Shad Reflection

I have shadowed two physicians during my pre-medical years. These experiences have significantly shaped the type of physician I want to be in the future. Not in the sense of a medical specialty, but rather in the sense of demonstrating a clear compassion and understanding for my patients.

As a STEM student in the Biomedical pathway I am constantly introduced to new forms of science every single day, which is certainly a privilege because as a STEM student I am exposed to new ways of learning which aren’t covered in a typical classroom setting. In fact, Science is my favorite subject because it’s a constantly evolving subject that is responsible for the fluidity of earths processes. Moreover, my interest to increase my knowledge base leads to my interest in the Science aspect of the Governor’s Honor Program.

I am the founder and president of the SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Chapter at my school, and I've helped create SADD chapters at other middle and high schools in multiple school districts. Currently, there are about 40 students in my SADD chapter. I started my SADD group my freshman year, so I have been involved with my SADD group for almost three years now.

In undergrad, I volunteered my time as a teacher for the Saturday Science Academy on the campus of Charles R. Drew University. My work with the high school students reminded me that to make a difference, you must first care about the individual and understand their circumstances. The Saturday Science

For my cooperative practice in AHS 393, I interned at Indiana State University’s Student Health Promotion (SHP). SHP operates under Student Affairs as a part of the Student Counseling Center to create and promote a healthy college community. They focus on encouraging students to identify the benefits of, need for, healthy lifestyle choices through the promotion of comprehensive mind/body wellness, timely marketing, ongoing direct interactions and by supporting a community that enables these choices. My supervisor was Janet Weatherly, the associate director of SHP. My main duty and favorite part of my co-op was running their Motivational Monday programs. Each Monday we tabled in HMSU to talk to the student walking by about a different health topics and resources. Overall, I really enjoyed my co-op. I loved interacting and making a difference right here in my local community. No two days were ever the same! My only wish was if we could have stayed and done more programs.

(Brief Overview) Last year, I won Career Pathway Showcase at the SkillsUSA State conference, which led me to compete at the National SkillsUSA conference. My project was focusing on the skills gap in our workforce. My solution to this problem was to implement skills and careers in young students, from grades first to twelfth. Specifically, I used a program called Jump Into STEM!, which is a SkillsUSA created and State Farm sponsored curriculum. I continue to use this in my community to help others.

I am currently a STEM Specialist at the Student Center for Science Engagement (SCSE) at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), a Hispanic Serving Institution and Liberal Arts College. Prior to NEIU I have an extensive experience in computational chemistry research via my postdoctoral tenure and have demonstrated a commitment to mentoring in the STEM disciplines. Although my extensive experience as a computational researcher and my work in STEM education have provided me with the tools to positively contribute to various sectors in science and research, such as, academia, industry and government, my leadership skills are deficient. If granted the opportunity to participate in this esteem program I will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to contribute effectively through leadership.

Before I came to the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, my world was small. I had never been exposed to the multiple STEM opportunities such as science fair, research, or university professors. I realized how fortunate I was to have such resources, and want to expose more young students to them. There are many underprivileged students in Denton ISD who don’t have access to STEM programs. I helped bridge this gap of educational opportunity by becoming a mentor for Aspire Mentorship, a program that promotes research among younger students to inspire them in the STEM fields. I mentored two middle school girls, a 7th and an 8th grader, through a research project from brainstorming ideas to conducting data analysis to their final presentation at the Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

The Sidney A. Ribeau President’s Leadership Academy is something that helps change students’ lives so that they may change others. They value integrity, service, credibility, and learning. It strives to create student leaders that can change the world. I believe I am destined to be one of those people. I know, everyone says they want to change the world. Everyone wants to be the hero. But most people don’t want to work for it. They want a Noble Peace Prize dropped into their hands, no work required. I believe that you have to work for what you want. And I will. I will strive to embody the values the PLA has, each and every day. I have always lived my life for others. I will put others first, and continue to volunteer throughout the community. I will genuine, true, and honest. I will be a credible leader, someone who people can trust and learn from. And, I will continue to learn. One can never learn everything there is to learn about life, but I can try. I will learn how to lead so that I can make a difference in children’s

Coming into this class I really wanted to grow my understanding and comfort discussing disabilities. I have been involved in Special Olympics since I got here and have made some friends who have disabilities. I have always found myself being slightly guarded/ concerned about what to say and how I have talked to both the athletes and my friends. I was always concerned that I was going to do something offensive and I think that limited my relationships. So I decided to take this class.

In a small rural community, it’s difficult to access the resources needed fulfill your academic explorations and extracurricular studies. To advance your ideas and projects to the next level, you need likeminds to collaborate with. While I’ve found my community and home to be inspiring and supportive, I do identify with a need to explore and go beyond, to seek further opportunities and peers who share my drive to build, think, improve, and discover. The SHAD program will aid in investigating my ideas and concepts to their furthest potential.

The differing personalities of the two co-founders of STEM Academy at Union High School, Melody Gao and I were essential to the success of our organization. In my sophomore year of high school, I founded a club called STEM Academy with my close friend, Melody, to promote science to elementary school students ranging from kindergarten to 5th graders. It was created as a fairly female dominated club because we wanted young girls to see role models and let them know it’s normal for girls to be interested and good at science. We started our first year volunteering at our nearest elementary school, with approximately 60 students attending, by conducting two to three experiments or demonstrations within a two-hour block. By our senior year, we had

When I first started experimenting with shadows I did not include a person as the subject. In order to add a personal and emotional element to my photos I decided to include a model. In concentration #1, I used a model and I wanted to create a unique shadow on her so I used a sushi roller mat which created the lines on her face. After this piece I realized I enjoy reflecting unique things on people so I continued with that strategy. Through this concentration process I tried multiple techniques in order to combine a person, shadow and reflection. With concentration #10, I tried to do something different and create my own reflection. I photoshopped trees onto the model’s arm. I thought this related to my concentration because it looked as if

During my placement within SIHMDS, I encountered a variety of different staff groups both within the laboratories and outside the laboratories that played a role in relation to biomedical scientists and pathology as a whole.

The youth of society customarily fall victim to stress which is the number one leading cause of death including but not limited to heart disease, cancer, accidents, and suicide. Uniquely, AVID is a program that prepares students for college and allows one to be more successful by way of forced organization and unwanted stress, which are unneeded elements for a life of joy. In addition, AVID helps us explore college campuses crucial for our bright future. Even though AVID has helped me achieve the teen experience in numerous ways, many assert that everyone still has room for improvement and change. Similarly, AVID hides the truth in students as they claim there is always something one can change when in reality the