It’s official.

The annual STEM Scholars Spring Project for first-year scholars has come around, and I’ve finally decided what I’ll be spending 10 hours learning about during this semester.

I’ve deliberated about this for a while, and knocked many a topic off of my list of possibilities. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to pursue an activity like the one I’ve chosen- for fear that it may be too “bland,” among other things- but throughout this process, it’s the only one I’ve been very interested in and that is actually applicable to my life.

Traveling and gaining new, unique experiences is something that is very important to me, and it’s absolutely central to my identity. Often, however, I have to let some of my dreams of traveling to various places go because I don’t have time, or they’re simply too expensive. It’s a consistent source of frustration for me, because the means of creating priceless memories do have a monetary value, causing me to miss out on experiences that would enrich my life and knowledge.

That being said: I have decided to learn how to plan a trip to a city of my choice. However, I’ve given myself a price limit: $500. It’s a little nerve-wracking saying that- especially with how easy it is to spend that on flights alone- but with the right amount of research and price comparison, I’m sure that I’ll be able to do it. Plus, it’ll be extremely helpful when I plan trips later in my life, since I’ll know exactly where to look for the best deals possible.

I’m crazy excited for this challenge. Let’s go!

I’ve always found it interesting how touchy of a subject diversity is. Whether it’s within a workplace, university, or other context, it’s often tiptoed around, and as a result, it’s always just been defined by a “well, this person isn’t totally like this one, so we’ll call it diverse” rhetoric.

I’m very open to discussing diversity and its various forms and applications, so going into this event, I was quite excited to be able to express my experiences and dive a little deeper into the ethics side of the diversity conversation. As the program went on, I was not disappointed. The presenter fostered several excellent conversations about topics such as prejudice, privilege,  and oppression, and even introduced some terminology I had never heard before. The most notable of these, to me, was the term “minoritized group,” something to be used in favor of the word “minority.” This was due to the possibility of minoritized groups not actually being a minority, but rather, a majority; yet, due to some characteristic or another, still being treated as a minority. I found the introduction of this term quite interesting purely due to its logicality: on a basic level, I am aware that certain groups are, indeed, not minorities but still minoritized, and I was surprised that I had never considered using such a term to refer to these groups before.

This presentation also served as an excellent catalyst for me to consider the effects of diversity in various aspects of my life; particularly, my role in the field of STEM. It is a well-known fact that overall, women are an underrepresented population in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Growing up, I was always the odd friend out in that I preferred science and math classes to my friends’ music and art, but in all honesty, I never gave much thought to the fact that my preferences weren’t exactly the most common for people like myself. Entering college, however, this has become much more clear. I sometimes glance around the classroom I’m in to see exactly who some of my peers are, and more often than not, I notice females being outrageously outnumbered by their male counterparts. Though some may expect me to be intimidated, I actually find this lack of diversity to be a source of encouragement for what I have set out to do: solidify my place as a female in the field of STEM that can perform just as well as any of my colleagues, and at the same time, improve the world’s technology for the better. However, I cannot say that this comes without any sort of frustration. The lack of gender diversity in STEM has also caused issues with people underestimating and doubting my abilities and knowledge because I am not part of the “norm”- or, in other words, because I am not male.

Increasing diversity in anything, much less a very large field in the workforce, is incredibly difficult. However, incredibly difficult is not the same thing as being impossible. Though the road to it may be long and difficult, I am very excited to see a future where there is no such thing as a “minoritized group,” and am confident that it will come sooner than anyone will expect.

Looking back, it’s incredibly weird for me to even consider that there was a time where I’d decided that I didn’t like physics. Even just a year ago, I likely never would even have considered attending a physics seminar of any type, much less one helmed by former United States Secretary of Energy and Nobel laureate Steven Chu.

But- as the saying goes- times change and people change, and that’s how I found myself in the middle of the 2019 edition of the annual Alpheus Smith Lecture, where Steven Chu was presenting on the issue of climate change in our world today.

In all honesty, it was quite the experience. Sitting in this lecture hall full of people who weren’t required to, but rather, wanted to come to a physics seminar on climate change, I was gladly reminded that there are lots of other people out there who are, indeed, actually interested in the same things I am. The fact that I had come with friends only added to the sentiment, and despite it seeming that there were more grad students and professionals in the crowd than undergrads, I didn’t feel out of place whatsoever.

