Save the Date, Save a Seat

On a gray March morning, my high school physics classroom always feels like a submarine—windows sealed against the cold, fluorescent lights humming, and twenty-six students staring at a whiteboard full of symbols that look like a secret alphabet. I used to love that feeling: the sense that equations could open hidden doors. But somewhere between “kinematics” and “college applications,” curiosity started to tangle with a quieter question: Is there a place for me in STEM where I don’t have to shrink parts of myself to belong?

The Background Noise of Belonging

I’m the child of immigrants, raised in a home where problem-solving was a survival skill. My parents learned new jobs, new systems, and a new language with the same stubborn patience I try to bring to calculus. At school, I gravitated toward engineering and technology because they felt honest. A circuit either works or it doesn’t. Code either compiles or it doesn’t.

People, though, are messier. Someone once told me—trying to be helpful—that I should consider a “more practical” path than aerospace because “those fields are competitive.” Another time, during group work, I watched my idea get ignored until a classmate repeated it louder. These were small moments, easy to dismiss, but they stacked like books on my chest. The message wasn’t always spoken: prove you deserve to be here, again and again.

When Opportunity Comes With a Deadline

Then I saw an announcement that made my shoulders loosen a little: Farmingdale State College would be hosting the 2026 STEM Diversity Summit—a half-day event dedicated to STEM education, with interactive workshops, a research poster competition, raffles, and lunch. The details were crisp and inviting: Friday, March 6, 2026, 9:00AM–1:00PM, in the Campus Center Ballroom. Registration would open Wednesday, January 21, 2026, capped at 160 students—first come, first served, with limits per school and poster slots. Even the contact email felt like a hand extended: stem@farmingdale.edu.

But that’s where my conflict sharpened. The summit wasn’t just a date on a website—it was a mirror. Attending would mean claiming space in a field where I’ve often felt like a guest. And claiming space can be scary when you’ve learned to stay grateful, quiet, and “easy.”

The Day I Began to Speak in Full Sentences

I decided to build a poster—not because I had the most impressive research, but because I wanted to practice being seen. After school, I sat at my desk with my laptop open and rewrote my project description again and again. Every sentence felt like a negotiation between confidence and caution.

I asked my teacher for feedback and expected a quick skim. Instead, she leaned in, pointed to my graphs, and said, “This is clear. Now make it yours. What did you learn that surprised you?” That question changed the tone of my work. I stopped writing like I was asking permission. I began writing like I belonged.

I imagined the summit ballroom: the low rumble of conversations, poster boards lined up like bright doors, students comparing notes over the clink of lunch trays. I imagined workshops where questions wouldn’t be interruptions but invitations. I imagined meeting other students—some nervous, some bold—each carrying their own complicated story into the clean lines of STEM.

What Inclusion Actually Looks Like

I’ve learned that diversity in STEM isn’t a slogan; it’s a design principle. When a campus partners with offices like Equity & Inclusion and programs that expand access, it’s acknowledging a truth I’ve lived: talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Inclusion is the difference between being the only one at the table and being part of a community building the table together.

A New Definition of Success

My challenge hasn’t been mastering formulas—it’s been believing my voice deserves to be part of the solution. The summit doesn’t erase the biases I’ve encountered, but it offers something just as powerful: momentum. A deadline to act. A room where participation is the point.

By the time March arrives, I don’t want to step into that ballroom as someone hoping to be accepted. I want to walk in as a future engineer in progress—curious, prepared, and fully present. Because the most life-changing equation I’ve learned this year is simple: belonging grows when you show up.

Source Link

Farmingdale State College — “2026 STEM Diversity Summit” (event page): https://www.farmingdale.edu/events/2026/2026-03-06-2026-stem-diversity-summit.shtml