As part of the Science Scholars program here at Parkland, I had the opportunity to fly out to San Diego from Oct. 2-4 for the annual S-STEM Scholars conference to network with the 1,000+ other STEM scholars and present my research.
Through various breakout sessions, networking events, career fairs and much more, I made lasting connections and gained valuable knowledge to help me grow academically and personally.
Professional Workshops
During the opening session, the speaker introduced us to San Diego, facilitated fun icebreaker-type activities for us to get to know each other, and explained the schedule in detail, leading us into the next session on the agenda, the workshops.
Throughout the conference, there were various workshop sessions held where students could choose what session they wanted to attend and learn more about. For example, there were options such as learning how to take advantage of financial opportunities while in college, how to build a professional brand through LinkedIn and personal websites, and how to develop a portfolio for engineering and computer science students.
I chose the latter two options to attend during my time at the conference. Through them, I learned valuable skills such as crafting an effective headline, sections in LinkedIn, how to showcase my projects, and working through a personal website to assist with job searching.
Teaching the sessions were experienced faculty and staff who had learned much about their topic through their own experience and through their trials and errors. They made sure to include plenty of time for questions, allowing us students to ask whatever was on our minds.
Additional Memorable Events
In addition to these breakout sessions, the conference hosted various other events such as a networking event for students to meet other students in the same field of study. Through it, I was able to meet with students similar to me and see all of the work they were doing in their own schools.
Additionally, I attended the career, education and poster fair where I was introduced to fellow student’s cutting-edge research, learned about various internship and research opportunities for the next summer, and heard about various graduate school programs and how I could fit into them.
At the fair, they also hosted a “genius bar” where students could meet with professors and get advice from. I met with a physics professor, who spoke with me on various topics such as how to manage my time better, how to improve my application materials for research experiences and internships, and maximizing my experience in college.
What stuck with me most from our conversation was his emphasis on finding what I was passionate and interested in pursuing. He related this to his own experience and opened up about how much he enjoyed his current position, and how that gave him a reason to look forward to each new day and just enjoy his life.
Departure and Reflections
Although my time there was brief, I learned so much valuable information and met so many interesting people that truly made the experience special.
Hearing from students and professors from all across the country made me realize how much exciting and innovative work was being done in computer science, biology, mathematics, and much more.
Additionally, I was able to ask experienced workers and researchers about career advice and learn about the opportunities I can pursue once I graduate. I was even able to get a professional headshot!
While the trip home was bittersweet, I am truly grateful to the Science Scholars and S-STEM REC initiatives for hosting this conference and allowing me to attend it. If anyone reading this has a similar opportunity, I would encourage you to go for it! It truly is an amazing time to learn and grow.
