Ben, a mySTEM Scholar, is currently a senior in high school and on track to graduate this May while also earning his associate’s degree from Utah Valley University. He is a passionate student with a clear vision for his future. He plans to attend Utah State University to study wildlife ecology and management in the fall. His educational pursuits are driven by his love for understanding life and how ecosystems function. To Ben, science is essential because it helps us understand our world and make meaningful changes where they are needed.
Q1: Describe your motivation for joining mySTEM.
My mom was the one that found the program for me and she believed it was a great opportunity because I love STEM. She wanted me to expand upon my interests and wanted me to find new ways that I can improve myself.
I felt really excited when I discovered that I became a mySTEM member. I knew this would be a great opportunity and I was excited to see how I could grow as part of this cohort.
Q2: Describe your mySTEM action plan in detail. How did you choose this particular topic in your project?
Last year, my Action Plan was to use the Micro STEM Fest kits from the Utah STEM Action Center and the Creative Learning Lab at UVU to hold a STEM night at the Provo Library. I organized the event and recruited people to help set up the Micro STEM Fest. We had 10 different stations with various activities, and we had a lot of fun playing and learning about STEM with the kids at the library.
This year, I realized that my school’s Science Olympiad Club was not very strong. I loved Science Olympiad because it gave me an outlet for my scientific interests, so I wanted to make a change. Our club didn’t meet very often, we didn’t have much of a plan, and the teachers weren’t able to help us as much as we needed.
For my Action Plan this year, I worked on organizing the club by recruiting more members and planning service activities to raise awareness while also serving our community. Those were my action plans for last year and this year.
In fifth grade, I attended a summer camp at a community center where one of the activities was robotics. I was so excited, it was the first time I had ever worked with robots. They were LEGO EV3 robots, and I had a lot of fun. I shared this experience with my mom, and through 4-H, I learned about a robot sumo competition. That was the first time my mind was opened to what STEM could do, and it sparked a passion in me. Since then, I’ve wanted to create that same experience for others.
Q3: In what ways has your mySTEM mentor contributed to the development and successful completion of your Action Plan? What are some ways that you feel like mentors and other scholars were able to help you succeed?
From my perspective, my mentors have been incredibly supportive. They offer help, especially when it comes to communication and figuring out what needs to be done. They guide me through the process of creating my Action Plan and help me find something I’m truly interested in.
Having a mentor is really important to me because they provide a guiding force in my life, helping me make good decisions that will benefit my future.
Q4: What measurable impact have you already observed as a result of your efforts? What are your aspirations for the future of your project?
A quantitative result of my participation in the mySTEM program, along with the work I accomplished before joining, is that I was able to reach over 500 kids and adults and bring STEM experiences to them. Even if they had already been exposed to STEM or were actively involved, I know I helped create engaging experiences that made them excited to learn each time.
I plan to study wildlife ecology and management. I believe this is an incredibly important field because understanding ecosystems is essential to protecting our world. One thing I gained from this project that I hope to continue is bringing education to people in informal ways that help them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
I hope to continue organizing activities where I visit schools and libraries to help kids learn about the world around them. I want to show them how amazing our world is and help them realize that they can make a difference in their own lives.
Q5: Do you believe that your participation in the mySTEM program has facilitated the growth of your STEM identity?
I think it started with 4-H and has continued through mySTEM. I’ve realized that instead of being a bystander, watching others create things or hearing about people writing research papers while feeling like I haven’t done much, I can make a difference.
I’ve learned that I can make an impact simply by sharing my experiences and my enthusiasm for analyzing and understanding the world. Even though I may not be the person inventing the newest products or developing the latest techniques to solve major issues, I know I can still make a difference by helping others feel included in and excited about the STEM community.
