User:StephanieOnEarth

As a Student Biomass Researcher and Developer at my community college, I played a key role in developing an anaerobic digester prototype. This project was recognized for its innovative approach to campus and local community sustainability, earning second place in a community solutions competition and being showcased at symposiums and our local science museum. This experience strengthened my skills in biotechnology and sustainability.

I contributed to a 10-person team tasked with creating a comprehensive challenge bank focused on advancing the biotechnology and biomass processing sectors in Stanislaus County. This work involved extensive background research, stakeholder interviews, and delivering sustainable solutions to real-world challenges.

As Director of Political Development in student government, I advocated for student needs, drafting resolutions for college-wide changes. My efforts gained local media recognition, and I was honored to speak at my college's Latinx Graduation and Hispanic Education Conference, where I promoted empowerment for underrepresented communities in education.

I worked as an extended elementary school teacher, where I developed and led STEM lesson plans and tutoring sessions for K-8 students. This role allowed me to combine my passion for teaching with my interest in fostering the next generation of engineers and scientists.

• Research and Development: Extensive experience in biomass, biomanufacturing, and sustainability projects.
• Leadership and Advocacy: Proven record of student advocacy, leadership, and team management.
• STEM Education: Developed and taught STEM programs for elementary students, with a focus on sustainability and environmental education.

I was born in the Bay Area as a first-generation American but grew up in Stanislaus County. Throughout high school, I devoted my time to building a following as a YouTuber and streamer, finding moderate success in the gaming community. Despite this, I felt a deeper calling and decided to take a few gap years after graduation to explore my path.

My family eventually relocated to Nicaragua, where I helped with building up my family business. While there, I spent most of my time in "El Fortín" and a small village called Los Cocos, where my mother was raised. While there, I experienced a powerful contrast: vibrant life surrounded me—children laughing, nature in full bloom, and a peaceful, slower pace. Yet beneath this beauty, I saw the harsh realities of poverty—infant mortality, addiction, pollution, and a lack of education that left many without opportunities and ultimately, without hope. It was during this time that I realized my desire to expand my knowledge and resources to make a positive impact in these communities. However, civil unrest forced us to return to the U.S., where we had to start over from scratch.

Back in the U.S., I worked various jobs in fast food and retail while taking part-time classes at a community college. During a transformative trip to Mexico, I connected with ancestral medicines and ceremonies, which led me to profound self-actualization. This experience changed my worldview, and I consequently became certified as a Kambo practitioner through a nonprofit organization working with the Matsés tribe of Peru, focused on Amazon rainforest conservation.

Through working towards a degree in cultural anthropology, I got the golden opportunity of working as an extended elementary school teacher for a nonprofit, where I found great fulfillment in teaching STEM and mindfulness. I loved helping students grow, and I hope to return to teaching one day in some sort of way. As difficult of a choice as it was, I realized that to fully inspire them to follow their dreams, I needed to follow my own in engineering. This led me back to school, where I completed associate’s degrees for transfer in mathematics and physics. Now, I’m proud to have transferred to Cal Poly Humboldt to continue my journey in Environmental Resources Engineering.

Born in the Bay Area and raised in Stanislaus County, I found success as a gamer before moving to Nicaragua, where I witnessed the challenges of poverty. After returning to the U.S., I connected with ancestral practices and became a certified Kambo practitioner. Through teaching STEM K-8, I rediscovered my passion for engineering. Now, I’m pursuing Environmental Resources Engineering at Cal Poly Humboldt.