Storytellers are at the heart of the unCommission. Hear directly from young people across the United States about their personal experience with STEM learning.
The following is a small sampling of what we are hearing through the unCommission and will be updated frequently.
Kayla (she/her/hers), 29, Oklahoma
“The professor, Dr. Rita Miller, gave me a tour of the lab and explained how her research could help contribute to the fields understanding of cell division and diseases like cancer. I was absolutely captivated by this idea.”
Anonymous (she/her/hers), 17, California
“When I stepped into Biology, I remember how happy, excited and reassuring the teacher was.”
Courtney (she/her/hers), 26, Tennessee
“Being surrounded by a community of like-minded students with a passionate teacher from junior to senior year enable me to pursue fish biology and botany as a focus in my college courses.”
Franklin (he/him/his), 20, New York
“I would be lying if I said I understood everything but I was proficient enough that I found myself often helping my peers with solving problems on homework and studying for exams.”
Joseph (he/him/his), 29, New York
“My Chemistry teacher always tried to make the material relevant, and his experiments were always full of creativity”
Vanessa (she/her), 26, New York
“And then he talked about the image, he said, you know, most of you have some old white guy in lab coats. But really, you could have just written a self portrait, and I thought that was really cool.”
Karla (she/her/hers), 19, Texas
“My algebra and my precalculus teacher who showed me that there was much more to teachers than just academics. They showed me that when you let students know that you care they will try their best.”
Denise (she/her/hers), 22, Tennessee
“I did NOT like STEM because I felt excluded and inadequate but secretly I was fascinated and trying my best.”
Anonymous (he/him/his), 25, Texas
“What Mrs. S taught me all those years ago was that it’s alright to be lost and directionless, or feel as if the world is stacked against you because of who you are, or where you live. As long as you keep going, ask questions, and surround yourself with people who motivate you, you’ll one day turn around, look back, and see how far you’ve come.”
Markus (he/him/his), 26, Minnesota
“[The assistant principal] pointed me out and said, ‘I seen you skipping class in the hallway’… she [had] mistaken me for someone else…And I happen to look like one of them.”
Peyton (she/her/hers), 23, Louisiana
“I’m thankful to Dr. C for kind of introducing me to science in an applicable way…That really kind of solidified the idea in my head that I was going to pursue my career in science, and I was going to learn how the world works.”
Taina (she/her/hers), 20, Florida
“This drive is still in my heart today and inspires me daily to become a creative educator that can inform people about climate change, while empowering them with solutions towards our united goal of living in a better place.”
