Research has been an incredibly empowering and amazing experience for me. It has opened so many doors and has taken me to places I never could have envisioned myself going. It has allowed me to see a future in myself and to learn to dream of bigger and better things. Often people, especially girls and women, have poor confidence in themselves and their abilities, and I am no stranger to that. But I have realized through doing research that the only way to get over self-doubt is by chasing and tackling the things that cause fear.
Research at the beginning, while very exciting, was also very daunting. But I haven’t let it stop me. If you had told me a year ago that I would be receiving a national research scholarship, be publishing my second research paper, or be presenting my research at a national nuclear reactor summit to the top national laboratory directors and the undersecretary of energy, I would have never believed you. Research has taken me down paths and has opened doors I didn’t even know were possible.
And even if I never use the specific information I’ve learned over these past two years again, that’s okay, because in these past two years I've learned how to pick up unfamiliar topics quickly and with the needed technical caliper and precision to excel in a room full of people who have been in industry for 10+ years. It has taught me to take ownership in my work, and given me a way to apply what I am learning in class and to think critically about topics I am passionate about. It has strengthened my appreciation of what I am learning and enhanced my sense of responsibility for retaining that information.
Not only am I making a greater impact on the world, but I am making a greater impact on myself. Research allows you to grow as an individual and to develop skills that are beneficial no matter what industry or research field you want to go into. So, take the risk, try something new, try research; it’ll change you.