Ashley (she/her/hers), 22, New York

“I saw the power that math had to bring me closer to my peers, and relate to people with backgrounds far different from my own.”

Zahria (she/her/hers), 19, Missouri

“I just loved the idea of making observations, recording data, putting on my little lab coat and goggles.”

Carolina (she/her/hers), 18, Texas

“I started believing in my abilities regarding science and math thanks to their daily support and impulse.”

Madison (she/her/hers), 20, Maine

“The thought of being able to inspire and encourage students is what drives me.”

Anonymous (he/him/his), 23, New York

“Her energy, motivation, and her love for math basically rubbed off on me to love math as well.”

Paige (she/her/hers), 16, Pennsylvania

“As I entered into the robotics and programming type of work, I thought I was not prepared or even not good enough for some of the challenges against me, but I thankfully had amazing mentors that guided me and helped me through it all.”

Anonymous (he/him/his), 25, Texas

“Thankfully, our teachers were always trying their best to educate us, whether it be through videos, or trying to explain to us in layman’s terms the intricacies of oxidative phosphorylation, population genetics, and even chemistry!”

Storyteller: Kelly (she/her/hers), 22, New York

“As a child I was fascinated with many fields of STEM I have always loved science for as long as I can remember but was always told only smart people can achieve science and was told I could never achieve a career a science.”

Sophia (she/her/hers), 23, Pennsylvania

“I realized I never wanted to work in another field because STEM includes a little bit of everything: creativity, hands-on work and learning, community engagement, and just a little bit of knowledge and talent.”

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.”