Though the content wasn’t quite like what I was hoping it would be, I still found it interesting nonetheless. Glancing at the notes I took during the lecture, I’m surprised at the sheer number of topics covered in such a short amount of time. Dr. Chu spoke about everything from the concentrations of Carbon 12 and Carbon 14 in the atmosphere to the Impossible Burger to the effects of air pollution on human health, and I can easily say that I learned something interesting about each topic he mentioned. Admittedly, I wasn’t able to understand everything- I simply do not have near the amount of experience or knowledge about these topics that the average attendee did- but that didn’t discourage me from listening to what he was saying and trying to use critical thinking to figure it out.

One of the biggest questions to consider, however, is whether this presentation fit my expectations of what research is like in the field of physics. To that, I would have to say both yes and no: there are most certainly elements of physics involved in climate change; however, from what I could tell from the presentation given, the issue is mostly chemistry-based. As such, I was mildly surprised that climate change was the chosen topic for this year’s lecture.

This lecture was actually the second academic seminar I’ve attended this year, and I have to say, I very much enjoy them. There is so much to learn from such great minds in such a short amount of time, and even if I don’t necessarily understand everything the presenter is describing, I find the topic exposure and networking possibilities invaluable. That being said, I most definitely plan to attend more seminars like both of the ones I’ve been to already- they’re a welcome, yet still intellectually stimulating break from the rigor of daily classes, and I’m excited to see what topics I’ll learn about from them in the future.

Ah, the Engineering Expo. In the College of Engineering, its yearly presence is quite lauded; yet, due to its multi-hour long lines for certain companies’ booths, it simultaneously basks in infamy.

Looking back, it’s easy to laugh even now at how woefully underprepared I was for this first experience at the Engineering Expo. I had recently attended the Career and Internship Resource fair- an event that I quickly discovered was primarily meant for business majors- but since the Expo was still a career fair of sorts, I figured that it couldn’t be too different from the CIR fair… right?

Oh, was I wrong.

Compared to the CIR fair, which had a relatively calm and cool atmosphere, the Engineering Expo was an absolute madhouse. Every space in every room was packed, with students standing in and squirming through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, and the lines were- to put it mildly- insanely long. They wound up and down aisles, around corners, and in some cases, almost fully out of the room. Companies and students alike pitched themselves quickly and efficiently, and resumes exchanged hands almost immediately after.

To say the least, I was totally, completely, and fully overwhelmed.

So, I dove right in. I squeezed through the crowd in the Archie Griffin Ballroom, and, utilizing the knowledge I had gained from a prior ACM-W meeting, decided to speak to some smaller, lesser-known companies first instead of the “big ones” I knew would have the longest lines. Later, I headed down to the government-and-nonprofit room to speak with several companies and organizations there as well, and after my hour break between classes was up, headed back to my dorm to change and ready myself for a physics quiz.

Undoubtedly, the Engineering Expo provided me with more insight into the career- and internship-searching process than I ever imagined it would, especially since it was my first time attending. Among other things, it gave me an insight into just how competitive the field of engineering and just how dedicated the people in it are. In more than one case, I knew of a friend that stood waiting in line for two hours for the chance to speak with a representative for one of the “big companies”; a decision each said they regretted, since they lost the chance to speak with a higher number of companies. I also gained valuable experience when it came to pitching myself and my skills to a potential employer: several times I was asked to speak through my skills and what valuable things I could offer a given company without referencing my resume, which provided opportunities to refine my “spiel” in addition to thinking on my feet. Additionally, as the fair went on, it became abundantly clear that the tips I had received from ACM-W members- such as briefly researching a company before speaking to its representatives- were extremely valuable, and that utilizing them would help me better my presentation of myself to them as a potential candidate.

Overall, though it was incredibly overwhelming at first, I am very thankful that I chose to attend the Engineering Expo during this first semester of college. The knowledge I have gained from it has already aided me in several of my other ventures, and I have no doubt that it will continue to in the future.

At OSU, there is, undeniably, a plethora of opportunities to get involved in the thousands of student organizations on campus.

Unfortunately for me, however, most of those opportunities seem to take place on Wednesdays from 6-8 PM- a crucial study and decompression period after my busiest day of classes.

