My STEM academic journey (from ages 18-22) as an individual from a low income background.

Stories and tips: a thread

High school seniors: Did you know you can waive college application fees? I spoke to my counseling office in HS to help with this process. My mom cried when she found out I did this. I picked a uni offering me $19,000 in scholarships & grants (but still needed +$20,000 ).

To cover the rest, I relied on federal and private loans. Private loans most likely require a co-signer. My parents didn’t make enough money, but thankfully, my sister co-signed under specific terms & conditions.

Look @ community foundations and uni financial aid offices for $$

I had 2 work studies: one in student life, another in animal husbandry. This helped me get acclimated to lab work as a freshman. Get into research early, if you can! I also had a yr of volunteer exp from my hometown. Be honest & loud about your goals. Find your cheerleaders!!

I worked in a bar during summers. Many times, turning down research opps over breaks. Do what you have to do! This job, a study abroad scholarship, and honors program funding helped me save enough to do my semester abroad in Sweden. Going abroad WASN’T a semester to be lazy!

During this time, I reached out to a PI and did a small project in his lab! Reach out to people often and explain why you’re interested in their lab!

Also, make an appt @ your college career center. They are exceptional in drafting a CV, which I sent to PIs during inquiries.

Ask to grab coffee/tour labs.
Ask if there’s funds available to be paid.

In the beginning many of your research opps may be unpaid (from my experiences). I applied to 4 summer programs that semester, & 2 scholarship programs. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get in-try again!

Summer of 2018, I went to Bar Harbor for @jacksonlab/ @JAX_Education SSP. This REU was my first PAID research gig. I can’t emphasize how much of a turning point this was in my life. I learned how to write/present research, go to lab meetings, and participate in journal clubs

I probably would have had to drop out of @BaldwinWallace to transfer to a cheaper school if I didn’t get accepted to scholarship programs.

Super stressful.

Fall of 2018, I was accepted to the NIH’s Undergrad Scholarship Program & the Ohio Space Grant Consortium Scholarship

UGSP paid for my last 2 yrs of college (<$20,000). This program requires “paybacks” == in my summers I go to the NIH for full-time research. B/c they paid 2 years of tuition, I also owe two years of full time employment. This is a federal position I plan to do as a post-doc.

The OSGC Scholarship ($3500) requires a 2 pg proposal in the app. I had a great faculty advisor who assisted in this app process & was my thesis advisor. Plus- I got to present my research at NASA! The program changed their rules so unfortunately NRO projects can’t apply anymore

I come from a small liberal arts university who didn’t have big grants. Though! We are a part of @NuRhoPsi. I was eligible for, and received, an undergraduate research grant ($1,000) to cover direct research costs.

UGSP, OSGC, & NRP allowed me to be more competitive as I focused on developing my thesis project. Independent research is SUPER important when applying to grad school.

I knew I could only go to a fully funded PhD. Thankfully, I was accepted to Emory’s neuroscience program

Of course, this thread skims over many problems associated with being low income. I had other challenges, not mentioned. Though, I hope this thread provides some insight for students of similar backgrounds going into STEM/biomedical sciences

tl;dr
-Apply for funding and ask for funding opps from multiple sources
-Funding mentioned: @JAX_Education, @NIH UGSP ( @NIH_OITE), @SpaceGrant_Ohio, @NuRhoPsi
-Find multiple mentors to support you. They’re your biggest advocates!
-Draft a CV early

*DMs are always open for Qs*

Finally, special thank you to all my previous mentors and PIs for these opportunities over the years.

(previously at SVSU): Dr. Jeff Smith who trusted a 17 year old to come into his lab and attend SfN with his lab in 2015. He was gracious and a fantastic undergraduate leader.

...the multitude of @BaldwinWallace mentors through my 4 years in neuroscience.

Dr. Clare Mathes for her generosity in time & slashing jargon in the field.

Dr. Jackie Morris, my thesis mentor, for treating me as a friend & colleague, as well as being my biggest advocate

The coolest people I know & two PIs I think would be great friends

A BW rising star @jzahratk Thank you for always lending an ear & dealing w/ memes on our exams

My JAX PI- @gwcarter & mentor, Christoph Preuss. You guys had so much faith in me & helped me grow tremendously

@UmeaUniversity Dr. Jonathan Gilthorpe who was such a fantastic mentor who took me under his wing during my time abroad. He taught me everything I know about cell culture & confocal imaging.

My cohort at NIH UGSP, NINDS friends, and Dr. Steven Jacobson’s lab. I appreciated the feedback to make me a better scientist. Specifically, Dr. Chiara Monaco, who was always there for advice and a helpful conversation