Washington & Canada STEM Trip - Liseth

This year, I was fortunate enough to be a recipient of the STEM Scholarship that FHLA offers. The main location for this year's trip was Seattle, Washington, but we also had the opportunity to spend a day in Canada. A few years ago, I visited Seattle with my family; however, during this visit, I gained a new perspective of the city.

Growing up, I found it almost impossible to imagine myself becoming a "rich" person. Most of my family members work in jobs that don't require degrees, many of which are in the retail or fast food industries. Although I knew there was a possibility of me attaining a higher career, such as becoming a doctor, I could still only envision myself working somewhere like Walmart for the rest of my life. I now understand that my mindset was heavily influenced by the fact that it is hard for minorities to see themselves in careers where they aren't being adequately represented. During the first few days of the trip, we visited Seattle’s Flight Museum, the Amazon Spheres, and Microsoft. It was after visiting these three specific places that I could finally see myself achieving what is the dream of many first-generation children: making their parents' sacrifices worth it by creating a better life for themselves. I don’t think I could’ve reached this point of view if I hadn't received this scholarship.

Aside from that, another wonderful aspect of the scholarship was the opportunity to travel to another country. One of my favorite hobbies is traveling, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned we would be going to Canada. Although we only spent one day there, I learned so much. I had never been outside of the U.S before, so it was fascinating to see the differences in another country. For example, I forgot that the U.S is one of the only countries to use the imperial system rather than the metric system, so it surprised me to see speed limit signs in kilometers. Even the smallest things, like the layout of houses in Canada, were interesting to observe as we made our way up to Grouse Mountain and the Suspension Bridge. Both places were very scenic and expanded my appreciation for nature. Visiting these attractions also allowed me to see the value in all the hard work us FHLA students put in when preparing for the trip.

Not only did I benefit from exploring these big cities, but I also learned many life skills. The funds for the trip were not given to us; as in life, we had to earn them. This was a valuable lesson. We had to work for our money by organizing car washes, fundraisers, and yard sales. Each of these activities pushed us out of our comfort zones and taught us how to interact with people and sell to them. This also gave us time to get to know each other before spending a full week together. Learning to collaborate with people we had just met at a young age was valuable, as this is often the situation in later stages of life, especially when starting a new job.

Building on these important skills, another skill we developed was the ability to build a network. One of our chaperones, Rick, was one of several valuable connections we established during this trip. Thanks to him, the manager of the hotel where we stayed reached out to us as a group and offered herself as a resource. It was heartwarming to realize that in any position you hold, there is always a way to assist others with the resources you possess. This also ingrained the idea that if you don't ask, you won't know if someone is willing to offer even a small amount of help.

Seeing the impact this entire experience has had on me, it's important to me that I find a way to give back. I am confident that there are many young people out there who doubt their ability to achieve success; however, it is possible. As long as there is a will, there is a way. I aspire to one day help individuals realize that a brighter future awaits them, regardless of their background, just as our chaperones did for us.