about them. And I always wonder if what I’m sharing is something that can potentially make me look good or bad. Not that I partake in bad stuff, but you never know how someone else may perceive something. So I believe it's important to be mindful about sharing.

Another platform I use is my STEM blog. I don’t use it as often but when I do, I write a lot. It seems that one prompt will send me on a spiral to 20 different ideas. It’s amazing how writing helps voice your thoughts. I’m hoping that as I’m entering my final semester as a TRAIN scholar I can blog a bit more. =)

Future goals

    It’s difficult to describe the position or job title I hope to be working in for the future. I don’t have a definite career goal. But I do have an idea of where I’d like to be. In a year I would like to have a job in the science field. Whether it's in research or a lab, I hope to be using the skills I’ve gained throughout my undergrad. In five years, I hope I would have decided on going to graduate school, either for a master's or Ph.D. And hopefully, in ten years I’ll be working at a job in research. When I imagine what that would look like I think of myself in a lab, looking over data, or walking through a field site collecting data. I hope to do meaningful research that can lead to public education that way we can be a more informed community.

    I think the biggest societal challenge will be climate change. I feel like most of the climate change issues are getting out of our control. Our way of life is affecting the environment and there’s no sign of it stopping anytime soon. I’m certain this will have negative impacts for generations ahead. I'd like to work on projects that will help better our environment and positively impact the future.

Three years

Three years ago… I knew biology was an extensive field that involved an understanding for how organisms function. It’s the study of life. 🌱

I was certain this field would be fulfilling for me because I always wondered about the things around me. I’d look at trees and wondered what it was that made them grow tall. Or why my little brother had so much energy. These may seem obvious to answer now, but a few years ago I had no idea. I knew plants were complex, but not that they, (like us) are part of a multicellular taxa called eukaryotes. I also knew my little brother ate, so he had energy but I never imagined that our bodies used bioenergetic processes to generate ATP. Over time I’ve collected tidbits of knowledge that have allowed me to better understand my surroundings. Now every time I see a tree or my brother filled with energy I have a “wow” moment because I understand and appreciate the science behind it.

In three years… I would like to learn how to mountain climb. This is a personal goal that I’ve been thinking about for a while. I enjoy hiking in the mountains, especially reaching high peaks. But now I think I’m ready to try something new. I’ve watched people mountain climb before and it seems like an exhilarating experience. I’ll probably start by going indoor climbing. I think the best way would be by joining a community of mountain climbers. This way they can teach me, give me tips, and it can become an enjoyable + safe experience.

 Hello everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! 

There are a couple of reflective questions to answer for this blogpost.

Those who have encouraged me 💗

When asked about the person who helped me get to where I am today, I think of people and not a person. It’s my family. They have all been there for me in various ways. Not financially or through guidance, but just by their words of encouragement. I’m a first generation college student and the daughter of immigrants. So it’s been difficult to pave a path through academia. Figuring out how to enroll in college, pay for college, and be successful in my studies, I’ve learned through trial and error. Along the way, as I struggled, my family was always there to simply say, “si se puede” and “lucha por tus sueños”. Or, you can do it and fight for your dreams. Now before every test, during long hours of writing, or studying, their words echo in my mind. 

I am eternally grateful for them. 

When thinking about the advice I would give to my younger self. I would say stop worrying about the future. I know it’s good to have a plan and goals to strive for. But my thoughts and actions would almost always be directed towards the future. I would worry about things that haven’t happened yet or would think about what’s next. So, I wouldn’t live in the moment and enjoy the little things.

I would tell my younger self to be present when with family, friends, travelling, hiking, or just sitting down enjoying a coffee. It’s important to take time for yourself and be present in the moment.