The first semester of my freshman year, I was forced to not participate in many of the events and activities which I desired to take part in because of the awkward timing of some of my classes, so there were very few experiences I was able to take advantage of, but there was one intensely interesting experience that I managed to take part in. I participated in the STEM Book Club through the STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholars Program. Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks was the selected book, and even though it was technically a memoir on Sacks’ boyhood, historical background on chemistry was as abundant as information Sacks himself.

Reading this book opened my eyes to how interesting the history and development of chemistry is. Like Sacks, I have been extremely interested in chemistry from a young age, but the story behind the subject I love was never brought to my attention until I read Uncle Tungsten. This experience inspired me to actively search out information about the development of chemistry and the incredible men and women that crafted it into what it is today.