My name is Nicole Nazar; I am from Toronto, Canada and my major is chemical engineering, with a minor in business. Ever since I was younger I had always had an interest in STEM in school and out of school. Whenever I had free time as a kid, I would spend it practicing math problems in my practice book or playing my favorite number game Sudoku. I would also try homemade experiments in my house and had an unexplained love for Bill Nye the Science Guy. By the age of six or seven years old, I was already destined to eventually go into the STEM field.
In grade ten, the Canadian high school curriculum starts the unit of chemistry in the first semester. I instantly fell in love with the periodic table and the process of predicting, performing and analyzing a lab. For a while, I was set on becoming an architect, but once I discovered the subject of chemistry, I felt it was in my best interest to go down a path in that field. My teacher at the time had recommended chemical engineering. Of course, at first, I didn’t truly comprehend what it meant to be an engineer; however, I felt a further desire to look into it. After researching, I had discovered that engineers are the innovators and problem solvers of our society. They build our buildings, invent future technology and contribute to our society in an infinite number of ways.
Engineering was the perfect career decision for me because, not only do I get to pursue my interest and love for science, but I also get to make a positive impact to the world. With an engineering degree, I plan to work with a company that deals with renewable and alternative forms of energy. Electrochemistry was my favorite unit when I took AP chemistry in high school and I figured working in this field would be beneficial for the environment. We all need energy, but I want to be able to promote healthier ways of extracting it, so that we can grow economically and more environmentally aware as a society.
Once I was admitted into The Ohio State University, I was thrilled to hear about the STEM Scholars program. I was eager to be in an organization where I was surrounded by others with the same interests as myself. The G.O.A.L.S. of STEM (Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership development and Service Engagement) are all skills and concepts that I wanted to grow in understanding. In order to be successful, a person must be able to understand other cultures and the world around them, be open to learning new and different things, and be able to take charge of any situation when necessary. I thought being in the STEM program would allow for me to be focused in college and be able to learn real-life skills for when I eventually go into the workforce. I’m excited to see where this program takes me in the next two years.
As of this point in my education, my greatest strengths are that I’m futuristic, an achiever, a learner, I’m talented in the theme of significance and I am focused. As someone who is futuristic, I enjoy having a plan for my future in terms of my career, my goals and my education. I like to stay organized and plan for any task ahead of me. Being futuristic means I have a clear image of what I plan for my future to be. As an achiever, I think about my goal ahead that I planned as a futuristic and take action to achieve that goal. I like to be precise and for everything to go the way I intended it to. Currently, my future goal is to be a chemical engineer and everyday I think about the clear image I have of working with renewable energy to help innovate, help the environment and the economy. As I progress through the program, I am getting closer and closer to achieving my ultimate goal.
I enjoy the STEM subjects extensively and my strength as a learner allows me to continue to ask questions, no matter the amount of knowledge I have already gained. When making a mistake, I take action to fix it and learn how to improve for the next time. I am eager to take a more challenging degree like chemical engineering because of this strength and am ambitious and anxious to continue to grow in my education. I have the strength of being focused, which allows me to be able to persevere through my mistakes and overcome them. Finally, I have the strength of significance which is where I am eager to be viewed as important to others. This allows me to be more positive and eager to uplift other people. I like to encourage people to achieve their goals and help them succeed. A great example of this is how before exams or before a cross country or track race I like to spread positivity and encouragement to my teammates and classmates to help them better perform.
Learning my strengths made me more confident in my future career. Being precise is essential for engineering, especially chemical, and, being an achiever, I can utilize that strength to perform labs and test with more accuracy and precision. As a learner and being focused, when I don’t understand something in one of my challenging classes, I now know that it is my strength to not be afraid to ask questions in order to understand the material. Being an achiever and a futuristic will allow me to excel in engineering projects because I will be eager to get the project done and will have the talent of vividly seeing the future goal of the project. Overall, my strengths are a great representation of who I am and how I am approaching achieving my goals in my career.