Each Fall, FOCUS sends interested students to the SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference, a whirlwind weekend of inspiring and engaging programing for current undergrads, graduate students, and professionals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. SACNAS celebrates STEM diversity by combining cutting-edge science with training, mentoring, and cultural activities to provide a powerful and unforgettable professional experience. This year 7 FOCUS members and biology Professor Daniel Hernandez (the Winter 2020 cohort mentor) attended the SACNAS conference, held in Salt Lake City, UT. Through the North Star STEM Alliance, funded by the NSF’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) grant program, and with funding from the College, all Carleton and FOCUS students were fully funded for travel and conference fees.
Laura Savage:
I overall had a very pleasant experience at the SACNAS conference. I really appreciated how despite being a formal event, it was not intimidating at all and pretty relaxed. There were plenty of things to do, a market, nearby food, and I felt much invited to attend any of the events. There were many workshops/talks to help undergraduate students feel more comfortable with applying to internships and graduate programs and even more specific issues such as understanding financing one’s own budget and ways to approach imposter syndrome. Since I could not attend all of the events, I chose to attend more of the science-based talks which were approximately hour and a half sessions, and they were great! Some were confusing, but one would still be able to acquire an important message from them or inspiration. From a chemistry talk I attended, while not understanding the exact dynamics of the projects, I appreciated the graduate students’ mention of their involvement with outreach programs and their importance along with how that could assist with entry into graduate school. My favorite talk was a geology-based presentation that ranged in discussion from the comparison of dinosaur bone cells with tree rings to ‘magneto’ bacteria that could possibly indicate something about past warming trends and our current-day dealings with global warming.
There was also the grad fair which I much appreciated because I was able to speak with many representatives, and understand more about summer internships to apply for before graduate school as well as understand, more specifically, many focus areas of the graduate programs. My interest currently lies with computer science and while there were not many explicit programs mentioned for that department, I appreciated the interdisciplinary layout of the programs allowing the incorporation of many aspects of computer science. I also very much enjoyed the keynote speakers during lunch in being able to experience important messages of their encounters with adversity through their life journeys/stories. Also, the food and presentation were very much enjoyable to my surprise. Upon leaving, I really did experience a sense of diversity and enjoyed being surrounded by those from other backgrounds as well as my own backgrounds.
Busayo:
I will forever remember SACNAS as one of the single most important events in my science career. Attending this conference was incredibly useful because I gained a more comprehensive understanding of both traditional and non-traditional careers in science. The professional development sessions were especially useful for me, as I gained insight into applying for graduate school and jobs through panels led by admissions staff and faculty from various institutions and companies. Additionally, I was able to spend several hours talking 1 on 1 with various professors, other professionals, and program coordinators about what they were presenting at their booths. During this time, I received an information overload and I was able to do some networking as well!
I first heard about SACNAS over a year ago, but I had never strongly considered attending. If it weren’t for the opportunity provided directly from the FOCUS program, I would have completely missed out on a such a monumental experience.
Maya:
Attending the SACNAS conventions was incredibly useful for me. During the convention, I connected with several universities looking to bring in Latino and Native students for research projects. Knowing that these colleges and universities are specifically interested in students like me has given me the confidence to apply to REUs I would not have otherwise. The keynote address by Tyrone Hayes was also incredibly helpful to me. Tyrone Hayes described how he used his research to fight against the destruction of the environment and environmental racism, which gave me an idea of what I want to do as a career in the future. The talks I attended also pointed me towards potential career options, as well as programs designed to aid Latino and Native students in getting their PhDs. Getting to attend the SACNAS convention has helped me to plan for my future as a student in STEM.