Final Scholar Citizen Capstone Reflection
Scholar-Citizen Initiative is a relatively new organization on campus. I first learned about it was a potential funding source on campus for research with the Highlander-in-Action grant (HIA), but once learning more about the program I really felt my thinking change. At this point, I'd only thought about the exciting science part of research. Applying for the HIA is what really encouraged me to think about the potential impacts of my research and why it's important. I hadn't really thought of why research mattered as a public issue.
As part of receiving the HIA I attended the Women and Minorities Health Fair in Christiansburg, which is something I probably never would've done without the incentive from SCI. Before that point, I didn't realize think the need for public education, but the health fair really opened my eyes to the misconceptions and/or lack of knowledge about endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). I had stepped out of the intellectual bubble of a college campus and into the demographics most at risk for EDCs and they had little to no idea. It really made me realize not only the importance of education about EDCs, but the need for policy change so that the community is not unknowingly exposed. I realized that having learned about EDCs in my classes and research, it was then my job to be one to step up.
Honestly, when SCI first asked me to reflect, I thought it was dumb. I had no idea at the time how much it would transform my thinking. Since becoming a participant in SCI, I have become more reflective in general. It has bettered my critical thinking abilities by expanding my range of thought beyond science. It is what inspired me to begin working with the Radford Scholarly Outreach & Research Education (SCORE office) on campus with the goal of sharing my science with everyone, not just scientists. It takes practice to describe your research quickly and understandably (that elevator pitch). Attending SCI and HIA events really provided practice to present research to a non-scientific audience.
Initially, I found the reflection practice difficult. Our thoughts just work all the time and I typically just let them go. I put away stuff in the moment and some come back to me later, but I typically didn't purposefully try and think about my thinking. I felt a little silly at first and maybe selfish too. It sounds silly to think about your thinking. It took a lot of practice, and still does. It's something I continue to work on.
A time where this way of thinking really helped me was when applying for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP). My SCI skill of reflection and approaching research and the effects on the community is a huge part of NSF grants now; they refer to it as "Broader Impacts". My civic approach to research and the inclusion of education and participation in the community was an integral part of my GRFP application, and I have SCI to thank for that. I don't think it is a skill I would've worked on or explored, and it is a valuable skill to have now.
Throughout my life I will continue to self reflect on my thinking. I will continue to ask questions of others and myself. Knowing about yourself can be a difficult project, but is very rewarding and I think it makes it easier to make decisions in the future. Knowing what you want is a hard thing. SCI has pushed me to develop that skill.
As part of receiving the HIA I attended the Women and Minorities Health Fair in Christiansburg, which is something I probably never would've done without the incentive from SCI. Before that point, I didn't realize think the need for public education, but the health fair really opened my eyes to the misconceptions and/or lack of knowledge about endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). I had stepped out of the intellectual bubble of a college campus and into the demographics most at risk for EDCs and they had little to no idea. It really made me realize not only the importance of education about EDCs, but the need for policy change so that the community is not unknowingly exposed. I realized that having learned about EDCs in my classes and research, it was then my job to be one to step up.
Honestly, when SCI first asked me to reflect, I thought it was dumb. I had no idea at the time how much it would transform my thinking. Since becoming a participant in SCI, I have become more reflective in general. It has bettered my critical thinking abilities by expanding my range of thought beyond science. It is what inspired me to begin working with the Radford Scholarly Outreach & Research Education (SCORE office) on campus with the goal of sharing my science with everyone, not just scientists. It takes practice to describe your research quickly and understandably (that elevator pitch). Attending SCI and HIA events really provided practice to present research to a non-scientific audience.
Initially, I found the reflection practice difficult. Our thoughts just work all the time and I typically just let them go. I put away stuff in the moment and some come back to me later, but I typically didn't purposefully try and think about my thinking. I felt a little silly at first and maybe selfish too. It sounds silly to think about your thinking. It took a lot of practice, and still does. It's something I continue to work on.
A time where this way of thinking really helped me was when applying for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP). My SCI skill of reflection and approaching research and the effects on the community is a huge part of NSF grants now; they refer to it as "Broader Impacts". My civic approach to research and the inclusion of education and participation in the community was an integral part of my GRFP application, and I have SCI to thank for that. I don't think it is a skill I would've worked on or explored, and it is a valuable skill to have now.
Throughout my life I will continue to self reflect on my thinking. I will continue to ask questions of others and myself. Knowing about yourself can be a difficult project, but is very rewarding and I think it makes it easier to make decisions in the future. Knowing what you want is a hard thing. SCI has pushed me to develop that skill.