What were the factors that brought me into STEM

    I think that the option to go into a STEM field was never off of the table for me. When I was young it was one of the many options that I could choose... although at that time all I wanted to be was a cartoonist, or a comic book artist, so STEM wasn't really something I thought about doing. I do remember watching science programs on television after school, there was Bill Nye The Science Guy, Beakman's World, and of course The Magic School Bus. I believe that I went to a pretty good school for exploring science, I may have been privileged to go to a school that was able to afford the needed equipment and setups for learning science. My parents were not a deciding factor in my decision to pursue STEM, however, they were not restrictive on our education choices so that may have helped open the doors for exploration. I think that I chose STEM because it just seemed right and I wanted to understand more about the world, but I can't say that I feel like I belong. There may be STEM related careers out there that are perfect for me, but since they aren't the attractive careers that face the public and help enroll students it is hard to know where I really belong. As far as having a role model for STEM, I think that Bill Nye and Mrs. Frizzle (although she was also magic... hmm) were the ones for me since nobody in my family is in a STEM field. As an older student I do feel that my age has played a role in my decision to be in STEM and also my love for plants. STEM is the only place that I can learn about plants, and even then it is hard because there is hardly anything available. Every day I am learning more about myself, and perhaps there is something I don't understand yet about myself that attracts me to STEM, we will find out in due time... stay posted.