Tuesday, April 18th

    The overall reflective story that I want to convey with my portfolio is one that demonstrates the bridge between what it means to be a chemist and what it means to be a creative writer. 

    For the first few years, I looked at my minor in writing practices as a sort of escape from the world of STEM. Writing was a place that cultivated communication, fostered communication skills outward and inward, encouraged me to learn what failure truly meant, and many more skills that I felt I was lacking. My degree in Chemistry, however, taught me skills in critical thinking, surveying and gathering information from dense texts, the ability to rapidly problem solve, and how to be confident in my answers even if I lacked the confidence in myself. 

    It wasn't until I was much further in my academic career that I noticed that the two things weren't separate entities, but each section fed into the other. Chemistry absolutely influences the way I read, absorb and write on a daily basis. Writing influences the way I approach conversations with myself and others. With this portfolio, I want to show these halves of the same coin working in tandem, especially since without one I wouldn't be where I am today.