Recently, I had the honor of delivering the keynote address at the 13th Annual Research Colloquium of the NYC Science Research Mentoring Consortium at the American Museum of Natural History.
The Colloquium brought together about 200 high school students, families, mentors, and supporters to celebrate students who had spent the year conducting scientific research across New York City.
Standing in front of that room reminded me why science outreach matters.
None of us begins a career in science already knowing exactly where we belong. Sometimes the first step is simply being exposed to something we had never imagined ourselves doing.
That was certainly true for me.
I might never have pursued science if I had not encountered faculty members who looked like me (and many who didn't) and showed me that a scientific career was possible. Seeing someone in a role can change that role from something abstract into something attainable.
That is why opportunities like the Research Colloquium are so important. Students are not only conducting research and presenting their work. They are meeting scientists, mentors, and peers. They are entering scientific spaces. And, perhaps most importantly, they are beginning to see themselves as people who belong there.
For those of us who have already found our way into science, taking time to speak with students, mentor, visit a classroom, judge a science fair, or simply share our own path can feel like a small contribution.
But you never really know what a student will remember.
Exposure matters. Role models matter. And sometimes seeing what is possible is the first step toward imagining it for yourself.
I am grateful to the NYC Science Research Mentoring Consortium and the American Museum of Natural History for creating spaces where young people can see themselves as scientists...and be celebrated as such!