Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy!

Outside of my love for dolphins, I can probably dedicate my love for science to an addiction to the Magic School Bus. It’s probably the main reason I got a 3 on my AP biology exam and sometime when I am having a stressful day, I turn on my Netflix account and allow myself to get lost in the human body, space or whatever scientific world Miss Frizzle’s class is exploring for the next 30 min.

This weekend I went back to my alma matter University of Delaware, for my sorority founders day luncheon and to give an invited talk on STEM diversity and Inclusion (More on this at a later date.) As a part of the panel, the participants were asked what advice we would give to the younger members of the sorority (freshman and sophomore) for the remainder of their time at the university. The first thing I thought of was Miss Frizzle’s most famous tag line: “Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!” This effectively sums up how I have approached my career thus far from pursuing different research and internship opportunities to moving from state to state for different degree programs.

I would include starting this blog as a taking a chance. I have a tendency to start projects and not finish them and there was a possibility that this blog would end up by the way side with the journal I attempt to start every year or the 5 rows of knitting stitches that I have been meaning to complete into a blanket. Deciding to write about current events in the STEM world and diversity issues, was another chance that I took. Being vocal about the ivory tower and trying to change the structure from within can be trying and can affect your career. It’s why up until a few days ago. I was writing this blog anonymously just in case I said something too political and got myself into trouble. But the moment I told those undergraduate women to follow “The Frizz’s” advice, I realized that I was not taking neither “The Frizz’s” nor my own advice. So as of today I have connected myself to the blog both by name and by twitter accounts and if I happen to get flack/fall out/kickback for my opinions at school, so be it.