Persistence and vulnerability in Action

This semester and last have been particularly hard for me but I feel as if my life has become ten times more fulfilling and it pushes me to keep going forward. This previous fall, I started at ASU after slowly obtaining my associate's degree from Phoenix College. The workload has inscreased, along with a move, and many other life changes. I have been stuck on getting what I get and not throwing a fit. Asking professors for any kind of help has always felt like a hard thing to do. But lately, I have had to ask for help. The workload had gotten to me and I was turning in less than stellar work. I felt like a failure. I knew lots of people ask for extensions but I didn't want to lay my heart out to my professors. Last week, my lab partner and I had a hard time understanding the statistics side of our research. I had already accepted in my heart that we would get a really bad grade. She, on the other hand, immediately emailed the professor asking for an extension. I honestly thought we did not deserve the extension since we had all of spring break to work on the assignment, and we didn't. I had once reached out to her because I thought I might have Covid so I missed one lab. She emailed me back saying that if the test returned negative, she would not be able to excuse my absence and I would not be able to make up the lab. It was negative, so I lost 30 points. It was clear to me that she would not budge this time around either. To my surprise, the professor did allow us an extension and even got together with us to explain the results and to help us interpret them correctly. Vulnerability. Persistence. I have read countless books about asking others for help, heard the podcasts, preached it to everyone that needed to hear it.. yet, I didn't allow myself to be vulnerable and I had quit after one failure. I was so stuck on my box of perfection that I even thought I was not deserving of the opportunity. This week, I spoke with another professor about my less-than-stellar lab notebook. And, she gave me a second chance to improve my work! It's definitely not easy to ask for help. But I have to admit it, sometimes I do need help. And it is okay to not understand things the first time. Have a wonderful week everyone. If you want to grow, keep growing by stay vulnerable. Here's a cute picture of the wildlife I spotted during an ecology lab outing:

This Week...

This week, I have been working hard at settling into my new place. I just moved less than two weeks ago. And the highlight of my week was receiving my brand-new washer and dryer. My mom came and helped me to receive the delivery and informed me she would be moving closer to my new place in a couple of months. This was music to my ears as I could really use her help with the house and the kids. She loves cooking and that is something I have not been able to do much lately. Moving disrupted my schedule and it has been hard to do much of anything normal, like cooking. Also because of this move, I’m starting to think I really don’t need a television in my room. A bookshelf would probably get more use than a television. Not having a television in my room has also pushed me to read more. This past week, I have been trying to read the assigned book, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, even if it’s just five minutes a day before bed. It has been hard for me to read for longer than that because I am usually worn out by the end of the day, and I feel that this book deserves a fresh mind to truly understand the author and to absorb the material. I had previously seen the videos because of a different practical skills class from the past. And although I do see the value in the messages and remember those from time to time, the book has been the most valuable this past month. Whenever I do read it, it motivates me so much to be brave in my endeavors that I feel like staying up all night and launching a business. It’s rather hard to stop myself because there are things that I want to do and I know I can do them. With my skills and the motivation obtained from reading the book, it’s hard to remember I can do all things…but just not at the same time. It has been hard to pace myself but while pursuing a degree in STEM, patience and perseverance have been instrumental to staying in school. Have a wonderful week. And, thanks for reading.

Growth vs. Fixed Mindsets

Personally, I feel that I tend to have a growth mindset. But, every once in a while, the fixed mindset tends to creep in and tries to wreak havoc. Throughout my educational journey, my mind has learned to become more malleable and looks for ways to address issues that I encounter. For example, a few years ago, I greatly desired to go back to school but was working full time. I had also just had a baby and have two other older children at home. They needed me to take them to their after-school activities, feed them, and to make them dinner. I simply did not have the time. But, the desire to go to school was so great that I decided I would find a way, one way or another. Ultimately, I was able to transfer to a community college closer to my job and was able to attend one class during my lunch break two days a week. It might not seem like much, but that one class propelled me to eventually quit my job and attend school full-time. For months I was stuck on the fixed mindset that if it’s not easy, then I must not be able to do it. But when the desire to improve ourselves is so great, most everyone (I believe) will find a way to change that mindset and make their dreams come true. I believe we all have the ability to change our mindset when we truly desire it. Yes, we go thru life with some misconceptions and beliefs. But we have the ability to change and evolve.

College life- Transferring into a career

There are traits that I have acquired throughout college that I hope to carry on to my career upon graduation. Three of those traits are resiliency, honesty, and balance. There have been many obstacles on my way to be where I am in my education journey. At one point, I was working full time. There was no time to go to college. And I couldn't stop working since I would be left without a way to pay for a babysitter. I wanted my education so bad, that I enrolled at a college closer to my work so I could go to one lecture during my lunch break. So, I did. I went for lecture two times a week during my lunch break and on monday nights to lab. It was only one class but it propelled me to pursue leaving my job and enrolling full time. Honesty is something I have valued all thru my life. But in college, I have seen the rewards of being honest with others the most. Professors are more willing to work with a student if they are honest and forthcoming. In my future career, I hope to be honest with my superiors whenever I need help. Balance has been a constant struggle with college life and family. I feel as if I finally have reached a point where I can freely say no to other commitments to be able to do homework. Being able to say no to certain social engagements has allowed me time to finish my homework comfortably so I can attend family events as they come up. I look forward to carrying on to my future career much more than just book smarts. Traits that will help me succeed in life are also learned in college.

My future dream career

This is my junior year pursuing my degree in science. My official degree is bachelor degree in pharmacology/ toxicology. In the future, I would like to do research with the help of my degree. It seems very interesting to be able to manipulate genes in plants to create more sustainable and tolerant food crops to feed the world. Recently I learned a bit about Norman Borlaug. He bred certain types of wheat to create a short stemmed class of wheat that helped agriculture tremendously. It seems amazing to me how one scientist can help the farmers of this world without being a farmer himself. I have a great amount of respect for the farmers who put food on our tables and would love to help them feed the world.

Reflections On My Online Presence

This week I have been thinking about the kind of image that I would like to portray online. Recently, I have created a Wix website at the prompt of my STEM professor. And, I realize I would like to have more research under my belt. I am in my second semester of organic chemistry, so I feel as if I still don't understand much of what I could bring to a research team. Ultimately, I will just jump into it. I wish to learn and that will be exactly what I will bring to the table, a clean slate. I am now looking for research opportunities and will update here once I do get a position somewhere. I will do so because I don't just want to have something to beef up my website, I want the experience more than anything. Have a great week! -Wendy

My Online Presence

Like most people, I have social media. I am aware some prospective employers check social media platforms to check on the profiles of prospective employees. But I have never been too worried about my own profiles. As a rule of thumb, I tend to stay away from talking about politics or other controversial topics when online AND when in person. I acknowledge the most people have differing viewpoints and experiences which might affect the way they feel and defend their viewpoints. I have seen and felt the strenght of some individuals passion towards certain issues, and it has scared me at times. This and my need to feel accepted tend to push me into only posting positive, uplifting messages. I usually post pictures of my children and of nature. This is truly how I feel on the inside as well since the things that bring me the most joy are family and nature.