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Para la Naturaleza es una unidad del Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico dedicado a la conservación de espacios con alto valor ecológico de las islas de Puerto Rico. Por más de 50 años la organización sin fines de lucro ha educado e impactado a través de experiencias educativas, voluntarias y de ciencia ciudadana a diversos públicos y audiencias de diferentes edades, intereses y trasfondos académicos.

Growing up in Guam, we are always surrounded by nature–whether picnicking with family by the beach, hiking with friends on a Saturday, or admiring the sunset views from a favorite restaurant in Tumon. Yet, despite this constant immersion in nature, our environmental science classes rarely include locally relevant examples. In middle school and biology classes, I learned scientific concepts through examples from various states in the U.S., but it was not until taking an Environmental Biology course that I encountered biology through locally relevant examples.

Before the STEM Ambassador Program, my skills were mostly tailored to field work capabilities which would include scuba diving, mainly coral disease treatment since it is currently the work that I am doing; although I have not had much engagement in sharing my knowledge or information on the work that I do to the community. Through the STEM Ambassador Program, I was able to gain designing, immersion, and engaging skills in order to create my own engagement activity for the community.

The Yap States in Micronesia, an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, is renowned for its vibrant community and cultural heritage. For this engagement activity, the focal group consisted of elementary school teachers from across the Yap States. The workshop was held at the Yap Department of Education (DOE) in partnership with the University of Guam.

When I discovered the field of synthetic biology and a lab to work in my first year of college, I thought I was the luckiest person alive. I couldn’t believe that I could participate in building new knowledge.

Science is precious, Science is present in everything in the life, at all stages. Life is not the same for everyone, for various reasons, place of birth, upbringing, social status, economic status, languages, among other factors. Not everyone has the facility to have Science in their hands or in their life with accessibility.

My journey in science communication initially began as a way to build my confidence in talking about public health back when I was in training to become a veterinarian. Now, it has developed into a genuine passion for creating fun and engaging ways to inspire young students in science. Science communication and outreach have become significant aspects of my journey, particularly through grassroots community engagement initiatives.

One of the most impactful activities I participated in was a community outreach aimed at high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. The goal was to inspire these young minds by demonstrating the fascinating world of biochemical research.

When I started my PhD in Oncological Sciences, I had an optimistic assumption that my graduate work would quickly materialize into something that could impact the health and wellbeing of patients. However, humbled by the slow progress of research, I quickly realized that a research discovery amounting to a significant societal impact can require a marathon of meticulous work in a scientist’s lifetime.

My name is Natalia Tapia-Arellano, and I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah. I chose to work with STEMCAP (STEM Community Alliance Program), which focuses on providing STEM education opportunities to incarcerated youth in Utah.