Having been here for about a month, I figured it was time to finally get involved. After consulting the meeting hours of several organizations, however, I began to lose hope: it seemed that every org met during the exact times I couldn’t, and eventually, I resolved myself to the fact that I’d have to wait until next semester to join a student organization I was actually interested in. It wasn’t until- ironically enough- a couple of my male friends recommended ACM-W to me that I really started to look into the organization. I was nervous, but it seemed like something that I would like, so I decided to go to a meeting to audit it. 

Before attending, one of my biggest worries had been what the other members’ personalities would be like- would they be social, or less open to meeting new people? Would they be interested in things other than coding? Most of all, though, would they like me? 

The moment I stepped into Dreese 264, however, my fears were instantly assuaged. Other members immediately made an effort to get to know me, and as the meeting went on, I knew this was an organization I wanted to be a part of. We talked about what it was like being a woman in STEM, shared our stories of discrimination based on gender, and in light of the upcoming Engineering Expo, shared tips on how to speak with potential employers and structure our résumés to make them as strong as possible. One of my favorite tips had to do with wanting to speak with a company, but not knowing quite what they do: according to an older member, if you don’t know what a company does or have never heard of them, stand relatively near to their booth and do some quick Google searching before walking over to speak with them as if you’d always known what they did. At the Engineering Expo the next day, I was actually able to apply many of the things I learned from this meeting when I spoke with various recruiters, and I have no doubt that they aided me in leaving a stronger impression than I would have otherwise. 

Overall, I’ve absolutely loved my experience with ACM-W so far. Everyone, from the general members to the leaders, is incredibly inclusive and supportive of one another, and truly wants success for all, both professionally and personally. Since going to my first meeting, I’ve also attended the organization’s first annual Eating With Industry event, which was an excellent opportunity to network with semi-local companies, such as 84.51, and companies that are less so, such as Google. With an experience as excellent as the one I’m already having, I absolutely cannot wait to see where being involved with ACM-W takes me- even if it does end up being on a Wednesday from 6-8 PM sometimes.

As the oldest child in my family, I’ve always been extremely independent. Oftentimes, this meant that I would learn how to do things on my own, which my parents would then expect me to teach to my siblings. This independence very much translated to my academic life as well. I always managed to figure out various topics by myself, and thanks to the ego boost that came in the form of “wow, you’re smart!” I actually became quite averse to asking for help from anyone. I wanted to be known as the girl who always knew the answer, not the girl who needed help finding it.

This was fine until my sophomore year of high school, when I took my very first chemistry class. I’d heard that Mr. Gray’s class was difficult, but I- to put it colloquially- blew off those warnings, figuring that I could go along as I had been with no issue.

In short: I was very wrong. I struggled with that class more than ever before, and after weeks of floundering and a nearly-failed test, I found that I had no options other than to swallow my pride and do what I’d been avoiding forever: ask my teacher what was going on in this class. To my surprise, the actual process wasn’t nearly as difficult as I’d imagined, and after the awkwardness of this new-to-me-thing wore off, I attended these “extra time extra help” sessions through the rest of my high school career. As a result, my grades- and more importantly, my understanding of the content- vastly improved.

Visiting the Math and Statistics Learning Center (MSLC) on campus was a step toward overcoming the same obstacle- only, this time, it was at college. I’d never completely understood how to approach a problem that contained a limit approaching infinity, and with a midterm with them on it rapidly approaching, I decided that it was the perfect time to make my first visit. I came prepared with some practice problems just in case, and within 5 minutes of sitting down and placing my card in the notification stand, a tutor was there to help. We worked through some of them together- he guiding and I following- and before I knew it, I was solving them on my own, with little to no trouble at all. He answered any questions I had without any hint of frustration or hesitation, and I can confidently say that his patience with my “dumb” questions is one of the largest reasons that I understood these problems so quickly.

I’m still incredibly surprised that my MSLC tutor helped me understand such a difficult topic so quickly, and I am certain that I will make many more visits to the facility in the future. I’m also considering applying to be a tutor there in the next year: I already love helping people, and explaining and answering others’ questions about a subject helps me study as well. That, therefore, would make the position beneficial to both myself and the person I tutor.

Overall, learning that there’s no shame in asking for help has resulted in an impressive amount of personal and academic growth, and while it has been humbling, it has also been a very positive experience. The sheer amount of resources available at Ohio State to do so is overwhelming, and I’m excited to be able to utilize nearly all of them in the coming years.