Tell us a little bit about the Goldwater Scholarship and what inspired you to apply.
The Goldwater Scholarship is an undergraduate scholarship awarded to sophomores and juniors who want to pursue research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, and/or engineering. During my sophomore year, my research advisor, Christopher Arumainayagam, heavily encouraged me to apply. Then, during my junior year, he, along with my McNair advisors Teo and Jocelyne, encouraged me to reapply. 

How did your time at Wellesley shape your interests, or encourage you along this path? Your professors? Career Education?
I love this question because it touches on a theme I wrote about in my Goldwater application. Wellesley College is such an amazing and unique place. The professors are so supportive and hands-on and wonderful. I remember coming into Wellesley, I felt very out of place and lost. I knew I wanted to do chemistry, and I thought about pursuing research — but had no exposure or any idea what exactly that would entail. During the second semester of my first year, I joined Professor A.’s lab. I was in over my head, but older lab members assured me that it was really just pushing buttons and that I would be okay. After working in the lab for the summer, I fell in love. Research challenges me to approach problems in new ways and perhaps find new solutions. Throughout my coursework, I was able to narrow down the type of chemistry that interests me most — organic chemistry. I remember taking an advanced organic chemistry seminar with Professor Dora my sophomore year and being amazed by all the different molecules chemists can make and the wide variety of career paths available. The chemistry department has always done an amazing job of bringing different speakers to the college to share their stories, and through these talks, I’ve gotten to explore a world completely unknown to me before Wellesley. All of my professors, mentors, and the wonderful folks at Career Education have shaped my path. They always believed in me even on the days that I didn’t believe in myself and without any of them, I do not think I would be where I am today. To them, thank you.

What did you learn or gain from going through the application process?
To be completely honest and transparent, this application is long and hard. My first time completing the application, I struggled with making it feel genuine and authentic. This second time around, I had to have lots of hard conversations with my mentors and advisors and with myself to figure out how to answer the prompts. I learned a lot about what I want for myself in the future. I also learned how to communicate my story in a way that felt true to me. Plus, I now have lots of material to help build other fellowship and graduate school applications

What would you say to encourage your Wellesley sibs to apply? Do you have any advice for them?
If you can see yourself in a research career — apply! That alone makes you a wonderful fit for the Goldwater.I know that the application process can seem really daunting, but if you break it into smaller tasks and start early, it becomes manageable. My biggest piece of advice is to schedule appointments with the Fellowships office ahead of time to serve as a deadline.

What most excites you about this opportunity?
The Goldwater Scholarship has already opened a lot of doors for me. I remember the week following the foundation’s announcement — I received emails from different directors of graduate school programs and emails from directors of other scholarship programs that I am apart of. I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to see what other opportunities it leads to.