Good Chemistry: The Rewards of Minority STEM Outreach - NIST Taking Measure Blog

Good Chemistry: The Rewards of Minority STEM Outreach - NIST Taking Measure Blog

Good Chemistry: The Rewards of Minority STEM Outreach

09/26/2016 09:56 AM EDT

I’m from a town called Aguadilla on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico—about a 2.5-hour drive from San Juan. My parents grew up in poverty. My mom was one of nine siblings and education was not a priority at the time. She had big dreams of studying, getting a degree, and improving herself, but she was faced with too many obstacles and could not fulfill her dreams. My dad and his three siblings grew up deep in the mountainous region and worked the land as traditional “jíbaros.” My dad had the opportunity to study agronomy in college, but he was drafted for the Vietnam War and had to pause his education. They both understood the value of a good education and, although their marriage did not last long, they made sure that my brother and I went to college.

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